Owner announces pending sale of racetrack

South Georgia Motorsports Park owners Ozzy and Maria Moya have announced the pending sale of the racetrack near Cecil to Raul and Jennifer Torres of South Florida.

Torres said last week that the sale is under contract and will undergo the due diligence phase over the next 30 to 45 days before becoming official.

In a message to the public, Moya, owner of the Orlando Speedworld Dragway, thanked Donald Long, Mike Hill, MANCUP, Mod Nationals, NHRA, and “the great promoters, racers, sponsors, and fans who have supported us at SGMP.”

Moya also offered “a huge thanks to Linda, Jeff, Leslie, David, Decker, the Williamses, Ray, Randy, Joseph, Nelson, Wade, and all the great people who were part of the SGMP family the last eight years.”

Moya added, “Maria, our kids, and I would like to announce that we have reached an agreement to sell SGMP to Raul and Jennifer Torres. Raul and Jennifer are local business owners in Valdosta with a great history of running very successful businesses.

“We believe that at this time in our lives, this is the best decision for our family. SGMP deserves someone who can run it to its full potential and give it the love it deserves. SGMP is in great hands, and we are excited to see all the great improvements that are planned already by the Torreses. We wish the Torreses’ great success.

“Again, thanks to everyone. It was a fun ride.

“God bless, Ozzy & Maria Moya”

The sale of SGMP will be equivalent to the change of ownership in a major area industry. SGMP hosts several major racing events, including Duck X Production’s Lights Out and No Mercy events, the MANCUP Drag Bike series, and a stop on the Sick Week event. The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was scheduled to host their third Division 2 race of the 2023 season last week. Local economic development officials say the racetrack brings thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in sales tax revenue to the community annually.

Raul Torres said he has been active in drag racing for more than 30 years, since he was 16 years old, and has grown to know the Moyas very well over the years and to be fond of them. 

Torres has not only worked at racing events, but has also been a successful racing competitor. In 2022, he was awarded Grudge Racer of the Year for Florida. He has competed in the National Mustang Racers Association.  

Torres owns three businesses in Florida – a plant nursery, an outdoor storage facility, and a commercial landscape company – and an automotive repair shop in Valdosta.

Torres said he and his wife, a Physician’s Assistant, plan to retire in the near future and move to South Georgia, where he will be directly involved in planning improvements for SGMP. 

“We have dreamed of this for a long time,” he said. “I have found something I could do for the rest of my life. That is in itself a blessing.” He noted that their two daughters will be attending FSU and it will only be a short drive for them to reach their family in Adel.

Torres said some of his goals for SGMP are to reopen the round track and have a mud bogging area on the property. He added that he would like to expand SGMP’s role in the community by hosting such events as car shows, swap meets, fireworks displays, and even outdoor concerts, so that it will host smaller scale activities year-round in addition to a few big races half a dozen times a year. He plans to bring in a full-time crew to run the facility. “It is such a beautiful piece of property,” with a lot of potential, he said.

SGMP “is a diamond in the rough, and it needs to be polished for it to shine,” Torres said.

Torres said he has been following some of the recent controversies involving SGMP, the de-annexation from the City of Adel to the County, complaints about noise from racing after hours, and the noise ordinance. He said he wants to meet with local officials and discuss how to resolve issues like that to benefit all parties. “We’re all in this together,” he said. He added that he is passionate about operating the racetrack for the long term and passing the business on as a legacy to his daughters and their families one day.