Way back in the fall of 1972, a Florida racing promoter came up with a novel idea: a weekend event that combined the results of various motorcycle racing disciplines. His track outside Jacksonville, North Florida Raceway, had both a flat track and a motocross track, as well as a large wooded area for hare scrambles, so those became the three events that comprised the first Florida Winter Nationals. He picked the weekend after Thanksgiving for his Olympiad-style championship, which he dubbed the Florida Winter Nationals. And despite some wet weather, the event was a minor success, as some 300 riders showed up.