Last week Ozzy Moya, owner of South Georgia Motorsports Park (SGMP) announced he would be selling the track he has owned since 2015, as reported in multiple outlets including Competition Plus. The good news for drag racing fans is that SGMP does not appear to be headed to the same fate as Atlanta Dragway.
Ozzy Moya said he has agreed to sell the drag strip and motorsports park to long time friend Raul Torres. The deal is expected to close by the end of April or early May.
Ultimately Ozzy Moya indicated that he didn’t feel he was giving SGMP the attention it needed. Ozzy Moya is also the owner of Orlando Speed World, the popular drag strip based just outside of Orlando.
I wanted a little bit more quality of life time, and it just sucks because I feel I’m giving Orlando like 70% and Georgia, 30%,” Moya explained. “In the end, you can never get back the time you lost with your family, and I think it best [he and wife Maria] just want to concentrate on Orlando, and then have some time off and then let him do Georgia. I think he’ll do great over there.
Ozzy Moya
As for future plans for South Georgia Motorsports Park? Those haven’t been announced but the new owner is a member of the local community who is a dedicated enthusiast. He is also an experienced business owner. Still, the types of expansions and remodeling needed to make substantiative changes at raceways can be capital intensive and the current economic environment may make obtaining external capital more difficult.
Event still, with the reduction of drag strips throughout the US, SGMP seems well posted to continue. There also seems to be a renewed interest in drag racing, since it is one of the most affordable, approachable and attainable forms of competitive racing. Never been drag racing? It’s an absolutely blast and we’ve got a handy guide for drag racing first timers.
The change of hands is still another in the recent trend. With Atlanta Dragways closing and Silver Dollar Motorsports Park changing hands just a few years ago, enthusiasts might be justified in being nervous. Luckily, motorsports in general has never been hotter so hopefully this is a sign of good things to come with an local owner who will be singularly focused on growing SGMP.
