When Guillermo Santa Cruz drives through Miami Lakes, he wonders where the owners of all the luxury sports cars he sees go to really “open up” their engines.
“For some reason, there are a lot of Lamborghinis and Ferraris in Miami Lakes, and my reaction is, where do they drive these cars?” Santa Cruz said.
Santa Cruz, 55, of Miami Lakes, became president of Homestead-Miami Speedway on July 2nd.
“It’s an honor,” Santa Cruz said. “I sit at the desk once occupied by Ralph Sanchez, who built the track and was a titan when it comes to motor sports in South Florida.”
He called the 650-acre facility “an economic engine” for that part of the county and NASCAR “the most popular racing sport in America.”
He wants his neighbors in northwest Miami-Dade County to visit the track – especially those who own cars designed for speed.
The track will host the NASCAR Cup Playoff Series in October. It has events on nearly 300 days during the year and offers activities so people can feel like they’re a part of the action.
“We have Fast Lane Fridays, which gives people the chance to come out here and drag race legally,” Santa Cruz said. “It’s a riot. It’s great.”
The event attracts young speed racers who pay a fee to compete safely on the track instead of on public roads.
“That’s very much part of the car culture in Miami,” Santa Cruz said. “It was something that was instituted a long time ago, alongside the Homestead Police Department.”
Another option to experience racing is the Give Back at the Track program which lets donors test their mettle, for a cause.
“You can drive on the track and that money goes to charity … that’s very cool,” Santa Cruz said. “Some people bring very cool cars, and someone may show up in a minivan.”
Give Back at the Track is a way for Homestead-Miami Speedway support the local community and allow racing fans a rare, up-close view of the track.
After all, what fan wouldn’t like a peek into the pit, and the bragging rights that come with it?
Aside from community events the track also hosts FARA USA Formula races for motorsport enthusiasts.
“We want to do more things like that with the automotive clubs,” Santa Cruz said.
The goal is to get more people into the speedway to see what it has to offer.
“We’re going to do [events] like that where you can bring the super cars,” Santa Cruz said.
Santa Cruz wants to continue to grow the community offerings at Homestead-Miami Speedway and hopes residents will visit from other parts of the county.
NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The sport grew from the cars that moonshiners modified to outrun police while transporting liquor during Prohibition, according to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Today, the sport is professional and draws massive crowds of fans to its marquee races.
Before joining NASCAR, Santa Cruz worked in television journalism, beginning his career at Univision Sports and Telemundo Sports.
He transitioned into a marketing role while at Telemundo Sports, though he was still involved in television production.
“I’ve always been in media…in a way it’s a natural progression,” Santa Cruz said.
Santa Cruz then worked at IMG, a sports agency, where he managed sales, business development and climate relations.
At Homestead-Miami Speedway, Santa Cruz hopes to bring more spectators to the track.
“Part of the challenge is bridging that impression that it’s not that far [to get to Homestead],” Santa Cruz said.
Another challenge he faces is navigating a crowded sports market in South Florida, and he wants to bring NASCAR and Homestead-Miami Speedway into the conversation.
“When people think South Florida sports, it’s the Dolphins, the Marlins, the Heat, Inter Miami [CF],” Santa Cruz said.
One way to do that goes back to his hometown of 23 years, attracting his neighbors with fast cars to the southern end of the county.
Santa Cruz lives in the Lake Glenn-Ellen neighborhood with his wife Mabel and their two adult children.
He said he enjoys the local verdant landscape. He takes walks in the evenings and paddleboards on the lake behind his house.
“I love being close to nature,” Santa Cruz said. “I feel like Miami Lakes is an oasis.”
To learn more about Homestead-Miami Speedway, its offerings for amateur drivers and to see the race schedule visit www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.