What’s Happening?

All jokes aside, nobody can say that the 2025 ARCA Menards Series isn’t chock full of personality! One of the most interesting personalities in today’s ARCA race at Daytona was that of YouTube sensation, Cleetus McFarland. Garrett Mitchell, known professionally as Cleetus McFarland, made he debut in the ARCA Menards Series today at the World Center of Racing and it was a big learning experience for the young superstar. McFarland had a fast Ford number 30 but a pair of incidents ended his race prematurely. He ultimately finished 30th with a DNF.

• Cleetus McFarland rose to fame on YouTube where he has garnered 4 million subscribers. His name stems from a character he created and he officially adopted the moniker in 2015.
• McFarland made his racing debut in the 2022, where he raced in the Stadium Super Trucks Series. He competed in 6 of the 8 races that season, scoring a best finish of 3rd in the final race of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Without a doubt, a large chunk of the viewership of this race today had come from Cleetus’ legion of fans. He’s such a great personality, making him very popular among the NASCAR fanbase and his debut drew a lot of eyes as he made his ARCA debut.

The First On-Track Incident

After qualifying yesterday was scrubbed due to rain, the starting lineup was set by yesterday’s practice session. This led to Cleetus McFarland rolling off in the 23rd position, not bad for his debut. But it didn’t take long for McFarland to receive his rookie skid marks. His first incident of his very eventful day occurred on Lap-12 coming out of turn-4. In either of the incidents he was caught up in today, Cleetus did nothing wrong; he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This crash in particular broke out when the number 70s of Amber Balcaen got loose and collected McFarland as well as other cars.

McFarland’s number 30 Ford was then sent to the inside wall where he made the lightest contact with the inside was. He was able to continue. Check out this accident.

The Wreck Which Ended His Day

His day was officially over just a few laps later in a second incident which included the 70 of Amber Balcaen. She again got loose and spun right in front of McFarland. There was nowhere for him to go and he plowed into the side of her car. With a totaled number 30 Ford, his day was officially over. Check out the incident below.

Post-Race Appearances

Though his debut at Daytona was far from ideal, Garrett Mitchell was in good spirits after he was checked and released from the infield care center. He stated in his FOX Sports interview that he was “rippin around Daytona like a bald eagle”. This was a dream come true for McFarland and hopefully we’ll get to see him showcase his talents again in the near future. That said, with this DNF, he is credited with a 30th place finish.

After getting cleaned up and putting on the smell-good, Cleetus McFarland went up to the FOX Sports booth to talk about his experiences today.

Conclusion

What did you think of Cleetus McFarland’s NASCAR debut, race fans? Let us know! Do you think he’ll be back? Share us your thoughts by commenting on our posts on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube!