The idea for an entertainment complex with motorsports venues as the central focus began in the spring of 2004.

The organizers were Alabama-based investors who felt that the exploding south Alabama area was the perfect location due to the motorsports enthusiasm and the need for additional entertainment to serve the huge tourist and residential growth.

Once the investors identified a project site in Mobile County on the new connector road from I-65 to I-10, the project scope grew to include substantial commercial elements including restaurants, hotels and other location-based entertainment.

The investor group has expanded to include a diverse group of entrepreneurs based in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. These include members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and owners of race teams in various stock car and road racing series.

The president and managing member of Gulf Coast Entertainment, L.L.C. is the former four-term mayor of Mobile, Mike Dow.

PSE-3 of Raleigh, NC, manages marketing, communications, the Winners Circle program and relationships with sanctioning bodies.

Thompson Engineering of Mobile, AL, is the engineering firm of record.

Populous (formerly HOK Sport Venue Event) of Kansas City, MO, is retained for master planning.

Turner Construction provides project consultation and estimating through its offices in of Arlington, VA, and Nashville, TN.