When it comes to professional sports, most of the time, the athletes are purpose-built, highly trained players/drivers. In special cases, this rule is broken. Breaking rules is what automotive YouTuber Cleetus McFarland is all about.
“Cleetus McFarland” is a pseudonym that Garrett Mitchell uses. The 29-year old born in Omaha, Nebraska started making videos on YouTube in 2009, and ever since then, he’s had a loyal fanbase of car enthusiasts and country boys who like things that have four wheels and go fast.
Cleetus’ success on the internet has allowed him to do downright crazy things. In 2020, he bought an abandoned race track, the Desoto Speedway, and in true McFarland fashion, he renamed the speedway to the Freedom Factory.
When you look in the dictionary for the word “patriotic”, there’s no definition, just a picture of Cleetus McFarland. When he raced Stadium SuperTrucks, he used the number 1776 for his truck. His fire suit always has the American flag somewhere on it. His logo is the American flag with the Cleetus wordmark in a stripe.
That patriotic spirit is what makes McFarland a fan-favorite across motorsport. When he announced he would test an ARCA car at Daytona, fans were ecstatic to see him give stock car racing a try. With his great performance in that test, he was given a chance to race in the Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200 at Daytona.
While his goal was to win, he was far from that goal. He was involved in two incidents, both with Canadian driver Amber Balcaen, and he had to retire from the race, earning a 30th place finish. The network broadcasting the race, FOX, allowed McFarland to talk in the broadcast booth during the race after he retired, and this was where he announced his plan to race in the Talladega Spring race later in the year, as long as his car can be repaired in time.
McFarland’s goal is to race in the Daytona 500, as he’s stated on his YouTube channel. His plan to rise through the ranks of ARCA hasn’t succeeded yet, but he’s hopeful that Talladega will change that. His team announced that he can run Talladega, if his car is fixed in time.
Cleetus McFarland is a fan-favorite, and we hope to see more of him around the NASCAR ranks!
