Cleetus McFarland dang brother well god dang did you know that I was at your event in Baytown tx at Houston raceway park hell yeah brother I had a blast
@@terrabnadia1793 You know it closed down after a racer died, right? It stayed open from the grand opening until it went out of business due to the liability - and that in an era where short track racetracks are dying. It's a damn good track.
@@cgunugc I'm a Florida native and never heard about this. The track shut down when the last owner passed away. It's been mentioned in other videos from cleetus. I think the very first one
honestly you should give him entry and vip for a lifetime, come and go whenever he pleases and just to honor him for what he did and dedicated to this track ! now its your job to carry on the legacy!
We also need a full video on James one of these days. Who he is, where he came from, how he got into cars, etc.. Hes been a great asset to the team. James!!! GET THE TOOLBOX!!!!!!
@@haydenwiseman3056 Or he'll be in the flag stand. I'm pretty sure they are gonna use the pace go kart for the pace car or Neighbor for the Freedom 500 race
This is awesome! Imagine your dream, something you made, people lose interest in it, or someone buys it and let's it degrade and you can't do anything about it. Years later, a few generations later, some younger kids with similar ideology see a diamond in the ruff and buy it. The faith restored in that old man, seeing people a few generations younger, taking his original dream and bringing it back to life, will probably make him happy come the day he passes knowing he left a legacy that another generation is picking up on and will keep alive for years to come!
Actually Tom Stimus built it up way bigger. Just like the circus etc. Lost popularity some, enough that couldn't support the cost. I used to go every other weekend damn near there
This track and it's legacy, is likely going to outlive the man who built it now. That's pretty heavy, and I bet he was trying to hold back all sorts of emotions when he stepped out on the track. I bet he could still see and hear the cars. See and hear the people lining the stands with their families. Smell the race fuel in the air. We need something at the track to memorialize this man for sure.
llAntimatterll one thing i noticed was that when stepping in and seeing the loop, he didnt get shocked or even really seem excited. Just looked around like he was there the day before. I think thats a testament to how well it was built and how well Cleetus restored it.
Did you see the photos? They were having a freakin school bus race...and the one in front was painted with the American Flag! Like Freedom always rings 🇺🇸
@Gus JohnsonI dont know about stolen but definitely close. Skid pad has 3 smoke stacks and freedom factory has two. Plus the shape of the building is different. But still super similar 😂
@@theoriginalracingsnake They would definitely make pretty cool gifts for race fans. Plus, if they are from before 1976, most likely the copyright wasn't renewed by the architect.
@@theoriginalracingsnake Wouldn't it be more sentimental to just have the originals framed in the office instead of whoring them out for profit? If it's one of those special things, they might not want to. Just a thought. Of course it's up to them at the end of the day.
In my heart, it'll always be Desoto Speedway to me...! I spent many teenage years here before my 22+ year long heroin addiction (79 months sober now)...! Thanks for sharing... Keep up your awesomeness...!!!
I like this man. Especially how you just really let him talk and just kind of asked questions we would probably ask. I feel as if this was just more of a greater experience for him than it was us. Which in all is pretty awesome
Great to see Mr. Tharpe again. This track was built when I was a kid and my family used to race with him in the 60's at SaraMana. And I got to work at Desoto Speedway when I was 17 on the track crew that cleaned up the accidents on the track on Saturday night racing. Great memories.
This video is bringing me so many emotions. I’m so happy that the original builder/owner can see you bringing his baby back to life!! Guys like him we owe everything to, he literally paved the way for all of us!!! I love this video and your channel!!! You guys are doing great things with your influence!!! Ima be at the first event. I’m in DeLand FL and I can’t wait for the fun
@@johncuervo3019 I have a feeling they just got him in to verify that the power would run safely. To have an electrician come in and fix all of that and check each light and fuse would have cost a fortune and taken way longer.
Like watching the movie “cars” with McQueen talking to Doc Hudson. “I was in my corvette...” “yeah get a winged sprinter, they’ll show you some speed...” Great content.
Make some copies of those plans! Frame the originals and whip up some high quality small copies to sell on the website - very cool history, glad he stopped by and you had a camera ready to go!
That's what winged sprint cars are running now on dirt. I think the world record is still 10 seconds but it was a purpose built late model running alone. It wasn't built for long runs. Just two fast laps and a rebuild. lol 12 seconds in anything with a body would be some incredible racing to watch.
@@feez357 my reply was to Terry and supermodifieds not sprint cars. I believe a super can hit 12 seconds there but like I said they would never reach there true potential on a 3/8 mile.
The Sprints were fast on this track, they easily went over 100 down the straightaway, unfortunately Dave Steele, who was one of the best Winged Sprints Drivers passed away racing at this track.
It's AMAZING to see you guys take absolute pride in the knowledge this old man can share. Not many people our age can respect the wisdom of an elder. Cleetus James and Cooper you guys are truly an example of how the rest of the world should act. Thank you for your service and dedication.
The logic behind the lighting engineering is perfect, protect the lamps from lightning with fuses, and run less wiring to the poles, meaning less potential points of failure, just the way good engineering is meant to be done. Those diagrams will make future improvements and facility evolution a lot easier. Great to see one of the guys that built the place is looking forward to its newest incarnation.
Copper costs a lot also so it also means less cost to build. He was operating on a shoestring budget so I imagine that was his bigger priority and he even said it saved a run of big wire back up the pole to have the fuses up top vs at easy to get to height lower down.
PiDsMedia That's how any electrician would install them. These days, it'd be a three-wire system with additional lightning protection, but the old way works just fine on wood poles, just more time in changing fuses.
What a nice gentleman. I'm glad you guys invited him down and documented what he had to say about the place. Those old drawings are super cool too. You could see the memories coming back to him as he walked the track.
Mania Sound & Light We worked on 480-575 volt systems in hot panels, switchgear, line side of disconnects, etc. as 4th and 5th year apprentices. Not on energized parts, of course, but I'm an inside wireman, not a lineman. I'll work hot 277/480 when it's necessary. Clean, dry leather gloves will insulate against 480 and Klein tools will against 600. Not officially, obviously, but I promise they will, haha! Insulated tools are usually good to 1,000. Lineman work hot 34,500 with just hot gloves sometimes.
The fact that you guys all were super respectful and let him talk the majority of the time show everyone just how much respect you guys all have. Top notch 👍
@@xenonram No he didn't. A fan did. If Cleetus did it then he would have taken ownership of the actual DeSoto Speedway location on Google Maps and renamed it to Freedom Factory
One of the reasons why I respect the cleetus team. Good to give some recognition and respect to all of our pasts. In order to know where we are going it's good to know where we have come from.
I hope this guy and his Family get a Lifetime Pass to the Freedom Factory, And a Custom Shirt that Says "Original Freedom Builder" or Something... He needs to Start the Very First Race at the Big Race in November! I really Hope he Talks about the Evil Kenievel Event... 😍
What a great man. Who would believe that he once raced cars here.Never judge a man by his age and looks. You should have him attend your opening day celebrations!
One of the things that you come to know better and better, is that your elders are a wealth of knowledge and wisdom...no matter how they look on the outside. There are of course exception, some people will always be f...wits.
I think this gentleman deserves a lifetime pass to the track. I love talking with people like him because they go back in time and you can tell by the way he is describing things that he's in his 30's again. Awesome video.
Those OG blueprints are priceless. Those are history the likes of which is rarely still around on some older properties. What a gift to have those in hand. Respect to the original owner for passing them on to you.
I said this a while back, there are a number of events that can be done, Rallycross, atv, dirt bike tracks, drifting, street racing, burn outs, car shows, A whole number of different events. The more one can do the more income and value the Freedom Factory becomes, This place could have well over 100 events per year, Even more if some were done during the week.
Rally cross, motocross, circle racing, drag racing, demolition derbies, tractor pulls, monster trucks, the list goes on and on it's the freedom factory brother!
all grown over by now but the burms have already been built,, all you would need is a chainsaw and a bobcat. edit: yup its there you can see it on the satellite map view, grown over but its there, you can see the trails.
Run events like the UK has, with rally spec cars or side by sides, doing lap of the oval then out on to the dirt track, but add a twist, with a jump back in to the staduim.
I guarantee they'll revive it and get a lot of interest in it. could be an easier money maker than the circle track... and a whole other set of peeps along with the SXSBlog boys and locals....BoG DeeP!
That’s pretty valuable info he gave you on the lights. Probably just saved you guys hours and hours of figuring out how to get them working. Enjoyed the video
Shawn Janneck If he was an electrician, he knew they were there, and would've informed them about them. Whether he actually went up and checked them or the lamps in the light fixtures is down to whether they wanted to pay him to. I imagine he did, though, since he was there to diagnose power and lighting problems and couldn't really have done that without checking those items.
The sinner Jim Whitney From my understanding they just had the electrician come out and make sure it was safe to turn the power on, without anyone on the ground getting electrocuted. Also did you hear the man say he put all them fuses up there to save money. I’m quite sure they’re normally floor level in an electric room/light room nowadays. I’m sure they’re doing the lights them selves or paying someone allot cheaper than electricians to swap out bulbs. Therefore I don’t the fuses were ever looked at. They probably never left the ground no further than they had to, just where some punks got into there and stole some stuff. So actually I’ll bet that is good info
This old guy was cool, thanks for including him. Im sure its made his year already to see his former track being brought back to its glory. Love you guys!
The more i see this place, the happier i am that someone like cleetus got the place to fix'er up and put it to use. Seeing such a fantastic idea (childhood-type) coming to life fills me with joy
I'm sure he's happy to see it get picked up by some young blood. Most of what I hear from the older generation is "These kids these days don't care about motorsports like we did back in my day" I'd bet he's happy to see that that's not entirely the case. It's still around and will never completely die.
Love that you saved the track and want to learn the history of it. I have friend who was video guy at track back in 80's and more. TURN 5 racing, you can see his banner in one of the videos when you showed the souveneir shop. I also have a 1979 video of a late model race, might be oldest video of track, at least that i know of. I am a huge stock car racing fan and collector and have collected MANY pics from the track over the years. Great job guys!!!!
This is the most legit man I've ever seen. I could see him get the feels hard when he first walked into the track even with his dark sunglasses on and smooth mellow tone
Gene is an absolute legend! So cool he still had all the drawings and information and shared the history with all of us! Men like him built so much of our legacy as automotive enthusiasts.
You should invite him to hang out at the track and keep him around. Make him part of the team. I'm guesing he would love that and would be a great asset with all the knowlege of the track history he has.
That is great to get some living history of the track. I would get those drawings Framed and placed in the offices and maybe some blown up duplicates to put on the sides of the buildings for spectators to see.
YES. Or at least make copies and hang the copies so he can keep the originals. My grandfather used to do blueprinting, such a lost art but it looks incredible when done properly.
It’s so crazy I went here all the time as a kid. I sat in those stands with my family. My uncle passed who was the main person who took us. I even got to ride in the pace car a couple times because my father was good friends with the guys who ran the track. So happy to see you restoring this place.
Keep a little bit of the history around, like maybe the front Desoto Speedways sign, but get an awesome Freedom Factory sign, and call it The Freedom Factory at DeSoto Speedway
This track brings back so many memories for me. When I was a kid in Chicago, I used to go with my friends to the stock car races almost every weekend at our local tracks. It was great entertainment! Now, the tracks we used to go to in the 70's are housing developments or shopping malls. Such a shame stock car racing is not as popular as it once was. I'm glad to see Cleetus bring this track back to life. The Freedom Factory rocks!
This really, really cool. If he’s willing, i think he would be a great announcer or part of the team. I know a lot of these older folks need purpose again. I think that including him would be the right thing.
I come back to this video every now and then. Gene is an absolute champ. Regardless of how many races he may have won. What a wonderful man to still be able to reference the history this speedway. I hope you can have Gene there when this whole pandemic has become manageable and we can all go racing together again. It would be a fitting tribute to this gentleman if we could experience him enjoying a victory lap on the track that he started so many years ago. Please consider this. Thanks.
Zoop Da Loop in order to do engineering work you have to actually know how to draft and most aspiring engineers start off drafting. Nowadays it’s simple, could probably throw that set together In 2 hours in autocad, couldn’t imagine hand drafting a drawing set like that
@@andrewcampbell9762 James isn't that old to where he would have learned hand drafting whilst getting an engineering degree. He definitely only went to school to be a drafter.
It's super cool to see and be a part of as a viewer/fan, but it's also almost surreal how you've successfully managed to create a community like you have. It's not 100% about you and all the talent and hard work you possess, instead you bring in the village that has aided you in where you're at now. Hands down >Cleetus McFarland Channel> most humble UA-camr Thanks for giving both wholesome and bald eagles content.
i'm big fan of history of all kinds. it's important to know what came before you and it was real cool of the man to come on out and share his story. respect to you guys for accommodating him.
snowbird nationals. Nice group of words. These small tracks, never underestimate. I remember watching ricky craven and the like in a small town track in Maine in the 80s. literally beer bottles flying and cuss words on the microphone to the audience. you guys are reeling in an awesome past for the future.
Thats so cool! The original owner reminded me of a boss i had many years ago that was a wealth of knowledge. He would give you the backstory on anything you asked him. There was never a simple answer, always vary detailed...men like these have forgotten more then most of us will learn in a lifetime.
You’re doing big things. Reviving the automotive sport and making it modern while bringing back the history. You should look to get printed copies of the track drawings and hang them up.
Now we are talking, that would be insane. If you think about it cleetus-jeramy / James-richard / cooper-captain slow. Honestly it's almost perfect, mind blown. Send emails make this happen
That’s honestly a great idea. I love it when TGT does emotional pieces and a story about rebuilding an abandoned racetrack full of Americana would be extremely emotional
man i have so many memories of this place iam 46 years old and me and my friends would literally spend every weekend out there or rye road its nice to see the place still being used
New Freedom Factory hats and “REDNECK ENGINEER” shirts available here!! www.cleetusmcfarland.com/
lets goooooooooo
I dont think the website is working, its timing out for me.
Just had both in the cart and was trying to sign in to check out and the website crashed. Now I can’t get it to load up
Cleetus McFarland you should make freedom factory stickers and give them to people that come to the freedom factory.
Cleetus McFarland dang brother well god dang did you know that I was at your event in Baytown tx at Houston raceway park hell yeah brother I had a blast
Let this man drive the pace car on the first inaugural race!
YES!!!
Agree!!!
Great way to see an old man cry lol... please make it happen cleetus, it will mean the world to him to see his track filled with 15,000 people.
Yes
Yes that’s a fantastic idea
This is literally where Doc Hudson meets Lightening McQueen. Now he needs to teach Cleetus how to run the show.
Obviously it didn’t work out for this dude so I wouldn’t want any tips from him lol
@@terrabnadia1793 You know it closed down after a racer died, right? It stayed open from the grand opening until it went out of business due to the liability - and that in an era where short track racetracks are dying. It's a damn good track.
@@terrabnadia1793 If I understand correctly, he sold it and moved onto other things. The shutdown isn't on him.
So I have to turn right... to go left??
@@cgunugc I'm a Florida native and never heard about this. The track shut down when the last owner passed away. It's been mentioned in other videos from cleetus. I think the very first one
honestly you should give him entry and vip for a lifetime, come and go whenever he pleases and just to honor him for what he did and dedicated to this track ! now its your job to carry on the legacy!
Justadoer that’s exactly what I was thinking too.
Nah
Yeah.
Thats how i do ex owner ship aswell. I bought some of my friends cars , fixed them up and let them drive em aswell. Its the best 👍🏻
Absolutely, always respect the creators of automotive history like this
We also need a full video on James one of these days. Who he is, where he came from, how he got into cars, etc.. Hes been a great asset to the team.
James!!! GET THE TOOLBOX!!!!!!
Jeffrm1990 we found him in a junkyard holding hands with a rusty 5.3L iron block
@@CleetusM yes I would love to hear his background. He knows to much about drag racing. Q&A please
@@CleetusM Sounds about right. Had to have someone hold him down. Lol.
@@CleetusM Wearing nothing but a Nitrous Bottle.
Cleetus McFarland with nitrous bottles in holsters
If I don’t hear this man say “Gentleman start your engines!” at the first race I’ll be highly disappointed.
This 100%
you wont, he will be driving the pace car!
@@haydenwiseman3056 Or he'll be in the flag stand. I'm pretty sure they are gonna use the pace go kart for the pace car or Neighbor for the Freedom 500 race
It's "Drivers, start your engines!"
Awesome idea! I really hope it happens
This is awesome! Imagine your dream, something you made, people lose interest in it, or someone buys it and let's it degrade and you can't do anything about it. Years later, a few generations later, some younger kids with similar ideology see a diamond in the ruff and buy it. The faith restored in that old man, seeing people a few generations younger, taking his original dream and bringing it back to life, will probably make him happy come the day he passes knowing he left a legacy that another generation is picking up on and will keep alive for years to come!
@deadend is this why it was shut down?
🥺 Well said sir 👍
Actually Tom Stimus built it up way bigger. Just like the circus etc. Lost popularity some, enough that couldn't support the cost. I used to go every other weekend damn near there
@@brianking9215 I'm still waiting for them to bring some sprint cars back, even for a test but preferably a race, and blow some minds.
This track and it's legacy, is likely going to outlive the man who built it now. That's pretty heavy, and I bet he was trying to hold back all sorts of emotions when he stepped out on the track. I bet he could still see and hear the cars. See and hear the people lining the stands with their families. Smell the race fuel in the air. We need something at the track to memorialize this man for sure.
llAntimatterll one thing i noticed was that when stepping in and seeing the loop, he didnt get shocked or even really seem excited. Just looked around like he was there the day before. I think thats a testament to how well it was built and how well Cleetus restored it.
Thats pretty heavy?? You been watching back to the future too much....doc...
Track needs a little museum for sure, detailing the history!
Or he’s like fuck this place, now I remember why I left
@@D.P.MorrisConstruction 😂😅
This man needs a life sized statue with a bald eagle perched on his forearm at the entrance of the freedom factory 🇺🇸🦅
Title of statue: Dear Founder
Holy shit. This idea is perfect!!!!! This needs to happen! 🏁💥🦅🇺🇸
Jon Dough this needs more likes
And a nitrous bottle at his foot 😂
@@SHOTS-FIRED YES!!
Google Maps shows this racetrack as the “Freedom Factory” already. Lol
That's crazy!
I'm pretty sure it did the day after the first video went up... I know I checked after the second video, and it was listed as the Freedom Factory.
Apple Maps has it too. Website and everything 😂
Did you see the photos? They were having a freakin school bus race...and the one in front was painted with the American Flag! Like Freedom always rings 🇺🇸
@Gus JohnsonI dont know about stolen but definitely close. Skid pad has 3 smoke stacks and freedom factory has two. Plus the shape of the building is different. But still super similar 😂
Imagine building that man's original race car for him and letting him pace the inaugural race in it. I wonder what he was racing back in 1978
james avery or a fart smeller
Sniff sniff, what's that smell?
I think he was Racing winged sprints
Y E S!
i second this
This guy definitely needs a lifetime free pass to any event at the freedom factory🤙🏽 I think that goes without saying but just incase
@ChambersofSiege 🤦🏽♂️no shit but itd just be good business. He just suggested it jesus
ChambersofSiege no shit
@ChambersofSiege not your place to tell him, it's not his place either...
lifetime free pass, but he still has to buy his own drinks
Pretty sure that goes without saying, man. He built the damn place!
Awesome tour! Good to see you guys honoring the history of your track, love it!
Its cool he came out to do this he's like a proud dad seeing his creation go on
TRX VLOGGER ngl that’s pretty gay
Those drawings properly framed would make a nice addition to your offices.
I was thinking the same thing. That would be great!
Even better, get some repros done on lovely heavy stock paper and sell them in the shop. I'd buy them.
@@theoriginalracingsnake They would definitely make pretty cool gifts for race fans. Plus, if they are from before 1976, most likely the copyright wasn't renewed by the architect.
Blow a few up and have the posted in the entrance tunnel.
@@theoriginalracingsnake Wouldn't it be more sentimental to just have the originals framed in the office instead of whoring them out for profit? If it's one of those special things, they might not want to. Just a thought. Of course it's up to them at the end of the day.
3 years later & i still love coming back to see this video ! The track has came a long way since then all thanks to cleetus & crew !
I suggest you either name a turn or a grand stand after this guy and his partner. Legit Legends.
Or they could name the area under the bleachers where Gene would give head to his partner. Call it the Jizz zone
@@Altavilla22Mike fucking terrible and I laughed hard.
@@Altavilla22Mike lol why not
Very good idea. "Gene Tharpe straight"
This man is the literal *founding father* of the freedom factory
flweep 1: Yeah he needs 4 F's on his hat.
Does the freedom factory has a bill of rights also?
Will his face be on the back of the tickets, like washington on the dollar bill? Maybe inaugural day tickets, as a keepsake...
The FF of the FF!
He is the founding fathers of DeSoto speedway cleet coop and James are the founding fathers of freedom factory so that makes him founding grandfather
In my heart, it'll always be Desoto Speedway to me...! I spent many teenage years here before my 22+ year long heroin addiction (79 months sober now)...! Thanks for sharing... Keep up your awesomeness...!!!
During the Tom Stimus days... His TV commercials were annoying then, but hilarious now thinking back...
Cleeter: We have to get some cool cars out here.
Dale Truck: .......
The Dale truck belongs on that oval track
I could SO just watch the Dale Truck go round that truck for Awhile
Yeah, also if I remember correctly it still wants to go left ;)
Do it for Dale
A winged Sprint was turning the fast times, we could bring one down from Ohio.
This dude should be VIP to all the events for sure.
Ronnie Stephens he should have a vip chair with his name engraved on.
I like this man. Especially how you just really let him talk and just kind of asked questions we would probably ask. I feel as if this was just more of a greater experience for him than it was us. Which in all is pretty awesome
Great to see Mr. Tharpe again. This track was built when I was a kid and my family used to race with him in the 60's at SaraMana. And I got to work at Desoto Speedway when I was 17 on the track crew that cleaned up the accidents on the track on Saturday night racing. Great memories.
Cleetus needs to make a board like top gear and have people out to set the fastest lap times
Get 20 at once with position qualifying for the freedom 500.
Good idea
That's a really nice idea... Off course using the Chevy cobalt... 😂😂😂
UA-camrs in a reasonably priced car
This is meant to be!
It is absolutely awesome to know the heritage of this track. and yes Cletus you absolutely need to let this man drive the inaugural pace car!
When you hold you first real race, you need to let that dude be the Grand Marshal and let him drive the pacecar to start the race.
Such an underrated comment
Oh hell yeah!
bbsl1967 definitely
I know Gene Tharpe he and my stepfather raced against each other for years he's a good old boy it is so good to see him doing good 👍🏻
This video is bringing me so many emotions. I’m so happy that the original builder/owner can see you bringing his baby back to life!! Guys like him we owe everything to, he literally paved the way for all of us!!! I love this video and your channel!!! You guys are doing great things with your influence!!! Ima be at the first event. I’m in DeLand FL and I can’t wait for the fun
The fuse info on the lights is gold....i wouldn't have even thought about that.
The electrician should have checked them already
@@johncuervo3019 Depends how good the guy is^^
@@johncuervo3019 I have a feeling they just got him in to verify that the power would run safely. To have an electrician come in and fix all of that and check each light and fuse would have cost a fortune and taken way longer.
" yeah don't stick your finger in there"
Gold IS a great conductor of electricity.
Like watching the movie “cars” with McQueen talking to Doc Hudson. “I was in my corvette...” “yeah get a winged sprinter, they’ll show you some speed...”
Great content.
Here's one. The winner here was the same guy tragically lost in a wreck a few years later there. RIP.
ua-cam.com/video/FwcPZY1P8RQ/v-deo.html
The first thing i thought of was cars and doc😢
Make some copies of those plans! Frame the originals and whip up some high quality small copies to sell on the website - very cool history, glad he stopped by and you had a camera ready to go!
That guy is an all-time legend. Lifetime pass and two seats on the start/finish anytime.
Side note: 12’s on a 3/8 is bookin it.
That's what winged sprint cars are running now on dirt. I think the world record is still 10 seconds but it was a purpose built late model running alone. It wasn't built for long runs. Just two fast laps and a rebuild. lol
12 seconds in anything with a body would be some incredible racing to watch.
13:44 "Get the Winged Sprinters out here...and they'll show you some speed...". Might be the single best line of 2020. That's a good man.
Super modifieds with offset big blocks, and wings are wild.
@@tezzrterry7485 agreed but they would never reach there potential on a 3/8 mile.
@@mollygsp Hu? They can be set up for any track. The point was finding a fast lap time for this track and sprinters will do that.
@@feez357 my reply was to Terry and supermodifieds not sprint cars. I believe a super can hit 12 seconds there but like I said they would never reach there true potential on a 3/8 mile.
The Sprints were fast on this track, they easily went over 100 down the straightaway, unfortunately Dave Steele, who was one of the best Winged Sprints Drivers passed away racing at this track.
It's AMAZING to see you guys take absolute pride in the knowledge this old man can share. Not many people our age can respect the wisdom of an elder. Cleetus James and Cooper you guys are truly an example of how the rest of the world should act. Thank you for your service and dedication.
The logic behind the lighting engineering is perfect, protect the lamps from lightning with fuses, and run less wiring to the poles, meaning less potential points of failure, just the way good engineering is meant to be done. Those diagrams will make future improvements and facility evolution a lot easier. Great to see one of the guys that built the place is looking forward to its newest incarnation.
Copper costs a lot also so it also means less cost to build. He was operating on a shoestring budget so I imagine that was his bigger priority and he even said it saved a run of big wire back up the pole to have the fuses up top vs at easy to get to height lower down.
PiDsMedia That's how any electrician would install them. These days, it'd be a three-wire system with additional lightning protection, but the old way works just fine on wood poles, just more time in changing fuses.
Should have those old plans laminated and framed in the history part of the museum you guys should have !
XSAVIER busy it’s a part of the track history it would be nice, if they ever had like a museum, to be able to see them
Agreed a big part of racing is history
What a nice gentleman. I'm glad you guys invited him down and documented what he had to say about the place. Those old drawings are super cool too. You could see the memories coming back to him as he walked the track.
If there is a lineman school near you they would probably change those fuses for next to nothing so that lineman students can get practice..
thats actually a brilliant idea.
Students working on 415v 3 phase... Not a good idea if you ask me. I would come and do it but im in the UK :(
If you make all the power DEAD they could work on it that would be great practice.. been there done it
Mania Sound & Light We worked on 480-575 volt systems in hot panels, switchgear, line side of disconnects, etc. as 4th and 5th year apprentices. Not on energized parts, of course, but I'm an inside wireman, not a lineman. I'll work hot 277/480 when it's necessary. Clean, dry leather gloves will insulate against 480 and Klein tools will against 600. Not officially, obviously, but I promise they will, haha! Insulated tools are usually good to 1,000. Lineman work hot 34,500 with just hot gloves sometimes.
Mania Sound & Light you ever heard of a circuit breaker brah
He should have his own reserved throne somewhere with the name "The Creator" on it.
CUUD1113 I wish I could like this more than once
Father Freedom or Freedom Fanatic has a nice ring to it
Did you mean a throne? LOL no you can't throw this fella around you might get in trouble for it.
Oh shit the grammer police got me.
@@fastball131
Lomaf...😜😂🤣
The fact that you guys all were super respectful and let him talk the majority of the time show everyone just how much respect you guys all have. Top notch 👍
Never watched so much footage dedicated to things like mowing lawns and pressure washing bleachers...it’s awesome, keep it up! 👍👍
Erik Muckle who would’ve thought non race car vids could be so freedomatic
@@CleetusM" Freedomatic" add that to the encyclopedia of Cleetus McFarland! Hahaha!
@@CleetusM sounds like a swapped and turboed zero turn mower in your future...
look up “desoto speedway” and it will take you to the track, and it actually says “ Freedom Factory “ it’s amazing
Yes, Cleetus did that.
YES!!!!!
I did a screenshot. This should be saved.... for.... ever....
i just thought that’s something really really cool
@@xenonram No he didn't. A fan did. If Cleetus did it then he would have taken ownership of the actual DeSoto Speedway location on Google Maps and renamed it to Freedom Factory
on google it said permanently closed, but when I hit the website link it takes me to www.cleetusmcfarland.com
Man it would be so cool to see those old blueprints of the track…. To know where and what everything was back then would just be awesome!
One of the reasons why I respect the cleetus team. Good to give some recognition and respect to all of our pasts. In order to know where we are going it's good to know where we have come from.
I bet he is happy that someone is going to restore and open the track.
Gene's son Dane was my best friend, we met in 5th grade around 1978, we used to go to the tracks together and hang out!
When the track is patched up, Gene must be the first person to drive on it. Just to honor him.
FK YEAH !
Let him play pace car for the first official race.
@@LiveRubii both awesome ideas
I hope this guy and his Family get a Lifetime Pass to the Freedom Factory, And a Custom Shirt that Says "Original Freedom Builder" or Something...
He needs to Start the Very First Race at the Big Race in November!
I really Hope he Talks about the Evil Kenievel Event... 😍
Used to go to that track every weekend in the late 70's early 80's
What a great man. Who would believe that he once raced cars here.Never judge a man by his age and looks. You should have him attend your opening day celebrations!
its people that say this shit, that are guilty of doing it.
I used a know a guy looked just like him that still ran a car that could easily 13s lap time that track.
One of the things that you come to know better and better, is that your elders are a wealth of knowledge and wisdom...no matter how they look on the outside. There are of course exception, some people will always be f...wits.
@@blameusa7082 I think all of us are guilty of doing it at one time or another, even if it was subconscious.
I think this gentleman deserves a lifetime pass to the track. I love talking with people like him because they go back in time and you can tell by the way he is describing things that he's in his 30's again. Awesome video.
What an absolute gentleman! Good of him to share so much history and knowledge with you
cleetus: what the fastest lap time
gene: in the low 12s
cleetus brain: electric turbo x 8 + cobalt = I am speed
I think you should give that man an honorary lifetime membership... Maybe name a stand after him! Great vid ❤️
Yea the name should be somewhere
Do it.
For sure. Lifetime free membership for him and his family. He's a good man and very willing to help. Have him drive the pace car, etc.... Can't wait!
Statue of him at entrance
Wish they had stuff like this in upper Michigan, be awesome to help revive old tracks super awesome content
He should be part of the team, or even if he doesn't wanna be one, an honorary part of the team that is allowed to come and go as he wants.
Maverick Torchia should definitely get free vip seats at future events
Lifetime free entry
He should do the first burnout to kick-off cleetus and cars in November
That's how communism started😏
freedom 500 pace car driver??
Seriously so cool seeing this dude talk about the FF
Those OG blueprints are priceless. Those are history the likes of which is rarely still around on some older properties. What a gift to have those in hand. Respect to the original owner for passing them on to you.
Turn one of the grass parking lots into a rallycross course.
I said this a while back, there are a number of events that can be done, Rallycross, atv, dirt bike tracks, drifting, street racing, burn outs, car shows, A whole number of different events. The more one can do the more income and value the Freedom Factory becomes, This place could have well over 100 events per year, Even more if some were done during the week.
They have enough extra land to build a whole road course
William Glaser its also very helpful that its in Florida, nice weather for most of the year
Telexic as a person who lives in Florida I can disagree with you
Rally cross, motocross, circle racing, drag racing, demolition derbies, tractor pulls, monster trucks, the list goes on and on it's the freedom factory brother!
Ol’ Cleaters gears were a turnin’ when he mentioned a Moto X track.
all grown over by now but the burms have already been built,, all you would need is a chainsaw and a bobcat.
edit:
yup its there you can see it on the satellite map view, grown over but its there, you can see the trails.
Well, they do have a couple of those off-road buggy things - so does Kyle, come to think on it.
Run events like the UK has, with rally spec cars or side by sides, doing lap of the oval then out on to the dirt track, but add a twist, with a jump back in to the staduim.
I guarantee they'll revive it and get a lot of interest in it. could be an easier money maker than the circle track... and a whole other set of peeps along with the SXSBlog boys and locals....BoG DeeP!
Wait.... what if they ran a rally cross track with the crown vics. 1/2 the lap is pavement and they have to go dirt track for the other 1/2.
James and Coop have that "waiting for mom to stop talking to her friends at church so you can go home" look
Lol so true🤣
That’s pretty valuable info he gave you on the lights. Probably just saved you guys hours and hours of figuring out how to get them working. Enjoyed the video
shize9ine I'm sure their electrician told them about it when they had him do his walkthrough and diagnose problems. Unless he was an idiot, anyway.
@@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney The electrician never got out on the track in a bucket and checked the poles up top, if he did it wasnt filmed.
Shawn Janneck If he was an electrician, he knew they were there, and would've informed them about them. Whether he actually went up and checked them or the lamps in the light fixtures is down to whether they wanted to pay him to. I imagine he did, though, since he was there to diagnose power and lighting problems and couldn't really have done that without checking those items.
440 volts not “480” just sayin
The sinner Jim Whitney From my understanding they just had the electrician come out and make sure it was safe to turn the power on, without anyone on the ground getting electrocuted. Also did you hear the man say he put all them fuses up there to save money. I’m quite sure they’re normally floor level in an electric room/light room nowadays. I’m sure they’re doing the lights them selves or paying someone allot cheaper than electricians to swap out bulbs. Therefore I don’t the fuses were ever looked at. They probably never left the ground no further than they had to, just where some punks got into there and stole some stuff. So actually I’ll bet that is good info
This old guy was cool, thanks for including him. Im sure its made his year already to see his former track being brought back to its glory. Love you guys!
The more i see this place, the happier i am that someone like cleetus got the place to fix'er up and put it to use. Seeing such a fantastic idea (childhood-type) coming to life fills me with joy
That must have been pretty emotional for him, thats alot of history for him and great memories. Yall made his day for sure.
Hey, all you young bucks are gonna be like that some day. Be kind. We ain't all that bad. We just did it in a different way.
I feel ya Dan. Deep in my old bones. lol
Get out of here boomer
I'm sure he's happy to see it get picked up by some young blood. Most of what I hear from the older generation is "These kids these days don't care about motorsports like we did back in my day" I'd bet he's happy to see that that's not entirely the case. It's still around and will never completely die.
You guys grew up in better and simpler times , did it in a different way for sure.
@@angelg5817 you are not smart
Love that you saved the track and want to learn the history of it. I have friend who was video guy at track back in 80's and more. TURN 5 racing, you can see his banner in one of the videos when you showed the souveneir shop. I also have a 1979 video of a late model race, might be oldest video of track, at least that i know of. I am a huge stock car racing fan and collector and have collected MANY pics from the track over the years. Great job guys!!!!
Bit disappointed you never let him go round his old track in one of the cars... but maybe that's for another video? I sure hope so.
I’m sure if he wanted to he would have suggested it. He’s old and laid back now
dude they should of put him in the dale truck and gave him a few laps
Could be a liability thing too, they might not have proper insurance yet for customers.
@@mobilePCreviews hes not a customer on a private track...
This is the most legit man I've ever seen. I could see him get the feels hard when he first walked into the track even with his dark sunglasses on and smooth mellow tone
I love hearing story’s like this. 2people that made there passion a reality.
Gene is an absolute legend! So cool he still had all the drawings and information and shared the history with all of us! Men like him built so much of our legacy as automotive enthusiasts.
Rewatching this today, and present day Freedom 500 with the track looking mint is wild. 2024
You should invite him to hang out at the track and keep him around. Make him part of the team. I'm guesing he would love that and would be a great asset with all the knowlege of the track history he has.
That is great to get some living history of the track. I would get those drawings Framed and placed in the offices and maybe some blown up duplicates to put on the sides of the buildings for spectators to see.
YES. Or at least make copies and hang the copies so he can keep the originals. My grandfather used to do blueprinting, such a lost art but it looks incredible when done properly.
It’s so crazy I went here all the time as a kid. I sat in those stands with my family. My uncle passed who was the main person who took us. I even got to ride in the pace car a couple times because my father was good friends with the guys who ran the track. So happy to see you restoring this place.
I could feel the emotion he was holding back as he walked through the bleachers toward the track
Now your kids can do the same. Nice.
Keep a little bit of the history around, like maybe the front Desoto Speedways sign, but get an awesome Freedom Factory sign, and call it The Freedom Factory at DeSoto Speedway
I literally just commented almost the same thing. Great minds and what not eh?
This track brings back so many memories for me. When I was a kid in Chicago, I used to go with my friends to the stock car races almost every weekend at our local tracks. It was great entertainment! Now, the tracks we used to go to in the 70's are housing developments or shopping malls. Such a shame stock car racing is not as popular as it once was. I'm glad to see Cleetus bring this track back to life. The Freedom Factory rocks!
This is so cool, I hope gene somehow stays involved and we get to see him more. Would also be cool to see Stanley get back involved too.
This really, really cool. If he’s willing, i think he would be a great announcer or part of the team. I know a lot of these older folks need purpose again. I think that including him would be the right thing.
They'll probably allow him to do whatever he wants....
something tells me this man made his money and is doing just fine ;)
@@bhew7409 yeah, he looks like he enjoys a nice fishing boat. I bet hes retired.
I come back to this video every now and then. Gene is an absolute champ. Regardless of how many races he may have won. What a wonderful man to still be able to reference the history this speedway. I hope you can have Gene there when this whole pandemic has become manageable and we can all go racing together again. It would be a fitting tribute to this gentleman if we could experience him enjoying a victory lap on the track that he started so many years ago. Please consider this. Thanks.
I love how James get all sentimental he lowers his voice like he doesn't want to wake a sleeping baby in the next room 😂
Bring that man in for every event. He has the voice of an announcer and it will keep the track happy.
Greg Durkee he said he would love to at the end did u not watch the end ?
@@kangarojack3814 yes I did.
Outstanding history! Loved the respect you showed the gentleman. The plans are amazing! Are you going to do a volunteer day at the Factory?
James is a genius when it comes to cars
Also james: oh yeah I actualy went to school to be an engineer.
What a g
He went to school to become a draftsman, not an engineer. That’s what I took from his comments.
Zoop Da Loop in order to do engineering work you have to actually know how to draft and most aspiring engineers start off drafting. Nowadays it’s simple, could probably throw that set together In 2 hours in autocad, couldn’t imagine hand drafting a drawing set like that
@@andrewcampbell9762 James isn't that old to where he would have learned hand drafting whilst getting an engineering degree. He definitely only went to school to be a drafter.
As an engineer I loved seeing those drawings I was taken aback that James has background with that! Very cool stuff!
@CleetusM look how far you've come brother, look how far the track has come. Thank you for brining us along your journey!
It's super cool to see and be a part of as a viewer/fan, but it's also almost surreal how you've successfully managed to create a community like you have. It's not 100% about you and all the talent and hard work you possess, instead you bring in the village that has aided you in where you're at now.
Hands down >Cleetus McFarland Channel> most humble UA-camr
Thanks for giving both wholesome and bald eagles content.
Jack of this Trade check out PFI Speed too and BoostedBoiz, also great people
For your first race, get this guy back to announce "Ladies & Gentleman, Start your engines!"
real race cars don't have starters
@@winglessprint the track is always lit.
@@winglessprint Can you drive it on the street, or only on the weekends at a racetrack and on and off the trailer? Cause thats pretty lame
i'm big fan of history of all kinds. it's important to know what came before you and it was real cool of the man to come on out and share his story. respect to you guys for accommodating him.
This man is a legend, I hope he can come back sometime and maybe even drive or announce or anything he wants man!
snowbird nationals. Nice group of words. These small tracks, never underestimate. I remember watching ricky craven and the like in a small town track in Maine in the 80s. literally beer bottles flying and cuss words on the microphone to the audience. you guys are reeling in an awesome past for the future.
Something like this is golden! Most of the times, history is hard to find, or anything you can find is just from paper or internet.
Somebody buy that man a beer, he deserves a few.
Some genuine insight, awesome to see Gene still interested in his creation and supportive of the new updates!
Thats so cool! The original owner reminded me of a boss i had many years ago that was a wealth of knowledge. He would give you the backstory on anything you asked him. There was never a simple answer, always vary detailed...men like these have forgotten more then most of us will learn in a lifetime.
You’re doing big things. Reviving the automotive sport and making it modern while bringing back the history. You should look to get printed copies of the track drawings and hang them up.
Imagine the Grand Tour doing an episode there.. Jeremy and Cleetus screaming at each other "Powaaaaaaaaaah!!!" While going side ways..
Geo Gmz dude this needs to happen. That would be awesome
Now we are talking, that would be insane. If you think about it cleetus-jeramy / James-richard / cooper-captain slow. Honestly it's almost perfect, mind blown. Send emails make this happen
That’s honestly a great idea. I love it when TGT does emotional pieces and a story about rebuilding an abandoned racetrack full of Americana would be extremely emotional
Unfortunately with the way the grand tour is going to be, this isn’t an option. They are only doing specials from now on
@@OfficeCubicleGaming when are those damn specials gonna come out???
man i have so many memories of this place iam 46 years old and me and my friends would literally spend every weekend out there or rye road its nice to see the place still being used
Man I dig hearing the history straight from the guy