In the ever-evolving intersection of social media and motorsports, few stories capture attention quite like Cleetus McFarland’s NASCAR journey. The YouTube sensation with over 4 million subscribers has transitioned from burnouts at his Freedom Factory to competing in ARCA at legendary tracks like Daytona and Talladega.

Unlike many internet celebrities who leverage fame for quick advancement, McFarland (born Lawrence Garrett Mitchell) has approached his racing career with surprising restraint. McFarland’s racing resume includes impressive credentials beyond his viral videos. Before stepping into the ARCA Menards Series with Rette Jones Racing in 2025, he competed in Stadium Super Trucks in 2022, nearly winning at Long Beach and capturing a podium finish at Bristol. His drag racing accomplishments include victories at the Haltech World Cup Finals in both 2022 and 2023, demonstrating versatility across multiple racing disciplines.

His recent conversation with NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick revealed not just ambition, but a refreshing self-awareness rarely seen among newcomers to the sport.

When Harvick playfully suggested during their conversation that Cleetus McFarland’s NASCAR plans might include “going straight to Cup,” McFarland’s response was immediate and definitive. “No. That’s a great answer. Because I have sat, you know, I’m I’ve never been a big NASCAR guy until this year and Biffle helping me like even get my foot in the door. But in just this one season, you and I have both watched several people shove their way in the Cup and look like fools. And originally when I called Biff, I’m like, I just, you know, I want to race Cup. I’m like, he’s like, we gotta do this and this. And I think our original goal was the OR the Daytona 500 2027. And I’m not saying that’s off the board, but like now that I know just a smidge about NASCAR, I still think that that might be too early because them guys are on a whole another level.”

This awareness comes after his ARCA debut at Daytona ended with a 30th-place finish following a multi-car crash, though he rebounded with a solid 10th-place showing at Talladega in April 2025. These experiences have clearly shaped his perspective on progression.

McFarland’s measured approach comes despite encouragement from former NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle, who has served as a mentor in McFarland’s racing development. And McFarland’s caution shouldn’t be a surprise. Throughout this season, we saw some highly skilled drivers debut at the Cup level and it didn’t go according to plan. These were well-established names such as Helio Castroneves and Katherine Legge. Both of their Cup Series debuts were moments to forget for fans, with wrecks and crashes.

After Legge’s crash with Daniel Suarez, the driver even called out NASCAR for giving entries and setting drivers up for failure. “My position didn’t change. I was mad at the situation and I believe that she got set for failure. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great driver or a bad driver. Regardless of that, if you are thrown in one of the most difficult series in the world to be competitive, it’s just not fair. That was the way I saw it. I was more disappointed [in] NASCAR than her, and I mentioned that to her.” 

Perhaps that is what McFarland is looking to learn from, dipping his toes in first before jumping into the deep end. He’s already getting familiar with big names. Right before appearing with Harvick, he sat down with Dale Jr., even taking him out in a drag car. But his Cup future? Well, only time will tell.

Balancing Lawrence Mitchell and Cleetus McFarland

The duality of Lawrence Garrett Mitchell and his Cleetus McFarland persona represents a unique challenge in his NASCAR journey. When asked about managing these two identities during a pre-race press conference at Talladega, Mitchell offered a surprisingly reflective response: “When I first started the Cleetus thing, it was like a redneck persona. And then like, just slowly, Garrett and Cleetus have merged into one.”

“When the star gets into a hairy situation, he uses his ‘Garrett’ personality, but when he has to talk to owners or NASCAR fans, he goes by ‘Cleetus,'” he explained. This conscious switching between personas demonstrates the complexity behind the entertaining videos that have earned him over 4.27 million YouTube subscribers and regular views exceeding one million per video.

Despite this conscious management of his dual identity, Mitchell ultimately embraces both sides of himself in pursuing Cleetus McFarland’s NASCAR dreams. “I think I just lived my life as both, or maybe it’s just one now. I mean, it really doesn’t matter what people call me. I just am who I am now,” he reflected. “And I just try to live my life how I want and have as much fun as possible with my friends. Like winning with your friends is the best. And so we just travel around and have a good time, no matter who we are.”

This authentic approach has earned him the respect of racing legends like Dale Earnhardt Jr., who coached McFarland before his ARCA debut. This proves that, whether as Mitchell or McFarland, his dedication to doing things the right way is being recognized throughout the NASCAR community.