Freedom Factory
| Fastest 3/8 Mile Speedway in the South | |
|---|---|
 2023 aerial view of the track. Bradenton Motorsports Park is adjacent to the track. | |
| Location | 21050 East State Road 64 Bradenton, Florida, USA |
| Coordinates | 27°27′56″N 82°19′30″W / 27.46556°N 82.32500°W |
| Owner | Cleetus McFarland |
| Broke ground | Late 1970s |
| Opened | 1978 |
| Former names | Desoto Speedway (1978–2020) |
| Major events | Current: Freedom 500 (2020–) Altima 600 (2024–) 2.4 Hours of LeMullets (2020–) Florida Man Games (2026–) AsphaltBill Bigley, Sr. Memorial 128 (2023–) Bigley Memorial Tune-Up 125 (2025–) |
| Website | freedomfactoryusa |
| Paved-Oval (1978–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.37 mi (0.60 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns: 12° Straightaways: 6° |
| Location | 21000 East State Road 64Bradenton, Florida, USA |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Owner | Victor AlvarezCleetus McFarland (50 percent, since 2025) |
| Broke ground | 1974 |
| Opened | 1974 |
| Major events | Current: Snowbird Outlaw Nationals U.S. Street Nationals FL2K Summernats USA Out For Blood 'Christmas Tree Drags' |
| Website | freedomfactoryusa |
| Dragstrip (1974–present) | |
| Surface | Concrete (quarter mile)Asphalt (shutdown area) |
| Length | 0.40 km (0.25 mi) |
The Freedom Factory, (formerly Desoto Speedway from 1971 to 2020) is a 3⁄8 mi (0.60 km) oval short track in Bradenton, Florida. The track primarily holds events held by YouTuber and owner Cleetus McFarland.
History
[edit]Early days
[edit]The track was opened around the late-1970s under the name Desoto Speedway. The track remained open until 2018, where it then sat abandoned.
Under McFarland
[edit]In January 2020, content creator Cleetus McFarland bought the abandoned Desoto Speedway, a 3⁄8 mi (0.60 km) Asphalt Oval & Figure 8 Track in Manatee County, Florida,[1][2] and later renamed the track to Freedom Factory.[3]
McFarland stated in an interview on a podcast that the idea for the Crown Victoria racing events originated during the early 2020 COVID‑19 lockdowns, when the newly purchased Freedom Factory could not host spectators and he needed an alternative source of revenue. He explained that the financial strain from acquiring the facility, combined with a bounced IRS quarterly tax prepayment, led him to create pay‑per‑view races featuring decommissioned Ford Crown Victorias with nitrous driven by internet personalities. As the format grew in popularity over the following years, professional drivers, including current NASCAR competitors and Hall of Famers, began participating in the events, especially the Freedom 500.[4]
Bradenton Motorsports Park partnership
[edit]In January 2025, McFarland announced he had acquired a 50% ownership stake in Bradenton Motorsports Park (BMP), the adjacent quarter-mile drag strip, partnering with existing owner Victor Alvarez.[5][6]
Founded in 1974, BMP is an NHRA-sanctioned drag strip located adjacent to the Freedom Factory, and hosts events such as the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals and U.S. Street Nationals.[5] McFarland said the deal followed record attendance at a BMP event in October 2024 that left the facility "bursting at the seams with growth."[7][8][9][10]
Incidents
[edit]In 2017, Dave Steele was killed in a racing accident during a Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series race at the track on March 25, 2017. His car's front wheel struck and overrode the rear wheel of another car during the event, sending him into the wall; he was pronounced dead at the scene.[11]
During one of McFarland's "Cleetus and Cars" events in November 2020, Parker Whitlock suffered third-degree burns due to a radiator hose explosion.[12] Until this event, drivers that entered the competition were not required to be wearing a full fire suit. During Whitlock's burnout in his bodyless Ford Mustang, a radiator hose routed past the driver exploded. Because Whitlock was only wearing a hoodie and shorts, he suffered third-degree burns and required multiple skin grafts.[13]
References
[edit]- ↑ Adams, Rick (February 3, 2020). "YouTube star Cleetus McFarland buys Desoto Speedway in Manatee County". My Sun Coast. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ↑ "New Owner For Desoto Speedway (FL)". Performance Racing Industry. February 11, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Freedom Factory USA (fka DeSoto Speedway) in Bradenton, FL". RacingIn.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ↑ Roman Atwood. "Cleetus McFarland Wanted By The IRS & His Racing Empire!" (Podcast). The Roman Atwood Podcast. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- 1 2 "Cleetus McFarland Secures 50% Stake in Bradenton Motorsports Park (FL)". Performance Racing Industry. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ "YouTuber Cleetus McFarland Now Owns 50 Percent of Bradenton Motorsports Park". Engine Builder Magazine. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ "YouTube star becomes partner in Bradenton Motorsports Park". Business Observer. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Griffith & Curry Take On Eighth Annual Bill Bigley Sr. Memorial 128". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Colin Allman Breaks Through for First UARA National Win in Bigley Memorial Tune-Up". Racing America. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Freedom Factory". Tour of Destruction. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ Ayello, Jim (March 26, 2017). "Sprint car driver David Steele killed in Florida speedway crash". Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on March 26, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ↑ Paulo Acoba (November 24, 2020). "Cleetus & Cars burnout participant suffers 3rd degree burns after radiator hose blows on his homebrew Fox Body kart". Alt Car news. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ↑ Smith, Steve Cole (November 29, 2020). "YouTube Star Cleetus McFarland Accused of Hiding Car Show Participant's Severe Injuries". The Drive. Retrieved April 13, 2022.