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Track guide · road course
The FIRM (Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park)
The FIRM (Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park) at a glanceChecked 2026-09-09
- Length
- 1.6 mi2.6 km
- Turns
- 10
- Opened
- 1999
- Location
- Starke, Florida
- Type
- road course
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt (plus unpaved rally/off-road sections elsewhere on the property)
- 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
Main road course
1.6 mi10 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.
- GNVGainesville Regional Airport (GNV)about 40 mindrive
- JAXJacksonville International Airport (JAX)about 60 mindrive
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
Facts checked against 6 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.