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.

“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, and 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).

It’s been noted how the creation of the drag-and-drive event can be linked to Hot Rod Pump Gas Drags, and even the True Street classes held by various organizations and events. But even more so, the proving ground of cars and trucks that can race and retain street manners is rooted in the Fastest Street Car event, and that event inspired the recent Fastest Street Car (FSC) Shootout and Reunion Race at Tri-State Raceway held on August 10th.

“A 3-second pass was never a goal of mine with this car and engine combo, because it didn’t seem very possible. But recently as we got faster, and the community started asking to see it, we decided to go for it!”