Cleetus McFarland sums up Talladega energy with hilarious response

YouTuber-turned-driver Cleetus McFarland had a hilarious take on the Talladega NASCAR race. NASCAR is at Alabama this weekend, and McFarland's energy for the track made it a lot more interesting.

Garrett Mitchell, who is popularly known as Cleetus McFarland, has returned to the ARCA side at Talladega with Rette Jones Racing. He drove the same #30 Ford Mustang with the sponsorship from the energy drink brand Kenetik (same as the Daytona International Speedway race earlier this year).

This was the third ARCA Menards Series race of the 2025 season, and the second for McFarland, where he finished in 10th place behind William Sawalich of Starkey Toyota (sponsor) and ahead of Patrick Staropoli of Syfovre Toyota (sponsor).

As McFarland raced at the iconic track, he was asked about the in-field and the energy and vibe of it, to which he had an unforgettable response. Here's what he said:

"I don't know if I knew the true meaning of freedom until I stepped on Talladega Boulevard. They love two things: That's b*obs and turning left."

The 2.66-mile (4.28 km) tri-oval Talladega Superspeedway is one of the most recognizable and iconic stock car racing tracks in the United States. Besides the Daytona International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Talladega Superspeedway holds the most important NASCAR race every year.

The racetrack has a capacity of 80,000 fans as of 2022 and cost $5 million to make. It has 33-degree banking in the turns and 16.5-degree banking in the tri-oval section, and it is the longest oval NASCAR race of the season.

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Cleetus McFarland summed up his Talladega ARCA race: "Thought we were done"

Following the conclusion of the race, Cleetus McFarland let his feelings be known about the race. Speaking to Fox Sports, here's what the renowned social media personality said after he finished 10th:

ARCA Series driver Cleetus McFarland (30) comes out of turn four during the General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway - Source: Imagn

"Brother, I thought we were done," he told NASCAR on FOX. "Ilmor, the engine guys just came over here and pulled the valve cover off. Number six valve spring is broken in half. About five laps in, she just turned into a dog. And this #30 always hauls tail so I'm like, 'what the hell is going on?' Got my foot stabbed in there."

"I'm telling you, they're getting on the radio like 'keep your momentum,' and I'm like, 'brother, this sucker is wide open'. You know what I'm saying? So we fell out of the draft and dude, it felt like I was riding a horse out there. You know what I mean? Everyone is blowing by me. And thankfully, a caution came out. We stayed on the lead lap," he added.

Cleetus McFarland, or Garrett Mitchell is a popular American YouTuber, and as of April 2025, he has over 4 million subscribers on the Google-owned platform.