Cleetus McFarland, the public persona of Lawrence Garrett Mitchell, is an American automotive content creator, entrepreneur, racetrack owner and racing driver. Born April 5, 1995, in Omaha, Nebraska, he has built a large motorsports business around YouTube, merchandise, live events and the Freedom Factory, while expanding into ARCA and NASCAR competition.
As of September 3, 2026, there is no audited public record confirming Cleetus McFarland’s personal net worth. One widely cited estimate from Celebrity Net Worth puts it at $10 million, but that number should be treated as an estimate rather than a verified financial statement. His wealth-building story is easier to document through tangible assets and businesses, including the $2.2 million Freedom Factory purchase, a $3.5 million private-airport purchase, a large YouTube audience, merchandise operations, events and major brand partnerships.
Cleetus McFarland at a Glance
| Category | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Lawrence Garrett Mitchell |
| Professional name | Cleetus McFarland |
| Date of birth | April 5, 1995 |
| Age | 31 years old as of September 3, 2026 |
| Birthplace | Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | YouTuber, automotive entrepreneur, motorsports promoter, racetrack owner, racing driver |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), according to a 2016 Corvette Magazine profile |
| Relationship status | Married |
| Wife | Madi Mitchell |
| Children | Two children |
| Net worth | Estimated around $10 million, not publicly audited or officially confirmed |
| Main YouTube | @CleetusM |
| @garrett_1320video | |
| TikTok | @cleetusmcfarland |
| Cleetus McFarland | |
| Primary business base | Bradenton, Florida |
| Main motorsports property | Freedom Factory |
ARCA officially lists his birth date as April 5, 1995 and identifies him as Garrett Mitchell and the owner of Freedom Factory. A 2016 Corvette Magazine feature described Mitchell as 6-foot-6 when he was 20 years old.
His social channels have also been publicly referenced by Rette Jones Racing and other racing partners, with the YouTube account listed as Cleetus McFarland, Instagram as @garrett_1320video, TikTok as @cleetusmcfarland, and Facebook as Cleetus McFarland.
Early Life, Family and Education
Garrett Mitchell was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 5, 1995. His interest in cars was already evident when he was young, but his path into automotive media was not initially a straightforward plan to become a famous YouTuber or professional racer.
A 2016 Corvette Magazine profile provides an unusually useful snapshot of Mitchell before he became a household name in automotive YouTube. At the time, he was a full-time student at the University of Tampa, while also working in automotive media. The same profile described how a chance connection through a friend led him to Kyle Loftis, the founder of 1320Video.
Mitchell’s University of Tampa connection is independently confirmed by the university itself. In its Spring 2025 alumni journal, the school identified Garrett Mitchell ’16 as the YouTube personality known as Cleetus McFarland.
Contemporary reporting from the Bradenton Herald says Mitchell was studying law in Tampa while working with 1320Video. Importantly, that does not establish that he became a lawyer. Later internet biographies have repeatedly and incorrectly described him as holding a law degree or practicing law, but the stronger evidence supports the narrower and safer conclusion that he studied law while attending the University of Tampa before committing himself to automotive media.
His early career also shows why the later Cleetus McFarland business was not an overnight success. Mitchell was learning social-media management, audience growth, video promotion and automotive storytelling before his own name became commercially valuable. In 2016, he told Corvette Magazine that his role at 1320Video had grown from posting on Instagram to handling the company’s broader online marketing and social media operations.
How the Cleetus McFarland Persona Started
The Cleetus character was essentially an accident that became a business.
According to the Bradenton Herald’s reporting, Mitchell was working for 1320Video at a 2015 racing event in Colorado when the persona emerged. He improvised a Southern-style character while discussing a highly modified Camaro, and Kyle Loftis filmed the segment. Loftis published the video that night, and Mitchell said it reached almost one million views by the following morning.
That moment proved something important. Mitchell already understood digital distribution from his work behind the scenes, but now he had a personality that could become part of the content itself.
The joke did not remain a joke for long.
Cleetus McFarland became the recognizable public identity attached to Mitchell’s videos, apparel, race cars and events. What began as an exaggerated automotive character gradually became a brand capable of supporting physical businesses and a growing racing operation.
Career Trajectory and Major Breakthroughs
Mitchell’s career can be understood as a series of increasingly ambitious moves. He progressed from social-media work to content creator, from content creator to event promoter, from promoter to facility owner, and eventually from grassroots racer to NASCAR competitor.
1320Video and the Digital Foundation
Working for 1320Video gave Mitchell an early understanding of what automotive audiences actually wanted to watch. His job involved online marketing and social media, allowing him to learn how car content spreads across platforms. The 2016 Corvette Magazine profile confirms that he had already become a key part of the company’s digital operation while still a student.
This background matters when looking at Cleetus McFarland’s later success.
He was not simply an enthusiast who happened to start filming. He had already learned how to package automotive culture for an online audience.
That skill became one of the core reasons his own channel scaled so rapidly.
YouTube Growth
The official YouTube presence identifies the channel as Cleetus McFarland with the handle @CleetusM. Current third-party channel tracking places the account at roughly 4.8 million subscribers and more than 2.2 billion views, illustrating the enormous audience Mitchell has built over the years.
Those statistics are not the same thing as personal income. YouTube subscribers and total views cannot by themselves establish how much money Mitchell personally earns. Advertising rates fluctuate, videos have different monetization levels, production costs can be substantial, and revenues may be received through business entities rather than directly by the individual.
Still, the audience size is commercially important because it supports nearly every other part of the Cleetus business.
Leroy and the Car-Building Era
One of the most recognizable projects associated with the Cleetus brand is Leroy, a highly modified Chevrolet Corvette that became a major part of Mitchell’s automotive storytelling.
The significance of cars such as Leroy was not simply their horsepower. They gave the YouTube channel recurring characters, long-form build stories and a reason for viewers to return. The same approach later expanded into other vehicles and larger racing projects.
That formula helped turn automotive engineering into episodic entertainment.
Freedom Factory
The biggest business move in Mitchell’s career was his acquisition of the former DeSoto Speedway in Bradenton, Florida.
The Bradenton Herald reported in 2020 that Mitchell had purchased the abandoned speedway and planned to rebuild it as what became the Freedom Factory. The newspaper described Cleetus as Mitchell’s alter ego and reported that the new ownership would turn the neglected facility into a new home for his racing ambitions.
Later reporting confirmed the purchase price at approximately $2.2 million in 2020. The Miami Herald and Axios both reported that figure when covering Mitchell’s subsequent purchase of a Florida airport.
According to the Freedom Factory’s own history, the facility was originally built in the early 1970s as DeSoto Speedway, then sat abandoned before Mitchell took on the project. After extensive renovation, the first public event at the renamed Freedom Factory was held in February 2021.
The track now hosts a mixture of racing and entertainment events, including the Freedom 500, Burnout Rivals and other grassroots competitions. The official 2026 schedule also includes driving experiences and several racing weekends later in the year.
This is one of the most important pieces of the Cleetus McFarland financial story. A YouTube channel is primarily a digital asset, while a racetrack is a physical property that can host ticketed events, generate sponsorship opportunities and serve as a permanent production location.
Freedom Factory Events
Mitchell has turned the Freedom Factory into much more than a traditional race track.
Its events combine:
- Live motorsports
- YouTube production
- Merchandise sales
- Sponsorship activation
- Livestreaming and digital content
- Driver experiences
- Automotive festivals
That model creates an interconnected business system. The same audience that watches a race online can buy merchandise, attend the event, watch future livestreams and follow the next vehicle build.
Racing Career Beyond YouTube
Cleetus McFarland’s racing career has developed much more recently than his media career.
Mitchell competed in the Stadium Super Trucks series in 2022, and his NASCAR-related career accelerated substantially in 2025 and 2026.
ARCA Debut in 2025
Mitchell made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2025 with Rette Jones Racing, driving the No. 30 Ford. ARCA’s official driver profile confirms that he made his first start in 2025 and continued with a partial schedule in 2026.
His 2025 season included some difficult learning experiences. At Daytona, he was involved in multiple incidents and finished 30th, but he quickly improved at Talladega, where he earned his first ARCA top-10 with a 10th-place finish. At Charlotte, he finished ninth, which at the time was his career-best result.
That progression is significant because Mitchell entered ARCA without the years of traditional stock-car racing experience that many competitors accumulate before reaching NASCAR’s higher levels.
ARCA Progress in 2026
His performance continued to improve in 2026.
By June, Motorsport America reported that Mitchell had made seven ARCA Menards Series starts since 2025, including one top-five and three top-10 finishes, with a career-best second-place result at Talladega in April 2026.
At Rockingham in April 2026, he also finished fourth in the ARCA Menards Series East race while running the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event on the same day.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Mitchell received approval from NASCAR to make his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Daytona in February 2026 with Niece Motorsports.
He drove the No. 4 Chevrolet in the Fresh From Florida 250. The debut ended prematurely after only five laps, leaving him with a 37th-place finish after an accident.
The result was disappointing, but the significance of the start was greater than the finishing position. It represented Mitchell’s first NASCAR national-series appearance and showed that his racing ambitions were moving beyond the grassroots world built around Freedom Factory.
Richard Childress Racing and the O’Reilly Series
In March 2026, Richard Childress Racing announced that Garrett Mitchell, better known as Cleetus McFarland, was scheduled to compete in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in a No. 33 Chevrolet with support from Tommy’s Express.
His debut came at Rockingham Speedway on April 4, 2026. NASCAR reported that Mitchell finished 32nd, six laps down, after an eventful race that included a spin and significant contact with the challenges of the 0.94-mile track. He nevertheless completed 244 of the scheduled 250 laps.
NASCAR’s approval process also made clear that popularity alone does not substitute for racing experience. The sanctioning body declined to approve Mitchell for the O’Reilly race at Talladega later in April, with AutoWeek reporting that his limited experience was the reason.
Mitchell has continued to pursue the long-term goal of reaching the Daytona 500, although he has acknowledged that the road is considerably more difficult than he initially imagined.
Super Late Model Step in 2026
The climb continued in August 2026 when Mitchell purchased a Rette Jones Racing Pro Late Model to improve his racecraft. Motorsport.com reported that the car was intended to give him additional seat time and that he planned to race it at Berlin Raceway.
His Super Late Model debut at Berlin Raceway on August 12, 2026 ended with a late crash, according to NASCAR.
Rather than signaling a retreat, the move illustrates how Mitchell is approaching racing. He is using additional competition and testing to close the experience gap between being an accomplished automotive entertainer and becoming a more competitive stock-car driver.
Cleetus McFarland’s Major Racing Achievements
| Year | Achievement |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Competed in Stadium Super Trucks |
| 2023 | Won the Freedom 500 at Freedom Factory |
| 2025 | Made ARCA Menards Series debut |
| 2025 | Finished 10th at Talladega in ARCA |
| 2025 | Finished 9th at Charlotte, then his career-best ARCA result |
| 2025 | Won the 2.4 Hours of LeMullets as co-driver with Carson Hocevar |
| 2026 | Finished 11th in the ARCA Daytona season opener |
| 2026 | Finished 4th in ARCA East at Rockingham |
| 2026 | Made NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Rockingham |
| 2026 | Finished 2nd in ARCA at Talladega |
| 2026 | Began developing a Pro Late Model program for further racecraft |
The 2023 Freedom 500 victory is documented by Mitchell’s own verified YouTube channel, while the 2025 LeMullets victory was shared with NASCAR Cup driver Carson Hocevar.
Personal Life, Marriage and Family
Cleetus McFarland is married to Madi Mitchell. Racing-related coverage from 2024 identifies Madison as Mitchell’s wife, and a 2026 NASCAR-focused profile likewise describes Madi as his wife.
The couple have two children. Public coverage has identified their family life, but Mitchell generally keeps the most private aspects of his family outside the center of his professional brand.
That balance has become more noticeable as Mitchell’s career has grown. His working life is extremely public, with races, vehicle builds, business acquisitions and large events frequently documented online, while his household life appears more selectively shared.
Madi has also been connected to the Cleetus business ecosystem. His official merchandise website currently features a dedicated Madi collection, showing that her presence has become part of the wider brand rather than simply being limited to personal appearances.
Cleetus McFarland Net Worth
The most defensible answer is that Cleetus McFarland’s exact net worth is not publicly verified.
Celebrity Net Worth currently lists his wealth at $10 million, and several later publications repeat figures in the same general range. But Celebrity Net Worth is an estimate, not a filing from Mitchell, his accountants or a publicly traded company.
That distinction matters because the Cleetus business is complicated. Personal net worth is not the same as company revenue, YouTube views, merchandise sales or the gross value of properties. A person can control valuable assets while also carrying loans, operating expenses, taxes and other liabilities that are not visible from the outside.
What Can Actually Be Verified?
Several important pieces of Mitchell’s financial story can be documented.
| Asset or revenue driver | Publicly reported information |
|---|---|
| Freedom Factory | Purchased in 2020 for about $2.2 million |
| Myakka City airport | Purchased for $3.5 million, according to property-based reporting |
| YouTube audience | About 4.8 million subscribers and more than 2.2 billion views tracked in September 2026 |
| Merchandise | Official Cleetus store actively sells apparel, accessories and creator collections |
| Live events | Freedom Factory hosts multiple annual races, experiences and automotive events |
| Sponsorships | Major commercial partnerships include Polaris and racing sponsors |
| Third-party net-worth estimate | $10 million from Celebrity Net Worth |
The Freedom Factory purchase is one of the strongest documented indicators of substantial financial capacity. The later airport acquisition is even more striking because Axios reported that Mitchell paid $3.5 million for the property in November 2023, while the Bradenton Herald separately reported the $2.2 million Freedom Factory purchase.
Mitchell himself told viewers that the airport purchase required him to spend nearly every dollar he had, illustrating why asset ownership should not automatically be interpreted as liquid personal wealth.
YouTube Income
YouTube is almost certainly an important component of the Cleetus business, but precise annual personal earnings cannot be verified from subscriber totals alone.
Third-party analytics platforms can estimate advertising income from views, but those estimates are not company financial statements. Social Blade, for example, tracks the Cleetus channel at approximately 4.8 million subscribers and more than 2.26 billion views, while also publishing estimated ranges for daily advertising revenue.
That makes it reasonable to say the channel has substantial commercial value, but it would be misleading to state an exact annual YouTube salary without access to Mitchell’s accounts.
Merchandise Business
Merchandising is another visible part of the operation.
The official store currently sells Cleetus-branded clothing, accessories, sunglasses, stickers, keytags and products connected to members of his wider creator group. The store also advertises giveaways and links visitors directly to Freedom Factory events and livestreaming services.
There are also independent e-commerce analytics estimates suggesting the store has generated millions of dollars in sales. Such services can be useful for understanding the scale of an online operation, but estimated gross sales should not be treated as verified profit or as money going directly into Mitchell’s pocket.
Freedom Factory Revenue
The Freedom Factory provides another important source of potential income.
The venue can monetize events through ticket sales, sponsorships, merchandise, experiences and digital broadcasts. Its official site lists a broad 2026 calendar, including race weekends, burnout competitions, driving experiences and other automotive events.
There is no reliable public financial statement showing exactly how much profit Freedom Factory generates each year.
Consequently, claims such as “the track earns X million dollars annually” should be viewed skeptically unless supported by company records or audited financial information.
Real Estate and Major Physical Assets
The growth of Mitchell’s wealth story is closely linked to his willingness to convert online success into physical assets.
Freedom Factory
The former DeSoto Speedway was purchased in 2020 for approximately $2.2 million and subsequently transformed into Freedom Factory. The property is now an active motorsports venue rather than an abandoned speedway.
The property’s present-day market value may differ substantially from its 2020 purchase price, but there is no authoritative current appraisal available here. It would therefore be inaccurate to assign a specific 2026 valuation to the racetrack without stronger evidence.
Myakka City Airport
In 2024, the Miami Herald reported that Mitchell had purchased a 50-acre private airport in Myakka City, Florida, for $3.5 million based on property records. Mitchell described aviation as a significant family passion and explained that he intended to develop the site with a home and custom hangar.
This acquisition is especially revealing because it shows that his financial strategy extends beyond automotive real estate.
The combination of motorsports, aviation, media and event infrastructure makes his business portfolio unusual for an online creator.
Business Partnerships and Brand Expansion
Cleetus McFarland’s growing commercial relevance is also reflected in major corporate partnerships.
In April 2026, Polaris announced a multi-year partnership with Cleetus McFarland and his motorsports community. Polaris described Mitchell as a YouTube pioneer, motorsports content creator, entrepreneur and racer, while stating that the collaboration would cover content, experiences and activities connected with Freedom Factory.
The partnership is commercially significant because it demonstrates how Mitchell’s audience has become valuable to established manufacturers.
This model is different from a conventional celebrity endorsement. The brand partnership can connect directly to the racetrack, vehicle builds, events, digital content and the broader Cleetus community.
That ecosystem is arguably one of the most valuable parts of the business.
How Cleetus McFarland Built His Wealth
The Cleetus financial model is best understood as diversification rather than a single income stream.
YouTube provides audience scale.
Merchandise turns that audience into direct consumer sales.
Events turn the online community into ticket buyers and live participants.
Freedom Factory provides a physical venue for those events and media productions.
Sponsorships monetize the audience through commercial partnerships.
Racing increases exposure and gives sponsors another platform.
Real estate and aviation assets convert some business success into long-term physical holdings.
That combination helps explain why it is dangerous to judge Mitchell’s financial position solely from YouTube advertising figures.
A creator with one income stream can suffer when platform algorithms change. Mitchell’s business is more interconnected. A successful video can promote an event, an event can generate merchandise demand, a sponsor can activate around the event, and the racing program can produce another cycle of content.
Cleetus McFarland Net Worth Timeline
Historical net-worth figures should be treated especially cautiously because no audited annual personal balance sheet has been publicly released. The table below distinguishes older third-party estimates from more concrete publicly reported asset purchases.
| Year | Publicly cited estimate or financial milestone | Reliability |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | About $4 million reported by older biography sites | Third-party estimate |
| 2023 | Continued expansion through YouTube, events and Freedom Factory | No authoritative personal net-worth figure |
| 2024 | $3.5 million airport purchase reported from property records | Strong asset evidence |
| 2025 | Around $10 million cited by several biography sites | Third-party estimate |
| 2026 | $10 million listed by Celebrity Net Worth | Widely cited estimate, not audited |
The older $4 million figure appeared in 2021-era biographies, while more recent estimates commonly cluster around $8 million to $10 million. The fact that estimates vary is itself evidence that the exact number is not publicly established.
For that reason, “approximately $10 million” is best presented as an estimate, not a confirmed fact.
Current Spotlight in September 2026
Cleetus McFarland remains highly active in motorsports and is not simply relying on the success he built several years ago.
The official Freedom Factory schedule lists a Cleetus McFarland Driving Experience on September 3, 2026, with additional racing and entertainment events scheduled throughout the remainder of the year.
His 2026 racing development has also continued beyond NASCAR’s national series. The purchase of a Pro Late Model and his August Super Late Model debut show a deliberate attempt to gain more real race experience.
At the same time, the Polaris partnership has expanded the commercial side of his operation, adding an established powersports manufacturer to the Cleetus ecosystem.
The result is a career that now operates on three overlapping levels: creator, business owner and racing driver.
Why Cleetus McFarland’s Story Is Different
Many automotive YouTubers build large audiences. Far fewer use those audiences to create physical businesses.
Mitchell has done exactly that.
He took skills learned at 1320Video, turned a spontaneous character into a recognizable media identity, developed a huge automotive YouTube channel, purchased an abandoned speedway and transformed it into Freedom Factory, added major events and merchandise, purchased a private airport and entered professional stock-car racing.
His biggest accomplishment may therefore not be any single race or YouTube milestone.
It may be the creation of an ecosystem where media, motorsports, real estate, commerce and live entertainment reinforce one another.
That is also why estimates of his wealth can vary so widely. The public can see pieces of the business, but not the entire balance sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cleetus McFarland’s net worth in 2026?
Cleetus McFarland’s net worth is widely estimated at around $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. There is no publicly available audited financial statement from Garrett Mitchell confirming that figure, so it should be treated as an estimate.
What is Cleetus McFarland’s real name?
His full name is commonly reported as Lawrence Garrett Mitchell, while NASCAR, ARCA, RCR and other motorsports organizations generally refer to him as Garrett Mitchell. His professional identity is Cleetus McFarland.
How old is Cleetus McFarland?
Cleetus McFarland was born on April 5, 1995, making him 31 years old on September 3, 2026. ARCA lists the same birth date.
Is Cleetus McFarland married?
Yes. Garrett Mitchell is married to Madi Mitchell, who has appeared in his public motorsports life and is also represented through the wider Cleetus brand. Public sources also report that the couple have two children.
How tall is Cleetus McFarland?
A 2016 Corvette Magazine profile described Garrett Mitchell as 6 feet 6 inches tall. That is a stronger historical source than the conflicting 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-2 figures repeated by various biography websites.
Does Cleetus McFarland own Freedom Factory?
Yes. ARCA identifies Garrett Mitchell as the owner of the Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida. The venue was formerly DeSoto Speedway and was purchased by Mitchell in 2020 before being renovated and reopened for public events.
How much did Cleetus McFarland pay for Freedom Factory?
The Freedom Factory property was purchased for approximately $2.2 million in 2020, according to reporting from the Bradenton Herald, Miami Herald and Axios.
Did Cleetus McFarland race in NASCAR?
Yes. He made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Daytona in February 2026 and his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Rockingham in April 2026. He drove the No. 4 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports and the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in those respective programs.
What is Cleetus McFarland known for?
He is best known for automotive YouTube content, high-performance car builds, burnout and racing events, the Freedom Factory, merchandise, and his progression into professional stock-car racing. His audience has grown to approximately 4.8 million YouTube subscribers and more than 2.2 billion views according to current third-party channel tracking.
What are Cleetus McFarland’s main sources of income?
The main visible business drivers are YouTube advertising, merchandise, sponsorships, live events, Freedom Factory activities and other automotive ventures. Exact personal earnings from each category are not publicly disclosed, so specific income figures should be treated as estimates rather than confirmed facts.
Does Cleetus McFarland own an airport?
Yes. The Miami Herald reported that Mitchell purchased a 50-acre private airport in Myakka City, Florida, for $3.5 million, based on property records. He said he planned to develop the site with a home and custom hangar.
What is Cleetus McFarland’s YouTube channel?
His official YouTube channel is Cleetus McFarland, using the handle @CleetusM.
What are Cleetus McFarland’s official social media handles?
Current racing-partner listings identify his social channels as Instagram @garrett_1320video, TikTok @cleetusmcfarland, Facebook Cleetus McFarland, and YouTube Cleetus McFarland.
Also Read: Thelma Riley Net Worth | Biography, Marriage to Ozzy Osbourne and What We Know
