Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR) has been a part of the Florida racing scene since it first opened in 1965. PBIR’s future has been in limbo, with a development firm, Portman Industrial, attempting to buy the facility and turn the property into a warehouse complex. The fight to save PBIR is far from over, and the racing community is doing what it can to keep the track open.

PBIR’s supporters have been very vocal about what the track means to the racers and the entire community. Madelyn Marconi is one of those who has been working hard to keep PBIR a functioning racetrack. Marconi grew up at PBIR watching her father race and even met her fiancé at the track, so the fight is personal for her.

“I got involved in trying to help save the racetrack because I know how much it means to every single person who goes out there. For some, it’s stress relief after a hard week’s work. For others, generations of their family have been going to that track to race. I have taken the lead on navigating the steps to attend the public hearings, and help everyone who wants to speak or submit public comments. I also have reiterated the importance of residents coming together to voice their concerns over a real community issue such as our local racetrack closing,” Marconi says.

Portman Industrial’s site plans for the PBIR property were denied approval by the Board Of Zoning Commissioners at a recent meeting. The board noted significant flaws in the plan submitted by Portman. The local community is very concerned as well that if the track closes, people will go back to the streets to race. There are also numerous local businesses, including high-performance shops, that are worried if PBIR shuts down, it will force them to close their doors, too.

“There’s another public hearing in front of the Board of County Commissioners that has been moved tentatively to sometime in September. With full denial from the zoning commissioners, it would only be fitting for them to also deny the application that has been submitted by Portman. There are significant concerns on the table that will impact our community here in Palm Beach County. So many residents have spoken up and said they don’t want a large warehouse complex like this one to come to our hometown, it’s not wanted here whatsoever. We will be at the meeting to voice our concerns in front of the board before the final decision is made,” Marconi says.

Hopefully, Marconi, the racers, and concerned citizens of Palm Beach County’s hard work pays off and PBIR can carry on. The last thing anyone in the drag racing world wants to see is another historic facility gone forever.