All eyes were on Daytona International Speedway this Friday evening as Garrett Mitchell—better known to millions of YouTube fans as Cleetus McFarland—made his much-anticipated debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The Fresh From Florida 250, always a spectacle, carried an extra buzz this year thanks to the presence of social media stars and racing legends, but for McFarland, the dream turned into a harsh lesson just six laps into the race.
Mitchell, piloting the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports, had qualified 12th earlier in the afternoon, an impressive showing for a driver with limited national-level NASCAR experience. After a partial ARCA Menards Series schedule last season, this marked his first foray into the high-stakes world of the Truck Series. The grandstands were filled with anticipation, not just from diehard NASCAR fans but also from McFarland’s massive online following—over 4.6 million strong—who tuned in to see if their favorite content creator could hang with the best.
As the green flag dropped, the field immediately fanned out three-wide, ramping up the intensity. McFarland found himself running just outside the top ten, holding his own in the middle of the pack. But Daytona is unforgiving, especially for newcomers. Coming out of Turn 4 on Lap 6, disaster struck. The No. 4 truck snapped loose, and despite Mitchell’s efforts to regain control, he spun toward the inside wall, slamming into it hard before careening through the infield grass and coming to a halt near pit lane.
“Yeah, a hundred percent my fault,” McFarland admitted to the assembled media after the incident, echoing his earlier radio transmission: “That was a hard knock but I'm good.” He continued, “Terrible mistake. Man, it's impressive. Those guys can run three wide for that long, and when that thing's stepped out, I mean, you just have a couple feet on either side and I just didn't have the ability to, uh, gather it up and so I wrecked myself.” (Motorsport.com)
The crash brought out the first caution of the night and ended McFarland’s race almost before it had begun. He was the only driver involved in the incident and, after lowering his window net, climbed out under his own power. Following protocol, he took the ambulance ride to the Infield Care Center, where he was checked out and cleared for release. The official result: last place, 37th in the final standings. “I just did not check myself before I wrecked myself,” he told FOX Sports, a wry nod to the famous meme and his own sense of humor even in defeat.
For McFarland, the disappointment was palpable. “Takeaway is tough because I just didn’t get a chance to learn anything, you know, I was having a freaking blast. I just, I blew it. So I just don’t get to learn anything at Daytona once again, you know, last time I was here, I went 17 laps, this time, seven. I’m like, please, like, let’s stay in the race. So going into ARCA tomorrow, like, I don’t know what else I learned today besides being, I just gotta chill out on the steering wheel I think, and, uh, give myself a chance to learn, like need more time.”
His frustration was compounded by limited track time leading up to the main event. “I got two laps in the truck, I think maybe three. Um, but we had some tech issues, so it’s just how it went, but it’s what it is.” With only a handful of practice laps under his belt, the learning curve was always going to be steep. Nevertheless, he gave the crash a “5 out of 10” on the pain scale, noting he’d “had worse impacts before.”
While the night ended early for McFarland, his fans won’t have to wait long to see him back on track. He’s slated to compete in the ARCA Menards Series season-opener, the General Tire 200, at Daytona on Saturday, February 14, where he’ll roll off fifth. “I’ll be at ARCA. At Talladega for sure, and not sure what on a truck, but I would like to, but I just wrecked it, so it’s gonna be tough ... I think more practice would’ve helped for sure.”
Mitchell’s debut wasn’t the only headline from Friday night. The Truck Series opener also featured three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, making a rare appearance in the No. 25 Dodge Ram for Kaulig Racing. Stewart’s race, however, was cut short on Lap 36 after a multi-truck incident left his vehicle too damaged to continue. “It was just getting fun out there,” Stewart remarked afterward. “We just didn’t know what we were going to have balance wise if we went back out there. We were a little free in the beginning. I tried sneaking up on it and the first adjustment didn’t really move the needle. Then they tried track bar and wedge adjustment, and it actually started to respond. We probably needed to make that adjustment one more time. We got in a spot where we were three wide and I could start to hustle again. I’m not sure what happened underneath the truck.” (Heavy.com)
Stewart was noncommittal about future Truck Series appearances, saying with a grin, “Well, I don’t know, I didn’t think I was going to be back here again 10 years ago when I retired. I guess I just have to learn to never say never.”
The Fresh From Florida 250 was always going to be a trial by fire for newcomers like McFarland, and the early three-wide action proved as much. The race’s star-studded entry list, including viral personalities and Hall of Famers, made for a unique mix of experience and enthusiasm. For McFarland, the night was a harsh reminder of the razor-thin margin for error at Daytona. His openness and humor in the face of disappointment, however, won over many observers. “I was having the time of my life literally again,” he said, “I just did not check myself before I wrecked myself ... I put too much wheel into it because I was getting a little tight because we were freaking three-wide from the second lap on.”
As the dust settles, McFarland’s fans and the broader racing community will be watching closely to see how he rebounds in ARCA competition and whether this setback fuels future NASCAR ambitions. For now, the story at Daytona is one of hard lessons, high hopes, and the relentless unpredictability that makes stock car racing so compelling. With another race on the horizon and millions cheering him on, Cleetus McFarland’s journey in professional motorsports is far from over.
Daytona’s Friday night drama may have claimed its share of high-profile victims, but the drive to return stronger—on the track and online—remains undimmed. The next chapter for McFarland starts Saturday, with redemption and more valuable seat time in sight.