The ARCA Menards Series heads to Daytona International Speedway this week for its annual two-day preseason test. There are nearly 80 drivers on the entry list at the moment, and most of them are the usual suspects. There are plenty of ARCA regulars and some hopefuls, but one name in particular stood out.

Driving the No. 30M for Rette-Jones Racing is one Garrett Mitchell out of Omaha, Nebraska. Some of you may now be wondering why that name is interesting. Perhaps you know him by a different name. Perhaps you know him as Cleetus McFarland, the YouTuber who owns Freedom Factory in Florida and holds various “Cleetus and Cars” events each year at places like Bristol Motor Speedway.

Among other things, Mitchell/McFarland is well-known in the drag racing world for his body-less Chevrolet Corvette that he named “Leroy.” 

Mitchell actually has plenty of racing experience under his belt. He made multiple starts in Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Truck series and came close to winning in Long Beach, California before a late-race spin. He participates in his Cleetus and Cars events at various tracks throughout the country, and has a ton of drag racing experience. Mitchell also most recently competed in Greg Biffle’s Triple B 100, which is a dirt race using Ford Crown Victorias. 

He also garnered a lot of praise following his rescue and recovery efforts in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Mitchell, along with Biffle and other private pilots, flew their personal helicopters in and out of the area bringing in supplies, as well as flying rescue missions.

It’s worth mentioning that there’s no guarantee that Mitchell participates in the 200-mile season-opener for the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona on February 15. But seeing his name on the entry list for the preseason test means there’s at least a chance that we could see Cleetus McFarland racing at Daytona in February.

The ARCA Menards Series will take to the high-banks of the World Center of Racing this week on Thursday, January 9 and Friday, January 10. The Daytona ARCA 200 will open the 2025 season on Saturday, February 15 live on FOX.