Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Cleetus McFarland Returns to NASCAR at Rockingham: Can He Finish the Race?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Thomas Carelli | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 3:43 PM ET

YouTube star Cleetus McFarland is back in the limelight this weekend as he is among the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series entries at Rockingham Speedway. McFarland is a YouTube phenom who has, in turn, drawn race ratings on the track; most clearly seen with his Truck Series start at Daytona earlier this year. He will race for Richard Childress Racing in their third No. 33 car: a part-time entry of the team.

Who is Cleetus McFarland?

For those of you who are unaware, McFarland is a YouTube star in the motorsports space. McFarland owns his own racetrack in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, famed as the 'Freedom Factory.' On his YouTube channel, we see McFarland perform an array of challenges, races, and anything you can really creatively think of.

McFarland's YouTube channel has gotten so big that it currently has 4.67 million subscribers. His videos average well over 1 million views as he generally posts at least once per week. McFarland most recently struck up a friendship with the late Greg Biffle, and now McFarland tries to race in his memory.

Can Cleetus McFarland Win?

Cleetus McFarland (#4 Niece Motorsports Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet) spins during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The plain fact of the matter is — McFarland cannot win. While he can theoretically, he has virtually no shot. McFarland is, for the most part, a marketing ploy. His persona brings in sponsors and eyeballs to the race broadcast. When he made a Truck Series start during Daytona 500 weekend, reports showed viewership up over 20%. While it can't be directly traced to McFarland, it is commonly assumed that he is much of the reason for that rise.

McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, has 1 career start in the ARCA Menards East Series, 5 starts in the ARCA Menards Series, and 1 start in the Craftsman Truck Series. Across all of these starts, McFarland has 2 top-10s, which were in the ARCA Menards Series in 2025.

Challenging the NOAPS stars, such as Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, and others, will be a tall order. The goal is, honestly, just to finish the race — a feat McFarland never even came close to doing in the Truck Series. Nonetheless, the fans love McFarland, and we got more of his fun, humorous flair this Saturday at Rockingham Speedway.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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