“With the independent rear suspension, you are able to jack the weight independently on both wheels,” said Yons. In only half a season of racing, Yons cracked the top five with it, earning a fourth. “We had to rely on our late model knowledge and improvise from there.” “We had no one to go to for advice on how to set up a VW,” Yons said. Racing an oddball car comes with its challenges, though. With independent rear suspension, an air-cooled 2180cc dry-sump-system engine, and dual carburetors, it shocked people who thought it would not be even slightly competitive with the other cars in the division.” I believed this car could be competitive. “He spotted a ’73 VW Super Beetle for sale and we bought it. “My dad, Ken, was always into VWs,” said Yons, of Macungie, Pennsylvania. Yons campaigns the car regularly in the pro 4 class at Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, Pennsylvania.

People loved the 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle that he’ll bring to the Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida, on February 2-3. This story was originally published on December 14, 2022.When the National Compact Touring Series announced James Yons as the latest entry to the Winter Warm-Up, his car created a buzz. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS FOR YOUR VOTE TO COUNT. “I Oppose Application PA-21-09/Ordinance – Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Map and Text Amendment 23-11 PLN2111-0048” to, ,, ,, , The racing community can show how powerful we are by going to the meeting on Thursday, December 15 at 9 AM at the Manatee County Administrative Center or by emailing the county commissioners to stop the development of these homes.Ĭopy and paste the following email addresses, your full name and address, and a message supporting Bradenton Motorsports Park and The Freedom Factory. “If you dig into racing, you will see how powerful our racetracks are,” said Mitchell. These tracks are a big part of the community, and being there first – we hope that will be considered in the decision,” continued Alvarez. “Hopefully, we can keep these tracks around for another 50 years. We’re going to make upgrades, work on the facilities, have our events, and attend every hearing we can,” said Alvarez. “We have tons of support, and we’re going to continue to push forward. If the vote is passed, it will move to the state. The proposed plan will go to the Board of County Commissioners for a vote on December 15.

The planning committee voted 5-1 on the provision. We’re not going to go down without a fight.” “We know what can happen and what this can lead to if we get 4,500 homes built next to these two facilities. We plan to fight as much as we can to prevent this from happening,” said Alvarez. “We’ve had a great impact on our local economy and local car scene. “I don’t think the current plan they are proposing can protect the racetracks and their historic value.” “We bring hundreds of thousands of people to Manatee County,” explained Mitchell and how the tracks boost the economy. It was abandoned in 2017, but Mitchell has since restored the track that is home to many successful events. Mitchell recently purchased the oval track, which is now deemed The Freedom Factory. We’ve been working very hard to have two great facilities, not just for our national events but also for our local events,” said Victor Alvarez, Bradenton Motorsports Park Track Owner. “It’s very disheartening to have this come up after the upgrades both facilities have been undergoing the past couple of years. Street Nationals, FL2K, and the upcoming 2023 Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod. The premier drag racing facility hosts some of the biggest events in the country, including the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals, U.S. We moved them out of town to prevent this exact issue.”īradenton Motorsports Park was founded in 1974 and is rich in drag racing history. “We’re urban planning today what we did 50 years ago was urban planning. People move in, and they complain,” said Garrett Mitchell, also known by his persona “Cleetus McFarland,” at the Manatee County Planning Commission meeting. “We have a classic case of how racetracks die. A fence with a maximum height of 25 feet and a noise abatement has been requested along with the development project to deflect the sound from the race cars. The proposed 4,500 homes are outside of the urban boundary line and would sit on what is now 2,700 acres of farmland. County commissioners in Manatee County, Florida, are proposing the construction of 4,500 homes directly next door to Bradenton Motorsports Park and The Freedom Factory.

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