The Homestead-Miami Speedway announced Tuesday that Guillermo Santa Cruz, a former sports media executive, has been named the new president of the NASCAR facility. Former president Al Garcia, who has served in the role since 2019, will remain with the track as a consultant, according to a press release.
“Guillermo’s vast experience in the competitive media market will help grow Homestead-Miami Speedway into its next phase as one of the preeminent motorsports facilities,” said Chip Wile, senior vice president and chief track properties officer at NASCAR.
“He has a diverse background in sales, production, and promotion in a key market for Homestead-Miami Speedway and will offer unique opportunities for the team to expand the track’s influence.”
Santa Cruz spent more than a decade at the International Management Group, a sports agency and entertainment programming company. During his time with IMG, Santa Cruz negotiated media rights for sports entities like the MLS, WWE, the French Open and CONCACAF world qualifiers.
While Santa Cruz has worked with national and international entities, the ability to work with a facility in his hometown of Miami was an appealing prospect.
“I’ve always worked more in the international sphere,” Santa Cruz said. “To work here in South Florida, where I’m from, in an exciting opportunity within NASCAR [was enticing].”
“I started out in production, and then I went to IMG, where I worked on the agency side between the leagues and the broadcasters,” Santa Cruz said. “Now I have the opportunity to work directly within the league, and that was very alluring to me.”
As a fan of NASCAR and other sporting events, Santa Cruz said he has some preliminary ideas on how to enhance the fan experience, but that it’s too early to announce specific initiatives at this time.
Santa Cruz’s immediate priority is preparing for the NASCAR playoffs race weekend, scheduled for October 26-27. The first day will have the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday will cap off the weekend’s action.
“I know that the race product is excellent, and that’s the most important thing,” Santa Cruz. “The drivers love this track and with it being toward the end of the season, there’s an extra layer of excitement.”
Looking toward the future, Santa Cruz pointed to South Florida’s growing market, particularly Homestead, as an opportunity to attract more sponsorships.
“[Homestead] is the second-oldest city in Dade County and has a demographic that is a little bit different from the rest of the county,” Santa Cruz said. “You take that into account, and you take the migration to South Florida since COVID, that brings sponsorship opportunities that weren’t there before.”
In particular, Santa Cruz aims to increase Homestead-Miami Speedway’s international appeal.
“Miami is perhaps the most cosmopolitan city in the U.S. We see it in other sporting events that take place here: there are brands and sponsorships that are international,” Santa Cruz said. “The key is figuring out how to tap into international appeal and drive that NASCAR is going after.”
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