Ralph Sanchez

Rafael Agustin Sánchez (1948 – April 1, 2013), better known as Ralph Sanchez, was a prominent Cuban-American autoracing figure, developer, and businessman.

Early life Rafael Sanchez was born in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba in 1948. He spent his early years there and attended Catholic school until his life was disrupted by the Cuban Revolution. He was secretly recruited as a schoolboy at the age of ten to distribute the flyers and some supplies to counter-Castro opposition forces. Though seemingly low-level, this work was highly dangerous as children who were caught by the Castro police were often jailed as political prisoners. Sanchez would say that the environment of the time made children grow up quick. When a relative warned his father that he was in danger, his family quickly arranged for Rafael to be sent alone to the United States as part of the Operation Peter Pan airlifts from Havana to Miami at the age of thirteen. degrees from Florida Atlantic University in 1969, after which he started his real estate career with the Keyes Company. After two years he began to take loans to develop small housing projects. Sanchez committed to pay the full extent of the prize, which furthered his credibility in the industry despite the event. In all, the venture had cost him $1.3 million. Through the 1980s and early '90s Sanchez built the Grand Prix of Miami into a formidable force on the international motor-racing circuit, drawing the largest competitors in the industry at the time, including Mario Andretti, A. J. Foyt, Brian Redman, Doc Bundy, Bob Wollek, Geoff Brabham, and Juan Manuel Fangio II. Shortly after launching the downtown Miami circuit, he also helped organize the circuit in Tamiami Park would draw further big-ticket names and winners such as Al Unser, his son Al Unser Jr., Bobby Rahal, Michael Andretti, and Danny Sullivan. The track was one of the largest projects to take place in Homestead, which was made more significant by its timing – Sanchez ground broke in 1993 as the city was struggling to recover as the epicenter the previous year's historic Hurricane Andrew. The racetrack provided a needed economic catalyst to the area.

It became quickly noticed and within a year of opening its story was covered by Sports Illustrated in a profile of Sanchez published in 1996. The track was soon hosting several major sports car events, including IndyCar races.

Later career After the 1990s, Sanchez focused his efforts into developing more conventional projects, specializing in mixed-use. He became particularly active and highly respected in the city of Coral Gables, Florida as a managing partner for Ponce Circle Developers, which he launched in partnership with the Mas family of MasTec. The relationship would prove to be a key partnership as the firm would also be tapped by Sanchez for several future projects, including work on his family's private South Florida residence.

Death and legacy Ralph Sanchez died of cancer in April 2013 at the age of 64.

As a result of his extensive, high-profile career in the South Florida community and international auto racing industry, Sanchez's death was widely covered by major media outlets including The New York Times

He was widely credited with bringing autoracing to South Florida as well using it to solidify Miami's growing international status in the 1980s and 1990s.

After his death, Homestead's then-president Matthew Becherer said: "It's difficult to underestimate the impact Ralph Sanchez had on motorsports in South Florida... Through the Grand Prix of Miami race that was originally run downtown, he put the region on the global sports map years before the Heat, Marlins and Panthers."

British sports car racer Derek Bell, winner of the 1985 Grand Prix of Miami, stated Sanchez "stood 10 feet [taller] than anybody else promoting things in those days... Miami set the bar for street races. Ralph created that ambience and atmosphere. The Miami Grand Prix was an international event, and it boosted Miami's image worldwide."

In July 2013, Miami-Dade County, Florida designated the runway in front of the Homestead as "Ralph Sánchez Speedway Boulevard."

In 2014, a year after his death, the City of Miami named a stretch of the original downtown Miami Grand Prix race course in Biscayne Boulevard, stretching from Northeast Second to Third street, "Ralph Sanchez Way" in his honor.

In 2020, Homestead President Al Garcia reflected on the legacy and impact of Ralph Sanchez on the 25th anniversary of the track, calling Sanchez "a visionary."