Motorsport theme park opens in Brooksville

New racing center aimed at curbing street racing

FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis headed to the opening weekend at Lead Foot City.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A motorsport theme park for adrenaline junkies has officially opened in Brooksville as a way to deter illegal street racing and intersection takeovers.

Lead Foot City has been in the works for Founder, Achilles Thomas for the past five years.

New racing center in Brooksville aimed at curbing street racing.

"Building a complex not just for motorsports but also entertainment for the whole family," he said, "It's a safe place to get off the streets and we're just so excited to finally be open."

Saturday marked the first day of its grand opening weekend.

"We've had thousands of people out here today. You can see the interest and the energy. Everyone is just so pumped to have a safe place to go off the streets and just have some fun in a safe environment," Thomas said.

"Working closely with the NHRA, which is the National Hot Rod Association which is a sanctioning body for drag racing," he said, "What they were founded on 75 years ago was getting racers off the streets and on the tracks."

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Thomas said safety is the top priority. "Here we've got EMTs, safety personnel on site. We've got concrete barriers all the way down the track. It's a very safe environment," Thomas said.

The 80-acre site features a 1/8 mile drag strip, burnout pit, drifting center, and autocross area. In addition to a speakeasy, bar and grill, and convention center.

New racing center in Brooksville aimed at curbing street racing.

Les Benson raced for the first time since the '70s on Saturday. "I see all of the other guys out there doing it with minimal equipment and I thought, 'I can do that too.' he explained, "I saw this car for sale on the internet in Tampa and I bought it."

Benson said he's grateful for the opportunity to race in a safe environment. He said, "The rumble of the angry motor, the power. And the community. It's a community that I understand, and I love being in."

Lead Foot City's opening weekend continues on Sunday with burnouts and drifting.

Visit the Lead Foot City website for more information.

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