SEPTEMBER 2017 12 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM COVER STORY CONTINUED and community groups about future events at the new facilities. “We could not have had that conversation for the last 53 or so years because we just didn’t have the proper facilities,” Sperber said. “Now, we’re going to be able to partner with them to raise money. It’s just the tip of the iceberg, now that we have the facility.” He added, “I think one of the ways you break through the clutter is you have a unique setting and something that your patrons or potential patrons don’t get to do every day.” With a slate of brand new venues where it can play host to a gamut of events, including a club six stories above the racetrack with a panoramic view of the track and of Estrella Mountains (and downtown Phoenix), Phoenix Raceway is poised to become a major event destination. “It’s really a breathtaking location,” Sperber said. “Where else are you going to go to a cocktail party or auction or any kind of fundraiser that’s going to have something like this? There’s only one place in the world and that’s our facility. We’re already in deep discussions with a number of 501c3s about ways they can take advantage of it – it’s pretty exciting.” To make this happen, Phoenix Raceway will be transformed into a full entertainment venue. “We’re going to have assets that are now part of the project that really unlock the facility to be able to do a lot of various kinds of events,” he said. “That presents opportunities. We’ve had discussions with all sorts of potential partners on the event side of things. A lot of charitable organizations are looking for venues to raise money or to raise awareness. Now we can be part of that conversation. We really could not have been part of it all these years — we just didn’t have the right venues and the right facility. That all changes in November of 2018.” Sperber, a Florida State University graduate who hails from, of all places, the racing mecca of Daytona Beach, Fla., has received his share of accolades since his arrival in the Valley in 2002, from being named “Advocate of the Year” by the Arizona Tourism Alliance for his work in driving visitors to the state to being named to Phoenix Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list of top executives in 2006. With a new venue being constructed, Sperber and his team recognized an opportunity to change the way Phoenix Raceway plays a role in the community. Sperber, who has a track record of activity in the philanthropic arena, from sitting on boards to creating and

SEPTEMBER 2017 FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM | 13 Renderings of Phoenix Raceway Project