Freedom 500: The Show Must Go On April 2nd!

The Freedom 500. Have you heard of it? Not long ago, YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland purchased the abandoned racetrack formerly known as DeSoto Speedway. If you’ve ever visited Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, you might have seen the still-existing signage, or noticed the abandoned track as you came into the facility.

McFarland purchased the racetrack, which exists on a 65-acre property and opened sometime in the 1970s, after it was foreclosed and went to auction in March of 2019. Upon taking possession of the track in February 2020, it was immediately renamed the Freedom Factory.

Thus, the idea for the Freedom 500 was born. The “Redneck-style Daytona race” (those are Cleetus’ words), will consist of 21 NOS-equipped Ford Crown Victorias competing in a 100-lap race. Each Crown Vic has also been equipped with a rollcage and harness for safety purposes.

The race, sponsored by our friends at Titan Fuel Tanks, is set to take place this coming Thursday night, April 2nd beginning at 9:00 p.m. EST. Broadcasting of the pay-per-view coverage will begin at 7:00 p.m.

So who can you expect to see behind the wheels of the previous police interceptors? The list includes a variety of YouTubers, as well as Bradenton Motorsports owner, Victor Alvarez. Here is the full list of competitors as well as their YouTube handles (or associated business names):

  • Cleetus
  • James (Cleetus McFarland)
  • Cooper (Cleetus McFarland)
  • Kyle (Boostedboiz)
  • Emilio (Boostedboiz)
  • Brent (PFI Speed)
  • Jamie (PFI Speed)
  • Adam LZ
  • Blake Wilkey (Shreddy Lyfe)
  • Jeremy (Fasterproms)
  • George (Fasterproms)
  • Leo (SXSBlog)
  • Nick (SXSBlog)
  • Doug (SXSBlog)
  • Justin (Street Car Takeover)
  • Mike Vargas (Angel Motorsports)
  • John Vargas (Angel Motorsports)
  • Justin (JH Diesel)
  • Bad Chad (JH Diesel)
  • Victor (Bradenton Motorsports Park)
  • Taylor Ray (drift boi)

To watch the race, you can purchase access ahead of time for only $9.95 by clicking here. Purchase now, because the price will go up to $14.95 on the day of the event. Of course, spectators are not allowed, so PPV is the only way to watch live!

Will you be watching? Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below!

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Stephanie Davies-Bardekoff

Stephanie Davies-Bardekoff got her start in automotive media while attending Rutgers. She worked for Roush Performance for a while, before eventually landing here at Power Automedia. Her Coyote-swapped 1992 Fox-body drag car is her prized possession.
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