“It’s always been banned”: Former driver reacts to NASCAR’s ruling on Cleetus McFarland’s violation

Lawrence Garrett Mitchell, aka Cleetus McFarland, is a professional YouTuber who competed in the ARCA Menards Series race Ride The Dente 200 at Daytona International. But before the race, NASCAR put the latter on probation for violating the camera rule. Stock car racing veteran Kenny Wallace recently gave his take on the situation.

McFarland began his YouTube journey in 2009 and started his own channel while working as a social media manager for a car company. He eventually left the company to pursue a full-time career with his channel. The YouTuber has always been a car enthusiast and began his racing career in 2022, racing the #1776 truck in the Stadium Super Truck at Long Beach, California.

In the latest video, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace highlighted that the governing body told Cleetus McFarland he could not use a personal camera inside the race car. Following the incident, the sanctioning body put the driver on probation.

"NASCAR told Cletus, Cletus, you cannot use your own camera inside the race car because that's banned because other teams can see some of your data. Yeah, it's always been banned; you just can't do it. Well, he did it and didn't really realize the rules, so, uh, but he admitted his fault, and so poor Cletus already on probation by NASCAR for breaking the rules have trying to create his own," stated Kenny Wallace. [02:58]

However, both Cleetus McFarland and NASCAR found a truce, and the governing body will install their camera in the YouTuber's car to provide him with footage of the race.

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Cleetus McFarland landed a deal with an energy drink company for the 2025 season

Cleetus McFarland debuted in stock car racing at Daytona in the Ride The Dente 200, driving the #40 Ford for Rette Jones Racing. The latter revealed his feelings about his iconic debut and stated:

“This is surreal for me. I'm incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to return to Daytona and compete in the ARCA Menards Series. I appreciate all the support from my friends, family, colleagues, and particularly the Rette Jones Racing team for walking through every step of this journey.” (via Speedway Digest)

In January 2025, Cleetus McFarland's #30 Ford ride was sponsored by the energy drink company Kenetik. His ride featured a base navy paint job and striking orange highlights, expressing his gratitude towards the sponsor. Reflecting upon his new sponsorship, McFarland stated:

“I'm extremely appreciative of Kenetik being a part of the journey this weekend at Daytona. I don't know what is going to happen on Saturday during the race, but I certainly plan to race smart and be in a position to make my ARCA Menards Series debut a successful one for Rette Jones Racing, Kenetik, Ford Performance, and all of those that support me." (via Speedway Digest)

The 29-year-old started the 2025 Ride The Dente 200 in P27 after rain washed out the qualifying session. Despite a good start, the YouTuber got involved in a multi-car collision on lap 5.

The crash also included IndyCar driver Katherine Legge and young NASCAR driver Corey Day. Additionally, four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves miraculously escaped the wreck and survived the race.