Day 12-13
Driving most of day 12 we headed toward Tampa Florida. As we drove further and further south the humidity reminded me that I was closer to home. After driving through the desert, I take notice all the lakes and canals I took for granted before. My opinion everyone should travel more, see something different.

Pulling into the Freedom Factory we passed a busy drag strip full of old big block American muscle. The track was just purchased by the famous YouTuber Cleetus @garrett1320. It’s a oval track with a cement center that’s paved areas and two wide u-turns on either end of the inner circle.

The place looked like it had some race history behind it. Faded racing logos and murals were all’s round the track. This is a high speed track that takes some cojones to link. Rule of thump on a embankment track, let off throttle, you slide up the bank, step into it and you go down.

Ben Hanson took out his legit race car making 750+ hp 416 stoker and ran the wall bouncing off the rev limiter. Shredder continued along with most others looking to use the wall as a crib brush to remove the dirt from the drive here. I sat in the top box office and enjoyed the perfect day. The drivers started to utilize the track at there free will. Making all sorts of different lines incorporating the big oval as a finally or finisher move. The smoke stayed to get trapped inside the oval. From the outside it probably looked like a Hawaiian island eruption.

Some time after noon Hert from Hoonigan and Aaron from @lonestardrift made up a contest. Drivers made teams and came up with a type of synchronized swimming show to see who can put on the best show. Team Vett took home gold on this challenge. I think they had the most smoke in my opinion and the more the merrier. With the tracks new owner I’m sure he has big plans for the Freedom Factory with so much potential this place has.

New Orleans, specifically NOLA you have been good to us. Didn’t get to much seat time so my urge to come back is stronger than ever. The whole NOLA motor sport complex was like being on the set of Ford vs Ferrari in this case Nissan vs Chevy.

The morning of our drive to Alabama for MidPond we attempted to leave New Orleans with a good after taste. Driving to the French Quarters to get some beignet something very unexpected happen. While only paying attention to the towns facades of the building we ran over a drain. What sounded like a grenade going off in a ditch pot followed by metal dragging on the pavement. Needless to say the taste of the warm beignet was replaced by exhaust fumes and metal shavings that we engulfed on our way to the towns muffler shop.

Linking up with team Drift Hq we made our way to Alabama. Meeting up Ben Hopkins, Mesker Drift and Rudy from Texas we continued our journey into the night. S/O Milo’s for being so cool and letting all 15 of us walk through the drive through. Right after we expected a smooth drive to reach our hotel in Birmingham but Duarte’s Blue thunder shut off on the highway and we pulled off to figure it out. I low key couldn’t be more happy, the stars were plenty full. Felt like I was starting out the helmet of my Gundam Suit it was epic. Chris Drift Hq lead technician walked right up to the car and found a ground lose to the ecu. Bingo we back on the road again, Magic man does it again! We made it to Bama

Day 11

Not a cloud in the sky, you know the feeling you get when u wake up and $hit just feels right. Making our way to Midpond I didn’t know what to expect, I heard it’s a small track and the pictures say the same. Pulling into the tracks parking lot it was super packed. I couldn’t even see the track and barley all 30+ cars fit in the paddock.

After parking it was a totally different site. Like literally a fairly tale. Idk what it is about leaves falling on a track that make things feel
magical and they had a pond! This has to be the most scenic track I’ve been to. The deck they had to over looking the track was made with no blind spots. The entire track lay in front of you with a perfect sized pond right in front home to two little swans. They may have been all white ducks but who cares. They were there and clearly they love drifting. It didn’t make sense how perfect this track was.

We ran the layout counter clockwise the entire day. It’s a real tight but not to technical the hairpin turns line up right with the maji’s and made for easy linking of the entire track. Just sitting in the cool grass spending time at nearly every angle of the track I just sit in amazement. All the drivers really started to get comfortable with the track as the tandem trains got longer and longer. Even with the tight layout they managed to be side by side shredding the entire track. I may have zoned out a few time just day dreaming seeing my Laurel flying around the track. If they open the parking space this would be Drift heaven on earth

After just soaking all the scenery in I decided to hop in Luis car that he has been going Ham in. It feels good that something you work on is now being abused right in front your eyes and holding up perfectly. Luis started smoking up the track really getting down the layout. Toward the end of the day people started to pack up to get ready for the next leg of the journey.

The track coordinator realized we had no one to play with on track so he let us run the track clockwise to get a different feel. That may have been the best things that could have happened. It changed the dynamics of the track hand over fist. The tight slightly technical track has now turned into a high speed more tandem friendly layout. Jayson with the red e30 must have took note of the wild solo runs me and Luis we’re getting in and decided to join the party.

I wish we ran this layout the whole day but risk of flying off into the pond is more likely with this layout so I can see why for the first time drivers they chose counter clockwise. Just know I will be back here even before NOLA it’s that good!  Freedom factory here we come!