NASCAR Truck Series driver Garrett Mitchell, also known as Cleetus McFarland. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cleetus McFarland's NASCAR Truck Series debut comes to an early end

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 8:16 PM ET

Cleetus McFarland's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut came to an early end on Friday evening.

McFarland, a social media star whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, spun on the exit of turn 4 on Lap six while running in the 10th position.

McFarland then hit the inside wall hard on the driver's side of his No. 4 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado. While he was OK, his race was over.

The 30-year-old native got loose on the exit of turn 4 and was unable to save his truck.

Cleetus McFarland brings out the first caution and cuts the lawn. A hard hit. pic.twitter.com/IOXRBuIUm5
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 14, 2026

Unfortunate end to Cleetus McFarland's debut

McFarland ran four ARCA Menards Series races in 2025 before completing a necessary test at Rockingham Speedway to be eligible to run Friday's Truck Series race. He will compete in Saturday's ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona for the second straight year.

It is unknown if McFarland will make any more Truck Series starts in 2026, though he is slated to run ARCA races at Kansas, Talladega and Michigan.

McFarland will finish last (37th) in Friday's race. In four ARCA starts, McFarland's best finish is a ninth-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He finished 30th after an early crash at Daytona in 2025.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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