For those of us who live and breathe automobiles in Northeast Florida, the idea of having a world-class road course practically in our backyard sounds almost too good to be true. Well, that dream is getting closer to reality with the planned Roaring Pines Motor Club near Palatka, Florida, roughly an hour from Jacksonville. The ambitious motorsports development is targeting a December 2026 construction start, with as much as $45 million dedicated to initial infrastructure. We’re talking about a professional 3.5-mile racetrack, luxury garage condos, a private clubhouse, and eventually an entire residential community centered around a shared passion for cars. Needless to say, this is the kind of automotive development we’ve been hoping to see in our region for quite some time.

According to a recent report from the Jacksonville Business Journal, the project is being developed by Scott Lagasse and Scott Lagasse Jr., the father-and-son team behind St. Augustine-based TeamSLR, a professional racing organization involved in driver development and competition. The Lagasses have been working toward making Roaring Pines a reality for nearly a decade, eventually settling on property near Palatka Municipal Airport after an earlier development effort in St. Johns County didn’t move forward. The project is now approaching the final stages of its approval process, with developers hoping to begin construction in December. Initial work would focus on roads and the racing circuit, with asphalt construction expected to take approximately 12 months and the track potentially opening for use by spring 2028.

The centerpiece of Roaring Pines Motor Club will be an impressive 3.5-mile road course featuring 20 turns and designed with the goal of achieving FIA Grade 2 certification. The layout is expected to offer multiple configurations, including a flowing 2.65-mile circuit with a massive 4,000-foot straightaway, sweeping esses, banked corners, and elevation changes. A separate 0.85-mile technical circuit would simulate tighter urban-style racing environments, providing an entirely different driving experience. That flexibility could make the facility useful for everything from professional driver development and race car testing to high-performance driving events and private member track sessions. For enthusiasts in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine areas, having access to such a substantial racing facility without traveling several hours could be a game changer.

Beyond the racetrack, Roaring Pines is being designed as a full-fledged automotive lifestyle destination. The first phase calls for approximately 80 luxury garage condos ranging from 800 to 1,800 square feet, giving owners the opportunity to store, display, and enjoy their prized vehicles in a purpose-built environment. Plans also include a three-story clubhouse with a rooftop gathering area, while future development could introduce roughly 50 custom homesites. The broader vision includes additional amenities such as a motorsports museum, driver training facilities, hospitality accommodations, and other recreational offerings. Essentially, the goal is to create something resembling a private country club, except instead of spending the afternoon on a golf course, members can spend it enjoying their favorite performance cars on a professionally designed racetrack.

There’s also some serious motorsports experience behind this project. In addition to the Lagasses, partners include renowned automotive entrepreneur Warren Mosler and his son Jacob, who have longstanding ties to TeamSLR. Mosler is particularly well known among performance enthusiasts for his work developing unconventional American supercars, including the Mosler MT900. Other early supporters include Ring Power CEO David Alban and Justin Felker, co-owner of St. Augustine’s Art ‘n Motion Collector Cars and House of Assembly Events. Having people with established backgrounds in racing, automotive engineering, business, and collector-car culture involved certainly gives the project additional credibility. Roaring Pines would also become a new headquarters for TeamSLR, providing a dedicated facility for its racing operations and driver development programs.

Of course, building a motorsports facility of this magnitude isn’t without challenges. The development has already gone through extensive planning and zoning reviews, including a unanimous recommendation from the Putnam County Planning Commission in August 2025. As expected, concerns involving traffic and noise have been part of the discussions, although the project has also received support from local community leaders and residents. Developers believe Roaring Pines could bring meaningful economic benefits to Putnam County through construction activity, employment opportunities, hospitality spending, and increased interest in the surrounding area. Its proximity to Palatka Municipal Airport is another advantage, potentially allowing members and visitors to arrive by private aircraft. The developers are currently offering founding memberships, with additional opportunities expected as plans move forward.

What makes Roaring Pines especially interesting is that it isn’t being envisioned as simply another racetrack. The Lagasses want to establish a community where professional racers, collectors, weekend track enthusiasts, and families can share their appreciation for automobiles. Members would have opportunities for private track access, professional instruction, vehicle storage, and social gatherings, all within the same development. It’s an ambitious concept, but we’ve seen similar private motorsports communities attract considerable interest elsewhere in the country. With Florida’s favorable climate allowing for nearly year-round driving, the location could be particularly appealing to enthusiasts who want to enjoy their vehicles rather than simply keep them tucked away in a garage.

Here at Automotive Addicts, we’re genuinely excited about the possibility of Roaring Pines Motor Club becoming a reality. Being based in the Jacksonville area, we’ve long felt that Northeast Florida could benefit from a dedicated motorsports destination of this caliber, especially considering the number of automotive enthusiasts, performance car owners, and collectors throughout our region. We’re happy to see a project of this magnitude taking shape relatively close to home, and we look forward to learning more about the facility, following its progress, and hopefully finding ways for Automotive Addicts to become involved. One question that remains is what kind of access, if any, will be available to the general public or enthusiasts who aren’t club members. While we certainly understand the appeal of an exclusive private motorsports community, we’re hopeful that Roaring Pines might eventually offer at least some limited public access through special events, track days, automotive gatherings, or other opportunities for local enthusiasts to experience the facility. Something this impressive could have a tremendous impact on the automotive community throughout Northeast Florida, and we’d love to see that excitement shared beyond its membership. We can’t wait to see what possibilities Roaring Pines Motor Club brings to our area.