ARCA Series driver Cleetus McFarland (30) comes out of turn four at Talladega Superspeedway. Jason Allen-Imagn Images

Cleetus McFarland finishes 10th at Talladega, says underpowered car 'felt like I was riding a horse'

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 4:15 PM ET

Cleetus McFarland's day at Talladega in Saturday's ARCA Menards Series race didn't go exactly as planned, but the 30-year-old still managed to snag the first top-10 of his ARCA career.

McFarland — whose real name is Garrett Mitchell — ran his second career ARCA race on Saturday at Talladega. His ARCA debut came at Daytona, where the motorsports content creator with over four million subscribers on YouTube was involved in two crashes that ultimately took him out of the race.

More bad luck befell McFarland on Saturday, as engine issues left his No. 30 Ford short on power for the majority of the race. Despite an underpowered vehicle, McFarland was able to stay in the draft and finish 10th.

"Brother, I thought we were done," McFarland told Fox Sports. "Ilmor, the engine guys, just came over here and pulled the valve cover off. The No. 6 valve spring is broken in half."

The man, the myth, the legend Cleetus McFarland sums up his race at @TALLADEGA in a way only he can! pic.twitter.com/9YMtvvNMzU
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) April 26, 2025

"About five laps in, she just turned into a dog," McFarland added about his car. "The Kenetik No. 30 always hauls tail, and I'm like, 'What the hell's going on?' ... They're getting on the radio like, 'Keep your momentum!' I'm like, 'Brother, this sucker is wide open!'

"We fell out of the draft and it felt like I was riding a horse out there. Everyone's blowing by me, and thankfully a caution came out and we stayed on the lead lap ... I used knowledge from the Biffmeister, (19-time Cup Series winner Greg Biffle), he taught me everything I know. I got out there and read the air with the dog we had and stayed up in there."

McFarland's charismatic personality has quickly made him a fan favorite. The next ARCA race confirmed to be on McFarland's schedule is the Bush's Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 11.

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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