Bradenton Motorsports Park Brings the ‘Street’ Back to the Strip with Their First Street Car List Race!
The announcement of Cleetus McFarland purchasing half ownership in Bradenton Motorsports Park recently didn’t come as a shock to many, as Cleetus currently owns the Freedom Factory circle track right next door in southwest Florida.
Cleetus is known for some radical ideas, but when he got together to discuss ideas with track co-owner and friend Victor Alvarez, they came up with a simple concept involving street cars and a top ten list.
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“We’re doing this top ten list because I realized our cars are getting really fast,” said Cleetus. “Although it is fun to make a killer fast pass, it’s one of the most stressful forms of racing you can do. Everything has to go right.”
So, a plan was put together to get back to basics: using a test and tune night at Bradenton Motorsports Park instead of a big race, real street cars that needed to be driven in the gate, and creating a top ten list.
“I wanted to do something to make test and tunes more fun again for myself and my buddies,” Cleetus said. The initial race would be a 16-vehicle roster, including some familiar names, including Cooper Bogetti, ‘Mr. Sam’ Lankford, and Tye Braun.
Races would be paired by random chip draw each round, and a four-tenths pro tree start would be used, with no transbrakes allowed. A floating break out to keep a reasonable gauge on attainable performance would be used (meaning cars can’t run quicker than the accepted limit).
Winners of the first-round pairings would go into the top eight spots, with the overall winner and runner up taking the number 1 and 2 spots. The number 3 through number 8 spot would be determined by chip draw of the losing rides after round one of the winner’s bracket.
First round losers would comprise a loser’s bracket, with the winner and runner-up of that final round earning the number 9 and number 10 spots.
The initial race was held at Bradenton Motorsports Park on March 6th, with chassis builder and recent Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive co-pilot Cameron Johnson getting the overall win. The top 8 spots include no prep racer Justin Swanstrom, BoostedBoiz Kyle Wade, Cleetus and Victor.
The winner of the loser’s bracket is a familiar face in the no-time world, as Glen Burich piloted the S550 chassis Mustang him and father Barry Burich took on Sick Week to the ninth spot.
Bradenton Motorsports Park will play host to the second list race this Thursday, March 20th, and the public is welcome. Anyone with a street car driven through the gate can get in, and the break out mark will be 9.5-seconds.
Do you think this type of racing format will encourage more cars and participation in test and tune nights? Or is it too little, too late based on performances we’ve already seen?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Cleetus McFarland, Victor Alvarez, Glen Burich and Cameron Johnson.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com