Garrett Mitchell

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell Bio

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell, known professionally as Cleetus McFarland, is an American motorsports competitor and content creator born on April 5, 1995, in Omaha, Nebraska. Blending his online presence with competitive racing, Mitchell has built a distinctive identity in American automotive culture through his YouTube channel and his on-track participation in drag racing and stock car competition. As of 2025, he competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East, piloting the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing.

Mitchell’s dual identity as a YouTuber and racing driver sets him apart from many of his contemporaries, allowing him to bring a large, engaged audience to the events and series in which he competes. His YouTube channel, launched under the Cleetus McFarland brand, has amassed over 4 million subscribers as of May 2025 and serves as the primary vehicle for his automotive content, vehicle build projects, and race coverage. This combination of digital entertainment and active competition has made him one of the most recognizable independent figures in American grassroots motorsports.

Early Life and Background

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell was born on April 5, 1995, in Omaha, Nebraska, establishing his American nationality from birth. Growing up in the Midwest, Mitchell developed an early appreciation for automobiles and motorsports, environments that would ultimately shape both his personal passions and his professional trajectory. His upbringing in Nebraska placed him in a region with a deep automotive culture and proximity to some of the country’s most storied drag racing venues.

Mitchell’s formative years coincided with the rapid expansion of online video platforms, which he recognized as an opportunity to share his automotive interests with a wider audience. This early exposure to digital media laid the groundwork for what would become a significant career in content creation alongside competitive racing.

Path to Motorsports

Mitchell’s motorsports path took root in drag racing, a discipline that aligns naturally with his background in automotive builds and high-performance vehicle content. His early racing efforts focused on building and competing with his own vehicles, most notably the bodyless Chevrolet Corvette C5 with an exo-cage nicknamed Leroy, which became a signature platform for both his YouTube content and his on-track competition. This hands-on approach to car building and racing gave him authentic credibility with automotive enthusiasts and helped establish his reputation as both a builder and a driver.

As his online following grew, Mitchell expanded his racing program with purpose-built vehicles, including the Chevrolet El Camino known as Mullet, constructed specifically for drag competition. This progression from content creator building cars in his garage to a competitive drag racer with multiple major event victories formed the foundation of his transition into broader motorsports opportunities, including appearances in the Stadium Super Trucks series and eventually stock car competition through the ARCA Menards Series.

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell Career

Early Career

Mitchell launched his YouTube channel on January 28, 2009, around the same time he began working as a social media manager for the car media company 1320Video. That early role immersed him in the automotive media world and gave him firsthand experience producing content about cars, racing, and car culture. He eventually departed 1320Video to focus full-time on his own channel, a decision that proved pivotal as his audience grew substantially under the Cleetus McFarland brand. In 2015, he formally adopted the moniker Cleetus McFarland, derived from a viral character he created at the Rocky Mountain Drag Week event, and the name became permanently associated with his channel and public persona.

Mitchell built the bodyless Chevrolet Corvette C5 exo-cage car Leroy early in his YouTube career, and that vehicle quickly became a fan favorite, winning trophies and setting both personal and world records in drag competition. He later constructed the Chevrolet El Camino Mullet as a purpose-built drag racing machine, further establishing his credentials in competitive motorsports beyond content creation alone.

Drag Racing Breakthrough

Mitchell’s drag racing accomplishments span multiple major events and vehicle platforms, beginning with the McLeod Racing Warriors VS Tres Cuarto category of the 26th Annual Haltech World Cup Finals Import & Domestic Drag Races. On November 6, 2022, Mitchell and his crew captured first place after eliminating Carlos Olivo in the final round. Driving the Chevrolet El Camino Mullet, Mitchell posted an elapsed time of 6.474 seconds with a top speed of 222.95 mph, a performance that demonstrated the serious competitive capability of his build program.

Returning to the same event in 2023, Mitchell added another major victory by winning the Grannas Racing Stick Shift class, this time driving his bodyless Chevrolet Corvette Leroy. In the final round, Leroy recorded a 7.325-second elapsed time at 203.95 mph, further cementing Mitchell’s reputation as a competitive drag racer capable of winning at top-tier import and domestic drag events. These two victories at the World Cup Finals represent his most significant confirmed on-track accomplishments.

Stadium Super Trucks Debut

On April 6, 2022, Mitchell made his debut in the Stadium Super Trucks series at Long Beach, California, driving the No. 1776 truck under the Cleetus McFarland name. In the second of two races at the Long Beach weekend, he led on the final lap and appeared poised for his first series victory until a spin on the last jump handed the win to Robby Gordon. Mitchell returned to the series later in 2022 for the Music City Grand Prix in August, where he was involved in crashes in both races, including a second-race incident that saw his truck flip onto its roof after contact with Gavin Harlien and Robert Stout.

In September 2022, Mitchell hosted the Stadium Super Trucks series at his Freedom Factory facility during the Bristol 1000 event at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he scored his first series podium with a third-place finish in Race 2. This appearance demonstrated his ability to bridge his track ownership and event promotion with direct competition in a high-profile stadium truck series.

Rette Jones Racing Era

In January 2025, Mitchell was revealed as a competitor in the ARCA Menards Series pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing under his given name Garrett Mitchell. On January 15, 2025, it was officially announced that he would drive for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona, marking his formal entry into stock car competition at the national series level. In his series debut, Mitchell finished 30th after being collected in a multi-car crash roughly a quarter of the way through the race.

Following the Daytona event, Mitchell confirmed additional ARCA Menards Series starts for 2025 with Rette Jones Racing, including races at Talladega Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the ARCA Menards Series East combination event at Bristol Motor Speedway. After competing at Bristol, it was confirmed that Mitchell would return to the ARCA Menards Series with Rette Jones Racing in 2026 on a partial schedule, signaling an ongoing commitment to stock car racing beyond the 2025 season.

Driving Style and Strengths

Mitchell’s racing background in drag competition and Stadium Super Trucks has given him a versatile skill set that translates to oval track competition, particularly in high-speed drafting environments such as superspeedways. His experience with purpose-built race cars and hands-on vehicle preparation provides him with a deep technical understanding of car setup and performance, which informs his approach to ARCA competition. His presence in the sport also brings significant audience engagement, making him a valuable partner for Rette Jones Racing and its sponsors across the season.

Notable Races and Milestones

Mitchell’s most significant racing milestones include his two victories at the Haltech World Cup Finals drag event in 2022 and 2023, his podium finish at the 2022 Stadium Super Trucks round at Bristol Motor Speedway, and his ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona International Speedway in 2025. His Freedom Factory facility in Florida, which he purchased and renamed in January 2020, represents another milestone as it serves as both a competitive venue and the stage for many of his most popular content productions.

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell Career Wins

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell has secured confirmed victories in major drag racing competitions and recorded a podium finish in the Stadium Super Trucks series. His wins at the Haltech World Cup Finals represent the most significant on-track victories of his competitive career to date, achieved in high-profile national drag racing categories against established fields.

Drag Racing Highlights

Mitchell’s victory in the McLeod Racing Warriors VS Tres Cuarto category at the 26th Annual Haltech World Cup Finals Import & Domestic Drag Races on November 6, 2022, marked his first confirmed major national-level drag racing win. Driving the Chevrolet El Camino Mullet, he defeated Carlos Olivo in the final round with a 6.474-second elapsed time at 222.95 mph. He followed that success in 2023 by winning the Grannas Racing Stick Shift class at the same event, driving the bodyless Chevrolet Corvette Leroy with a 7.325-second elapsed time at 203.95 mph in the final. Both wins occurred at one of the most competitive annual drag events in the United States.

Stadium Super Trucks and Other Performances

In the Stadium Super Trucks series, Mitchell’s best confirmed result was a third-place podium finish in Race 2 of the Bristol 1000 event held at Bristol Motor Speedway in September 2022, where he also served as event host through his Freedom Factory track. While he did not capture a series victory in Stadium Super Trucks competition, his near-win at the 2022 Long Beach street race and his podium at Bristol Motor Speedway demonstrate competitive capability at the stadium truck level.

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell Family

Family Background

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to parents whose identities and backgrounds are not publicly documented in verified sources available for this profile. Details regarding his family’s involvement in motorsports or any racing lineage are not confirmed in the available inputs, and no publicly verified information on siblings or extended family has been identified through reliable sources.

Personal Life

Beyond his professional activities in content creation and racing, Mitchell maintains a relatively private personal life. There are no confirmed details regarding marital status, children, or current residence in verified sources. His primary public presence is concentrated around his YouTube channel, his Freedom Factory track facility in Manatee County, Florida, and his competitive racing schedule.

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell 2025 Season Performance

Mitchell’s 2025 season marked his formal debut in the ARCA Menards Series driving the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing, representing a notable step up in stock car competition for the content creator and drag racer. His season opened at Daytona International Speedway in the ARCA Menards Series season opener, where he finished 30th after being collected in a multi-car crash early in the event. Despite the difficult debut, Mitchell confirmed additional starts on the ARCA schedule, including superspeedway races at Talladega, a event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the ARCA Menards Series East combination race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Competing across both the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East in 2025, Mitchell gained valuable superspeedway and short-track experience in his transition to national-level stock car racing. His participation in multiple events with Rette Jones Racing provided him with seat time in a Ford on diverse track types, building the foundation for his announced partial-schedule return to ARCA in 2026. The 2025 campaign effectively served as an extended learning and development season as he adapts to the demands of the ARCA platform under the Garrett Mitchell professional name.