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The Pines Plaza With a Wild Backstory
Before Sedano’s and Flanigan’s, this corner of Pembroke Pines was the loudest place in South Florida.
Mike Ugarte
May 18, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Burnouts and Backstage Passes
You might swing by Sedano’s for groceries or grab a bite at Flanigan’s, but not long ago, this quiet corner of Pembroke Pines was anything but.
It was loud. Dusty. Crowded. And legendary.
1985 Sportatorium/Hollywood Raceway photo attribution: By Bloodwig80 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50421061
2025 - Corner of Pines and 172
Concerts, Cars, Chaos
🎸 The Hollywood Sportatorium: South Florida’s Loudest Landmark
Long before Pines Blvd was lined with plazas and townhomes, it was a two-lane road known as Hollywood Blvd, and this area was called Hollywood West.
Out here, at what felt like the edge of the map, stood the Hollywood Sportatorium — a massive concrete box that somehow became the destination for live music in South Florida.
From the '70s through the early '90s, this venue hosted Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Van Halen, and countless others.
The acoustics were brutal, the parking was chaos, and the memories? Unmatched.
The Sportatorium was demolished in 1993, but its legacy lives on in stories and faded concert tees.
I saw Boston and U2 there — and like everyone else, I sat in traffic for hours just to get in or out.
Back then, there was no I-75, no Miramar Parkway — just the Turnpike or US-27.
Now, I live nearby — and it’s wild to think how much this stretch of Pines has changed.
🏁 Miami-Hollywood Motorsports Park: Speed and Smoke
Next door to the venue stood the Miami-Hollywood Motorsports Park, a dragstrip and oval track that drew racing fans from all over.
From 1966 until 1992, it roared with quarter-mile drag runs and stock car events.
Names like Don “Big Daddy” Garlits and Jungle Jim raced here.
On weekend nights, the smell of fuel hung in the air, and the grandstands were packed.
What’s There Now
Today, that same stretch of land is home to a quiet shopping center with Sedano’s, Flanigan’s, Burger King, and other neighborhood spots.
The crowds are calmer now — but if you know, you know.
Locals Remember
“You’d sit in traffic forever trying to leave a show. Worth it every time.”
“We’d watch the races, then tailgate in the lot.”
Got your own Sportatorium or speedway story?
Hit reply and tell us — we might feature a few in an upcoming post.