Cleetus McFarland

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Cleetus McFarland

| image = Cleetus McFarland in a YouTube video.png

| caption = McFarland in 2024

| birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|4|5}}

| full_name = Lawrence Garrett Mitchell

| current series = Stadium Super Trucks

| years active = 2022

| car number = 1776

| starts = 6

| wins = 0

| podiums = 1

| poles = 0

| championships = 0

| last finish = 9th (2022)

| year = 2022

| best finish = 9th

| former teams =

| title years =

| titles =

| prev series years =

| prev series =

| fastest laps =

| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality|subbox=yes

| channel_handle = CleetusM

| channel_display_name = Cleetus McFarland

| years_active = 2009–present

| subscribers = 4.23 million

| views = 1.77 billion

| silver_year =

| gold_year =

}}

| module = {{Infobox NASCAR driver|embed=yes

| Total_ARCA_Races = 1

| Years_In_ARCA = 1

| ARCA_Car_Team = No. 30 (Rette Jones Racing)

| Best_ARCA_Pos =

| First_ARCA_Race = 2025 Ride the 'Dente 200 (Daytona)

| Last_ARCA_Race =

| First_ARCA_Win =

| Last_ARCA_Win =

| ARCA_Wins = 0

| ARCA_Top_Tens = 0

| ARCA_Poles = 0

| Total_ARCA_East_Races =

| Years_In_ARCA_East =

| ARCA_East_Car_Team = No. 30 (Rette Jones Racing)

| Best_ARCA_East_Pos =

| First_ARCA_East_Race =

| Last_ARCA_East_Race =

| First_ARCA_East_Win =

| Last_ARCA_East_Win =

| ARCA_East_Wins =

| ARCA_East_Top_Tens =

| ARCA_East_Poles =

| updated = April 4, 2025

}}}}

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell{{Cite web |title=Who is Cleetus McFarland? Probably the most interesting car guy on YouTube, that's all. |url=https://www.driveandreview.com/who-is-cleetus-mcfarland/ |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=DriveAndReview |language=en-US}} (born April 5, 1995), known professionally as Cleetus McFarland, is an American YouTuber. As of April 2025, he has over 4 million subscribers.{{cite web |last1=Koki |first1=Taro |title=YouTuber Cleetus McFarland’s impact on NASCAR shows how influencers are changing the game |url=https://racer.com/2025/02/24/youtuber-cleetus-mcfarlands-impact-on-nascar-shows-how-influencers-are-changing-the-game/ |website=RACER |publisher=Racer Media & Marketing, inc. |access-date=24 February 2025 |date=24 February 2025}}

In 2025, he competed occasionally in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East, driving the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing.

YouTube career

On January 28, 2009, Mitchell started his YouTube channel around the same time he would become the social media manager for car media company 1320Video.{{Cite web |last=Hachat |first=Josh |date=2020-04-03 |title=The Triumph of Garrett Mitchell |url=https://dragillustrated.com/the-triumph-of-garrett-mitchell/ |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=Drag Illustrated |language=en-US}} He eventually left 1320Video to pursue a full-time career with his own YouTube channel.

In 2015, he would adopt the moniker "Cleetus McFarland" after a character he created that went viral at the Rocky Mountain Drag Week with Tom Bailey. The name Cleetus was quickly adopted by his YouTube channel and is now how he is most referred-to, rarely hearing his real name used outside of close friends and family.

Mitchell would then go on to create a bodyless Chevrolet Corvette C5 with an exo-cage named "Leroy". Leroy built a major fan following online, winning numerous trophies and setting both personal and world records. After finding career success as a YouTube content creator and racing enthusiast, he built a purpose built race car from a Chevrolet El Camino known as "Mullet".

= Freedom Factory =

In January 2020, Mitchell bought the abandoned Desoto Speedway, a 1/3 mi Asphalt Oval & Figure 8 Track in Manatee County, Florida,{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Rick |title=YouTube star Cleetus McFarland buys Desoto Speedway in Manatee County |url=https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/02/01/youtube-star-cleetus-mcfarland-buys-desoto-speedway-manatee-county/ |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=My Sun Coast |date=3 February 2020 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=New Owner For Desoto Speedway (FL) |url=https://www.performanceracing.com/magazine/industry-news/02-11-2020/new-owner-desoto-speedway-fl |website=Performance Racing Industry |access-date=20 April 2023 |date=February 11, 2020}} and later renamed the track to Freedom Factory.{{cite web |title=Freedom Factory USA (fka DeSoto Speedway) in Bradenton, FL |url=https://www.racingin.com/track/details.aspx?s=FL&Address_ID=0303 |website=RacingIn.com |access-date=20 April 2023}}

During one of Mitchell's "Cleetus and Cars" events in November 2020, Parker Whitlock suffered third-degree burns due to a radiator hose explosion.{{cite web |author1=Paulo Acoba |title=Cleetus & Cars burnout participant suffers 3rd degree burns after radiator hose blows on his homebrew Fox Body kart |url=https://tiremeetsroad.com/2020/11/24/cleetus-cars-burnout-participant-suffers-3rd-degree-burns-after-radiator-hose-blows-on-his-homebrew-fox-body-kart/ |website=Alt Car news |access-date=20 April 2023 |date=November 24, 2020}} Until this event, drivers that entered the competition were not required to be wearing a full fire suit. During Whitlock's burnout in his bodyless Ford Mustang, a radiator hose routed past the driver exploded. Because Whitlock was only wearing a hoodie and shorts, he suffered third degree burns and required multiple skin grafts.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Steve Cole |date=2020-11-29 |title=YouTube Star Cleetus McFarland Accused of Hiding Car Show Participant's Severe Injuries |url=https://www.thedrive.com/news/37856/youtube-star-cleetus-mcfarland-accused-of-hiding-car-show-participants-severe-injuries |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=The Drive |language=en}}

Racing career

On April 6, 2022, it was announced on The Checkered Flag that Mitchell would make his debut in the Stadium Super Trucks at Long Beach, California, racing the No. 1776 truck as Cleetus McFarland.{{Cite web |last=Nguyen |first=Justin |date=2022-04-06 |title=Cleetus McFarland to make SST debut at Long Beach |url=https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/04/cleetus-mcfarland-to-make-sst-debut-at-long-beach/ |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=The Checkered Flag |language=en-GB}} In the weekend's second of two races, he was leading on the final lap, poised to take the victory until the last jump, when he spun out after his truck hit the ground, leaving Robby Gordon to claim the win.{{Cite web |last=McTaggart |first=Bryan |date=2022-04-12 |title=Yeehaw By Fire: Cleetus Takes On Super Stadium Truck Racing And Damn Near Wins! |url=https://bangshift.com/general-news/videos/yeehaw-by-fire-cleetus-takes-on-super-stadium-truck-racing-and-damn-near-wins/ |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=BangShift.com |language=en-US}} Another attempt came at the Music City Grand Prix in August, but he was involved in crashes in both races; the second race saw him get squeezed into the wall while racing Gavin Harlien and Robert Stout, causing him to flip onto his roof.{{cite news|last=Atadero|first=Julybien|url=https://www.hotcars.com/cleetus-mcfarland-wreck-stadium-super-truck-racing-nashville/|title=Watch Cleetus McFarland Wreck His Stadium Super Truck While Racing In Nashville|publisher=HotCars|date=August 9, 2022|access-date=November 14, 2022}} He invited the trucks to his Bristol 1000 at Bristol Motor Speedway a month later, where he scored his first podium in Race 2 by finishing third.{{cite news|last=Nguyen|first=Justin|url=https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/robert-stout-beats-mcfarland-for-sst-bristol-race-2-win/|title=Robert Stout beats McFarland for SST Bristol Race 2 win|publisher=The Checkered Flag|date=September 5, 2022|access-date=November 14, 2022}}

On November 6, 2022, Mitchell & his crew won 1st place after eliminating Carlos Olivo in the McLeod Racing Warriors VS Tres Cuarto category of the 26th Annual Haltech World Cup Finals Import & Domestic Drag Races in the 4 day event. His Chevrolet El Camino (Mullet) managed an elapsed time of 6.474 seconds at a top speed of 222.95 mph on the final round of the elimination race.{{cite news|last=Dali|first=Jimmy|url=https://importvsdomestic.com/results/22/MCLEOD_RACING_WARRIORS_VS_TRES_CUARTO_2022-11-06.html|title=MCLEOD RACING WARRIORS VS TRES CUARTO Elimination Results|publisher=Import vs Domestic|date=November 6, 2022|access-date=January 22, 2023}}

Returning to the event in 2023, he won in the Grannas Racing Stick Shift class driving his body-less Chevrolet Corvette "Leroy" with time of 7.325 and speed of 203.95 mph in the finals.{{Cite web |title=Drag Racing World Cup Finals Results: Cleetus McFarland Wins In Stick Shift - FloRacing |url=https://www.floracing.com/articles/11409223-drag-racing-world-cup-finals-results-cleetus-mcfarland-wins-in-stick-shift |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=www.floracing.com |date=6 November 2023 |language=en}}

In 2025, it was revealed that Mitchell would participate in the pre-season test for the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing as Garrett Mitchell.{{Cite web |last=Srigley |first=Joseph |date=January 8, 2025 |title=77 Drivers on Entry List for ARCA Pre-Season Practice at Daytona |url=https://tobychristie.com/nascar-regional/77-drivers-on-entry-list-for-arca-pre-season-practice-at-daytona/ |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=TobyChristie.com}}{{cite web |title=Entry list for the 2025 ARCA Menards Series pre-race practice at Daytona |url=https://www.arcaracing.com/2025/01/08/entry-list-for-the-2025-arca-menards-series-pre-race-practice-at-daytona/ |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=ARCA Racing.com}} On January 15, it was announced on Facebook that Mitchell would drive in the season opener at Daytona for RJR also as Garrett Mitchell.{{cite web |author=Garrett Mitchell |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Bd9hEJwxr/ |title=(Facebook post) |website=Facebook |date=January 15, 2025 |access-date=January 15, 2025 |quote="Well folks, I was trying to keep this a secret but word spreads fast…we’re going NASCAR RACIN!!! February 15 I’ll be racing at Daytona in the #30 Kenetik Energy Gen 5 ARCA Mustang."}}{{Cite web |last=Christie |first=Toby |date=January 16, 2025 |title=Cleetus McFarland Going ARCA Racing at Daytona with Rette Jones Racing |url=https://tobychristie.com/nascar-regional/arca-menards-series/cleetus-mcfarland-going-arca-racing-at-daytona-with-rette-jones-racing/ |access-date=January 16, 2025 |website=TobyChristie.com}} He finished in 30th after being involved in a multi-car crash over a quarter of the way through the race. On February 20, 2025, it was announced that Mitchell will return with the team at Talladega Superspeedway.{{Cite web |last=Wayman |first=Declan |date=February 20, 2025 |title=YouTube Sensation Garrett Mitchell Returns To ARCA Race At Talladega With Rette Jones Racing |url=https://tobychristie.com/nascar-regional/arca-menards-series/youtube-sensation-garrett-mitchell-returns-to-arca-race-at-talladega-with-rette-jones-racing/ |access-date=February 20, 2025 |website=TobyChristie.com}} On April 3rd it was announced on Stacking Pennies with Corey LaJoie that Mitchell would run the ARCA / ARCA East at Bristol.{{Cite web |date=April 3, 2025 |title=Cleetus McFarland Call Out NASCAR Drivers Who Jump to Cup and "Look Like Idiots"|url=https://dailydownforce.com/cleetus-mcfarland-calls-out-nascar-drivers-who-jump-to-cup-and-look-like-idiots/ |access-date=April 3, 2025 |website=DailyDownforce.com}}

Motorsports career results

= Stadium Super Trucks =

(key) (Bold – Pole position. Italics – Fastest qualifier. * – Most laps led.)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:80%"
colspan=45\| Stadium Super Trucks results
Year ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! {{Tooltip\|SSTC\|Stadium Super Trucks classification}} ! Pts ! Ref
2022 \| style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| LBH {{small\|10}} \| style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| LBH {{small\|9}} \| MOH \| MOH \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| NSH {{small\|10}} \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| NSH* {{small\|9}} \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| BRI {{small\|12}} \| style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| BRI {{small\|3}} ! 9th ! 84 ! {{cite web\|url=https://stadiumsupertrucks.com/2022-standings/\|title=2022 Overall Point Standings\|work=Stadium Super Trucks\|access-date=April 20, 2023}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:80%"

colspan=45| Stadium Super Trucks results

Year

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! {{Tooltip|SSTC|Stadium Super Trucks classification}}

! Pts

! Ref

2022

| style="background:#CFEAFF;"| LBH
{{small|10}}

| style="background:#CFEAFF;"| LBH
{{small|9*}}

| MOH

| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NSH
{{small|10}}

| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NSH
{{small|9*}}

| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRI
{{small|12}}

| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BRI
{{small|3*}}

! 9th

! 84

! {{cite web|url=https://stadiumsupertrucks.com/2022-standings/|title=2022 Overall Point Standings|work=Stadium Super Trucks|access-date=April 20, 2023}}

{{sup|*}} Season in progress.

=ARCA Menards Series=

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%" ! colspan=27\| ARCA Menards Series results
Year ! Team ! No. ! Make ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! 18 ! 19 ! 20 ! {{Tooltip\|AMSC\|ARCA Menards Series classification}} ! Pts ! Ref
2025 ! Rette Jones Racing ! 30 ! Ford \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| DAY {{small\|30}} \| PHO \| style="background:#;"\| TAL {{small

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%"

! colspan=27| ARCA Menards Series results

Year

! Team

! No.

! Make

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! 20

! {{Tooltip|AMSC|ARCA Menards Series classification}}

! Pts

! Ref

2025

! Rette Jones Racing

! 30

! Ford

| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DAY
{{small|30}}

| PHO

| style="background:#;"| TAL
{{small

}

| KAN

| CLT

| MCH

| BLN

| ELK

| LRP

| DOV

| IRP

| IOW

| GLN

| ISF

| MAD

| DSF

| BRI

| SLM

| KAN

| TOL

! -*

! {{cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/mitchga01/2025/A|title=Garrett Mitchell – 2025 ARCA Menards Series Results|website=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=February 15, 2025}}

==ARCA Menards Series East==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%" ! colspan=15 \| ARCA Menards Series East results
Year ! Team ! No. ! Make ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! {{Tooltip\|AMSEC\|ARCA Menards Series East classification}} ! Pts ! Ref
2025 ! Rette Jones Racing ! 30 ! Ford \| FIF \| CAR \| NSH \| FRS \| DOV \| IRP \| IOW \| BRI ! -* ! -* !

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%"

! colspan=15 | ARCA Menards Series East results

Year

! Team

! No.

! Make

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6