A potentially game-changing development for Putnam County is revving toward reality after clearing its first major approval hurdle Wednesday night.
Proposed by St. Augustine-based Scott Lagasse Racing (Team SLR) and Mosler Industries, the $200 million complex would feature a high end driver-training test track, car storage and a variety of other uses—including a four-star hotel.
Helmed by Palatka native and former NASCAR driver Scott Lagasse Sr. and his son, Scott Lagasse Jr., also a competitive driver, Team SLR’s vision was received positively by tbhe Putnam County Planning Commission Wednesday, which voted unanimously to recommend it to county commissioners.
“Why not Putnam?” the younger Lagasse told the panel at the meeting, stressing his family’s roots in the area. “This is dad’s home. This is legacy. Why not here?”
Lagasse Sr., who once drove on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, has built a diverse motorsports enterprise that is now “operating on all eight cylinders,” he told the commission.
The Lagasses now focus on their Trans Am Series team, a driver-training program and building cars for other teams.
The 443-acre property borders the Palatka-Kay Larkin Airport — a location Scott Lagasse Sr. said is ideal for both accessibility by high end clients and noise considerations.
The project drew enthusiastic endorsement from several community leaders, including Sheriff Gator DeLoach.
Local residents also signaled their support, arguing that Putnam needs an economic engine to spur growth and jobs.
Representatives said it could inject $20 million into the county’s economy each year and potentially open in 2027.
“This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Lagasse Sr. said. “It’s home to me and I don’t want to travel…Why not build it here and have the revenues here?”
Plans call for recreational uses, first-responder training space, a racing museum and, eventually, the county’s first four-star hotel.
