People search “Garrett Mitchell Cleetus McFarland Wikipedia” because the YouTube star behind the mullet and the Corvette named Leroy is now racing in actual NASCAR events. This guide breaks down who he really is, what’s confirmed about his family and money, and what he’s been doing on track this month.
Background: Who Is Cleetus McFarland?
Cleetus McFarland is the on-screen name of Garrett Mitchell, a YouTuber and automotive entertainer from Omaha, Nebraska. He built one of the biggest car channels on the internet by filming burnouts, drag races, and backyard car builds, and he now owns his own racetrack in Florida. People look him up on Wikipedia because his story is unusual: he quit law school to make YouTube videos, and that decision eventually turned him into a paid NASCAR driver.
The name “Cleetus McFarland” was not his idea at first. In July 2015, a friend named Kyle Loftis was joking around with him at a Colorado drag racing event and called him “Cleetus McFarland” on camera. The clip went viral, and Mitchell kept the character, eventually building an entire YouTube brand and business empire around it.
Today, people search for him because he has crossed over from internet personality into real motorsports. He drives part-time in NASCAR’s top three national series, something almost no other car YouTuber has managed to do, and that crossover keeps generating fresh headlines.
Latest Update
As of August 17, 2026, here is what’s currently known.
Mitchell has spent the first half of August on a packed short-track racing schedule. On August 12, 2026, he made his first Super Late Model start in the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan. He qualified 22nd in a 27-car field and was running mid-pack when he got loose in turn three, spun, and collected another driver’s car, ending his night in 19th place. After the race he told FloRacing he “just sucks” at the discipline but that he learned a lot about racecraft under pressure.
Key date: On August 15, 2026, Mitchell hosted the debut event of his own “Cleetus McFarland Late Model Series” at Berlin Raceway, a $20,000-to-win Late Model race he created to give himself and other drivers more track time.
No new personal-life development, business sale, injury, or legal issue involving Mitchell has been verified as of this date. Some social clips and fan speculation circulate online, but nothing beyond his racing schedule has been confirmed by credible outlets, so this article treats anything beyond his racing news as unconfirmed.
Looking ahead, Mitchell has said his last confirmed NASCAR start of 2026 will be a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on October 23, 2026, driving for Niece Motorsports.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Garrett Mitchell was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, in a family with deep ties to cars; multiple biography sources describe his father as having run a car detailing and taxi business, which is where Mitchell says his early interest in vehicles came from. He has a brother, Parker, and a sister, Lauren. The exact spelling of his father’s name is reported differently across sources (some say “Mark Mitchell,” others “David Garrett Mitchell”), so that detail should be treated as unconfirmed until an authoritative source clarifies it.
Career Path
Mitchell started his YouTube channel in January 2009, around the same time he became a social media manager for the car media company 1320Video. After adopting the Cleetus McFarland persona in 2015, he left 1320Video to build his own channel full time. He built a fan-favorite, bodyless Chevrolet Corvette C5 nicknamed “Leroy” and later a modified Chevrolet El Camino called “Mullet,” both of which set records at drag events. In January 2020, he bought the abandoned DeSoto Speedway in Manatee County, Florida, and renamed it Freedom Factory, turning it into a venue for his “Cleetus and Cars” events. Starting in 2022, he began racing in the Stadium Super Trucks series, then moved into the ARCA Menards Series in 2025, and by 2026 he was competing part-time in NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving for teams including Rette Jones Racing, Niece Motorsports, and Richard Childress Racing.
Age
Garrett Mitchell was born April 5, 1995, making him 31 years old as of August 2026.
Religion
Mitchell has not publicly disclosed his religious beliefs in any interview or verified source. This detail is unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
Mitchell is married to Madison “Madi” Mitchell, née Lutz. The couple began dating in 2019, got engaged in April 2021, and married on December 18, 2021. They have two children together: a son named Rip, born in November 2022, and a daughter named Ella, born after him.
Net Worth
Multiple outlets, including Celebrity Net Worth, put Mitchell’s net worth at roughly $10 million as of 2026, built from YouTube ad revenue, merchandise, live events, sponsorships, and his ownership stake in Freedom Factory and other automotive businesses like Motion Raceworks. Some estimates are more conservative, putting the figure closer to $5 million to $10 million. Because net worth for internet personalities is rarely independently audited, treat any exact figure as an estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Parents
His mother is commonly identified as Lori Edwards Mitchell, and his father is most often named as Mark Mitchell in biography sources, though as noted above the father’s name varies across outlets and is not confirmed by Wikipedia.
Height
Mitchell is widely reported to stand around 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm) tall, a detail repeated across several fan biography sites, though it is not sourced to an official measurement, so it should be treated as widely reported rather than officially confirmed.
Education
Mitchell attended the University of Tampa, where he studied law for about 18 months before leaving school to focus on his YouTube career full time, according to an interview he gave to the Canberra Times in 2020.
Hometown/State of Origin
Mitchell is from Omaha, Nebraska. He now lives in the Bradenton, Florida area, close to Freedom Factory.
Official Social Media
Official website: cleetusmcfarland.com
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Real name | Lawrence Garrett Mitchell |
| Born | April 5, 1995, Omaha, Nebraska |
| Age | 31 (as of August 2026) |
| Occupation | YouTuber, motorsports promoter, part-time NASCAR/ARCA driver |
| Spouse | Madison “Madi” Mitchell (m. December 18, 2021) |
| Children | Two: son Rip, daughter Ella |
| Net worth | Approximately $10 million (estimate) |
| Racetrack owned | Freedom Factory, Bradenton, Florida |
| YouTube subscribers | Over 4.7 million (as of May 2026) |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Is Cleetus McFarland Garrett Mitchell’s real name?
No. His real name is Lawrence Garrett Mitchell. “Cleetus McFarland” is a persona a friend gave him during a joke video in 2015, and it became his professional brand name.
How old is Cleetus McFarland?
He was born on April 5, 1995, which makes him 31 years old as of August 2026.
Is Cleetus McFarland married?
Yes. He married Madison “Madi” Mitchell on December 18, 2021, and the couple has two children together, a son named Rip and a daughter named Ella.
What is Cleetus McFarland’s net worth?
Estimates commonly cite around $10 million as of 2026, drawn from YouTube revenue, merchandise, events, and his racetrack business. This is an estimate, not an audited figure, so treat exact numbers with some caution.
Does Cleetus McFarland actually race in NASCAR?
Yes. As of 2026 he competes part-time in NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving under his real name, Garrett Mitchell, for teams including Richard Childress Racing.
What racetrack does Cleetus McFarland own?
He owns Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida, a track he bought in January 2020 when it was an abandoned facility called DeSoto Speedway and rebuilt into a venue for his live car events.
Did Cleetus McFarland go to law school?
Yes. He studied law at the University of Tampa for about 18 months before dropping out to pursue his YouTube career and automotive business full time.
Wrap-Up
Garrett Mitchell’s story stands out because he didn’t just build an audience, he built a business around that audience and then used it to fund an actual racing career. Going from a joke video at a Colorado drag strip in 2015 to driving for Richard Childress Racing in 2026 is not a common path, and it’s part of why search interest in his real identity keeps growing alongside his NASCAR results.
His current chapter is defined by the risk that comes with real racing: a rough crash in his Super Late Model debut in August 2026 is a reminder that the transition from content creator to competitive driver takes real seat time, not just enthusiasm. His own new Late Model series shows he’s trying to build that experience on his own terms rather than waiting for opportunities to come to him.
As with any public figure whose fame started online, some details about his personal life, from his exact height to his father’s full name, are inconsistently reported across fan sites and haven’t been confirmed by a primary source. This article has flagged those spots rather than guessing, and it will be updated as verified information becomes available.
Smith Andrew is the Founder and Editor of BiographyCabal. He researches, writes, and edits accurate, engaging, and well-researched biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, influencers, politicians, and other notable public figures. Committed to factual reporting and quality storytelling, Smith ensures every article is reader-focused, informative, and based on reliable sources, helping readers discover the lives, careers, and achievements of influential people around the world.