Garrett Mitchell, better known by his professional name “Cleetus McFarland,” ventured into NASCAR racing last year. The Florida native made four starts in the ARCA Menards Series in 2025, scoring a pair of top-1o finishes.
This year, McFarland made his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut. Unfortunately for the 30-year-old, it was a short-lived first start after crashing out of the race on the sixth lap.
Despite that, the internet personality is taking his NASCAR career to the next level. It was announced on Wednesday, March 4, that McFarland is moving up to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Richard Childress Racing.
Piloting the No. 33 car, McFarland will make his debut at Rockingham Speedway on Satruday, April 4.
Cleetus McFarland on joining Richard Childress Racing: ‘Dream come true’
In an RCR press release, McFarland expressed his excitement to be making his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut with the organization. The YouTube star looks forward to learning under the leadership of Childress and everyone involved at RCR.
“To have the opportunity to make my NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut with a legendary race team like Richard Childress Racing is a dream come true,” McFarland said.
Tommy’s Express is coming onboard as McFarland’s sponsor for the race. Headquartered in Holland, Michigan, Tommy’s Express is a car wash franchise with over 240 locations across North America.
“They’re a fast-forward brand that understands speed, performance, and connecting with people, which lines up perfectly with everything we are trying to accomplish,” McFarland said.
Alex Lemmen, Chief Executive Officer of Tommy’s Express, is thrilled about the opportunity to partner with RCR and McFarland. Lemmen believes many of their qualities align with the organization.
Those traits include being “family-owned, multi-generational, vertically integrated, and on the cutting edge of speed, technology, and execution.”
“We could not be more excited about hitting the track with Richard Childress Racing and Cleetus McFarland. We are humbled to partner with an iconic brand, company, and story such as RCR – our organizations share many of the same mission and purpose,” Lemmen said.
McFarland told retired NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick on “SPEED with Harvick & Buxton” that he signed a two-year deal with RCR. The partnership begins in the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway on April 4.
Cleetus McFarland made Truck debut at Daytona in February
Last month, McFarland made his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut at Daytona. Wheeling the No. 4 truck for Niece Motorsports, McFarland started the Fresh from Florida 250 from the 12th position.
Yet, McFarland didn’t last long in the 100-lap event. On lap six, McFarland was occupying the inside line coming off of turn four when his truck got sideways. McFarland slid down the frontstretch and collided with the inside wall.
The damage was too severe to continue as McFarland posted a dead-last finish of 37th.
McFarland is best known for being a YouTube personality. With over 1,500 videos posted, McFarland has amassed over 4.65 million subscribers.
McFarland became close friends with Greg Biffle until the latter’s tragic passing in a plane crash on December 18, 2025. At Biffle’s memorial, McFarland spoke about what it means to “Be Like Biff” in honor of his late friend.
Cleetus McFarland Announces Next Step in NASCAR Career