The FIRM (Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park)
The FIRM (Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park) at a glance
- Location
- Starke, Florida
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 1.6 mi (2.6 km)
- Turns
- 10
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt (plus unpaved rally/off-road sections elsewhere on the property)
- Opened
- 1999
- Owner
- The Strategic Group (Gainesville, Florida)
Track map and layout
The FIRM's main paved road course is a compact 1.6-mile, 10-turn circuit set on roughly 420 acres of sand and pine forest near Keystone Heights, built to be technically demanding rather than fast. A tight run of esses is the layout's signature section, forcing drivers to string together direction changes with little room to breathe, and the surrounding property carries additional rally-cross, off-road and skid-pad areas beyond the sealed circuit. Originally built as Ivor Wigham's European Rally School in 1999, the facility retains a rally and precision-driving character distinct from a typical American club-racing road course, and it is used as much for driver training and law-enforcement/security driving instruction as for wheel-to-wheel racing.
Named corners and sections
- The esses. A tight, technical sequence of direction changes widely cited as the road course's defining and most challenging section.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Main road course | 1.6 mi | 10 turns; the FIRM's primary paved circuit |
Events and race weekends
The FIRM does not host a marquee national touring series; instead it runs a steady calendar of open track days, HPDE sessions, autocross, rallycross and club racing organized through regional clubs and third-party track-day operators. It is also home to the Rally Pro Performance Driving School and the International Security Academy, which trains military and security personnel in high-speed evasive and precision driving, so much of its annual activity is training-focused rather than spectator racing.
Getting there and parking
The facility sits in rural north-central Florida south of Starke, closest to Gainesville Regional Airport for fly-in visitors, with Jacksonville International Airport a viable alternative for those combining the visit with other travel. A car is effectively required, as the site is well outside any walkable town center.
- Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) · about 40 min drive
- Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) · about 60 min drive
Parking
On-site parking is available for track-day and event participants and spectators; specific pricing depends on the event organizer since The FIRM hosts third-party clubs and driving schools rather than selling its own general-admission tickets.
Hotels and camping near The FIRM (Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park)
There are few hotels immediately adjacent to the rural site, so most visitors base themselves in Gainesville, about 40 minutes away, or in Starke itself for a shorter commute with more limited lodging options.
Where to look
Gainesville for the widest range of hotels; Starke for closer, more limited lodging.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Unlike most tracks in this guide, The FIRM's business is built around public access: it regularly hosts open track days, HPDE sessions and driving-school programs where members of the public can drive their own car or a school vehicle on the road course, alongside rallycross and autocross events on the property's unpaved areas. Access is generally arranged through the track's event calendar or third-party organizers such as regional car clubs and driving-experience companies rather than a single in-house public program.
Who runs days here
- Rally Pro Performance Driving Schoolcar
Spectator guide
The FIRM is not built around large-scale spectator racing, so it lacks permanent grandstands and ticketed general admission in the way a touring-series track does; most visitors attend as track-day participants rather than spectators. Event-specific viewing areas exist for club races and rallycross events hosted on-site.
Weather
- Jun-Sep: Hot, humid north-central Florida summer with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, typically highs in the low-to-mid 90s°F
History of The FIRM (Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park)
From rally school to multi-discipline park
The facility that is now The FIRM began in 1999 as Ivor Wigham's European Rally School and Motorsport Park, a 430-acre property built south of Starke, Florida, to teach rally and high-performance driving techniques. For nearly 15 years it operated primarily as a driver-training facility rather than a racing venue, building a reputation in the rally and precision-driving community distinct from Florida's more conventional club-racing tracks.
New ownership, new identity
In 2012 the property was acquired by The Strategic Group, an investment firm based in Gainesville, Florida, which renamed the facility Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park — The FIRM — to better reflect the broader mix of activities it had grown to host beyond rally instruction alone. The rebrand coincided with an expansion of the site's public-facing programming, adding regular open track days, club racing and autocross alongside its established driver-training business.
A training-focused identity
Throughout its ownership changes, The FIRM has kept a distinctive dual identity: it is simultaneously a public track-day and club-racing venue, built around a compact 1.6-mile, 10-turn road course known for its demanding esses, and a serious driver-training center, home to programs including the International Security Academy, which trains military and security personnel in high-speed evasive and precision-driving techniques on the property's varied surfaces.
Present day
Today The FIRM continues to operate as a working motorsports park in the sand and pine forest of north-central Florida, hosting a regular calendar of open track days, HPDE sessions, rallycross, autocross and club racing organized through regional clubs and driving-experience companies, without the large-scale spectator events found at Florida's bigger commercial raceways.
Frequently asked questions
How long is The FIRM's road course?+
The main paved circuit is about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) with 10 turns.
Can the public drive on The FIRM's track?+
Yes. Unlike many tracks in this region, The FIRM regularly hosts open track days, HPDE sessions and driving-school programs where visitors can drive their own car on the circuit.
What was The FIRM originally called?+
It opened in 1999 as Ivor Wigham's European Rally School and Motorsport Park before being renamed Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park (The FIRM) under new ownership in 2012.
Does The FIRM host a major racing series?+
No. It runs club racing, track days, autocross and rallycross rather than a national touring series, and is also used for driver training including a security/military driving academy.
Where is The FIRM located?+
It sits on roughly 420 acres about eight miles south of Starke, Florida, near Keystone Heights, closest to Gainesville Regional Airport.
Other tracks nearby
- WW Ranch Motocross Park · 39 mi · motocross
- Daytona International Speedway · 73 mi · road course & oval
- Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg · 146 mi · street circuit
- Roebling Road Raceway · 168 mi · road course
- Sebring International Raceway · 169 mi · road course
- Palm Beach International Raceway · 226 mi · road course
Facts checked against 6 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.