"This is my fault": Motorsports influencer Cleetus McFarland apologizes for backlash over ongoing merch delays

Motorsports influencer and part-time racer Cleetus McFarland recently apologized to his followers about shipment delays in a heartfelt video on YouTube. He revealed that the merchandise holdup was due to insufficient storage facilities and announced building a new warehouse to manage the demands.

Garrett Mitchell, better known as Cleetus McFarland, is a YouTuber and racing enthusiast who races part-time in the 2025 ARCA Menards Series. He also owns the Florida Freedom Factory, where he hosts multiple events, besides running a successful merchandise business. His website, cleetusmcfarland.com, offers a variety of products, including stickers, posters, and automotive parts.

McFarland often lists discounted items as giveaways on his website, attracting a large number of buyers. Recently, the increase in customers for his merchandise overpowered his warehousing capacities, leading to shipping delays. He uploaded a video titled 'We've Messed Up Again... Merch Department Problems,' on Tuesday, where he apologized for the issue and said (via Cleetus2 McFarland on YouTube):

"We are behind on merch again for cleetusmcfarland.com, and that's because of the Escalade V. We are starting to take some heat online and the customer service is taking a beating, but keep in mind this is my fault. The merch team is working as fast as they can, but with our current warehouse abilities, we just can't handle the amount of orders we're getting." (0:06 onwards)

While Cleetus McFarland admitted the spike in demand was a good sign for him and his team, but acknowledged the logistical concerns creating bottlenecks in the supply chain. The Rette Jones Racing #30 driver was aware of the people's frustration with customer services as well and referred to his shipping policy:

"Everything you guys are buying is in stock. It is simply a matter of us putting it in a bag and getting it out the door. Now, we've gotten through the first few days of the giveaway, which puts us at about three weeks of shipping time. In our shipping policies, if you've ever read them, we say one to two weeks of shipping, under normal conditions. During a giveaway, says four to six weeks, which a lot of people don't read," he added (at 0:52).

This led many customers to raise a complaint after three weeks, but McFarland explained the policy had already been clarified before.

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Cleetus McFarland details solutions for merchandise delay; unveils plans for bigger warehouse

Due to the backlash on the delayed delivery of his merchandise, Cleetus McFarland reassures his customers of a permanent long-term solution. He talked about a new storage facility being built, which could streamline the delivery process and relieve the stress on his current warehouse:

"We have some pretty exciting news that will happen after this giveaway. We're moving from our tiny little warehouse right here at the shop to a bigger, badder warehouse that we've already bought. It's being equipped literally as we speak and it's going to be all for the cleetusmcfarland.com website." (2:24 onwards)

McFarland explained his desire to keep the merchandise in-house, which is the root cause of all the logistical challenges he faces. He reflected on how his merchandise started from his college bedroom and is now a large-scale business, compeling him to not give it away to a third party who could handle his supplies.

Cleetus McFarland will be next seen in the 2025 ARCA Menards Series at Talladega as he races under former NASCAR Cup Series racer Greg Biffle.