Garrett Mitchell Bio
Lawrence Garrett Mitchell, born on April 5, 1995, is an American motorsports competitor and content creator known professionally as Cleetus McFarland. He competes part-time in stock car racing, driving the No. 30 Ford Mustang GT for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA Menards Series. Beyond the track, Mitchell built a large online audience through his YouTube channel, also named Cleetus McFarland, where he shares automotive builds, drag racing, and oval track adventures.
Operating out of Florida, Mitchell has blended his career as a digital creator with hands-on racing across several disciplines, including stock cars, Stadium Super Trucks, and drag racing. His willingness to compete in a wide range of vehicles has made him a recognizable figure among younger NASCAR and short-track fans.
Early Life and Background
Mitchell was born on April 5, 1995, in Omaha, Nebraska. Growing up in the Midwest placed him near a strong grassroots drag racing and short-track culture, and he became interested in cars and performance vehicles at an early age. That early enthusiasm eventually pushed him toward building a career around automotive content and competition.
While still a young adult, Mitchell moved into digital media, working as the social media manager for the car media company 1320Video. In that role he sharpened his video production skills and grew closer to the racing scene, eventually leaving to focus on his own projects full-time. His path from Nebraska to a full-time racing and content career helped shape the practical, hands-on style he is known for today.
Path to NASCAR
Mitchell’s route to NASCAR-level stock car racing began with grassroots events and his own builds, including a bodyless Chevrolet Corvette C5 nicknamed Leroy and a purpose-built Chevrolet El Camino race car known as Mullet. Those projects brought him attention online and connected him with crew members, fabricators, and other drivers who helped him move into more competitive racing formats.
He branched into Stadium Super Trucks in 2022, making his debut at Long Beach and later competing at the Music City Grand Prix and the Bristol 1000. The experience racing trucks and varied track types gave him seat time that proved useful when he set his sights on the ARCA Menards Series and, eventually, NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
Garrett Mitchell Career
Early Career (2015-2021)
In 2015, Mitchell adopted the on-camera persona Cleetus McFarland, a name created by friend Kyle Loftis that quickly took off around Rocky Mountain Race Week with Tom Bailey. The Cleetus McFarland brand became the centerpiece of his YouTube channel, which had been active since January 28, 2009, and helped him grow a loyal subscriber base focused on high-horsepower builds and amateur racing.
In January 2020, Mitchell purchased the abandoned Desoto Speedway, a 3/8-mile asphalt oval and figure 8 track in Manatee County, Florida, and rebranded the facility as Freedom Factory. The track became both a content studio and a real racing venue, giving him a permanent home for grassroots events and a foundation to develop his skills as a driver and team owner.
Stadium Super Trucks Breakthrough (2022)
Mitchell made his Stadium Super Trucks debut on April 6, 2022, at Long Beach, California, where he ran the No. 1776 truck under the Cleetus McFarland banner. In the second of two races that weekend, he was leading on the final lap, only to spin out over the last jump and hand the victory to series founder Robby Gordon.
He continued to gain experience later that season at the Music City Grand Prix, where he was involved in crashes in both races and flipped onto his roof in the second event. A month later, he welcomed the Stadium Super Trucks to his own Bristol 1000 at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he finished third in Race 2, his strongest result of the year.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2025-Present)
It was revealed in 2025 that Mitchell would take part in the pre-season ARCA Menards Series test at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing under his real name, Garrett Mitchell. He then entered the season opener at Daytona, where a multi-car crash a quarter of the way through the race left him with a 30th-place finish in his ARCA debut.
Mitchell announced additional ARCA starts at Talladega, Charlotte, and the ARCA Menards Series East combination race at Bristol. After Bristol, it was confirmed he would return to ARCA in 2026 on a partial schedule. He opened 2026 at Daytona with an 11th-place run, then finished fourth in the East Series race at Rockingham alongside his friend George Siciliano, known online as LS George or Squirrel McNutt. The pair also raced together at Kansas, where Mitchell finished twentieth, and at Talladega, where he charged to a second-place result. His ARCA record includes zero wins, three top tens, and one pole.
NASCAR National Series Debut (2026-Present)
On February 4, 2026, it was announced that Mitchell would test at Rockingham Speedway in an effort to be approved for his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in the No. 4 for Niece Motorsports. He made the start at Daytona, lined up 12th, but went loose off turn 4 on lap 6 and hit the inside wall, ending the day 37th.
On March 4, 2026, it was announced that he would run three races in the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, starting at Rockingham. He finished 32nd at Rockingham, was not approved to enter the spring Talladega race due to a lack of NASCAR experience, and later finished 35th at Nashville. His Truck Series line shows zero wins, zero top tens, and zero poles, and his O’Reilly Series line shows the same.
Driving Style and Strengths
Mitchell’s driving style leans on aggression and a willingness to learn in traffic, traits that have translated well on short tracks and superspeedways. His ARCA work has produced a pole and several top-ten finishes, suggesting that qualifying pace is one of his strongest assets. Continued seat time with established teams like Rette Jones Racing, Niece Motorsports, and Richard Childress Racing is expected to sharpen his race craft and consistency over longer runs.
Notable Races and Milestones
His near-miss Stadium Super Trucks win at Long Beach in 2022, a third-place run in the Bristol 1000 Race 2, and a second-place finish at Talladega in the ARCA Menards Series stand out as signature moments so far. His 2026 Daytona Truck Series debut and Rockingham O’Reilly Series start also mark key milestones as he builds a NASCAR resume.
Garrett Mitchell Career Wins
Across his verified national series starts in NASCAR and ARCA, Mitchell has not yet recorded a win in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, or NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Outside of stock cars, he has collected wins in other formats that have helped raise his profile.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Mitchell’s ARCA Menards Series effort is headlined by zero wins, three top tens, and one pole, with a best series points finish of 40th in 2025. His most recent ARCA start came at the 2026 Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan. Highlights include a fourth-place run at Rockingham in the East combination race and a second-place finish at Talladega.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the national stock car ladder, Mitchell captured first place at the 26th Annual Haltech World Cup Finals in the McLeod Racing Warriors VS Tres Cuarto class in 2022, driving Mullet to a 6.474-second pass at 222.95 mph. He returned to the World Cup Finals in 2023 and won in the Grannas Racing Stick Shift class aboard Leroy, posting a 7.325-second run at 203.95 mph. He has also listed the 2025 2.4 Hours of LeMullets win and the 2023 Freedom 500 win among his achievements at Freedom Factory.
Garrett Mitchell Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Little public information is available about Mitchell’s parents or any direct racing lineage in his family. His move into motorsports appears to have come from personal interest rather than a family team.
Personal Life
Mitchell is based in Florida, where he operates the Freedom Factory track. He keeps most personal details private, and there is no verified public information about a spouse or children at this time.
2025 Season Performance
Mitchell’s 2025 season centered on a part-time ARCA Menards Series campaign with Rette Jones Racing in the No. 30 Ford, beginning with the season opener at Daytona. His debut ended early with a 30th-place result after a multi-car crash, but additional starts at Talladega, Charlotte, and the Bristol combination East-West event gave him valuable superspeedway and short-track experience.
He also continued building his racing resume through the 2025 Cleetus McFarland YouTube schedule, including the Freedom 500 at Freedom Factory and the 2.4 Hours of LeMullets endurance event, both of which he won. Those grassroots wins, paired with his ARCA seat time, set the stage for his expansion into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026.
