Cleetus McFarland has a net worth of roughly $10 million as of 2026, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He is 31 years old, born April 5, 1995, in Omaha, Nebraska, and he built his fortune through his automotive YouTube channel, his Freedom Factory racetrack, merchandise, sponsorships, and a stake in the parts company Motion Raceworks.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Real Name | Garrett Mitchell |
| Also Known As | Cleetus McFarland |
| Date of Birth | April 5, 1995 |
| Age | 31 |
| Birthplace | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Occupation | YouTuber, car builder, stock car racing driver |
| Net Worth | Approximately $10 million |
| YouTube Channel | Launched June 2009 |
| Subscribers | Over 4.8 million (as of August 2026) |
| Known For | “Leroy,” “Mullet,” Freedom Factory, Cleetus and Cars |
Early Life and Biography
Cleetus McFarland was born Garrett Mitchell on April 5, 1995, in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up around cars and developed an early interest in drag racing and automotive mechanics, an interest that later shaped his entire career. His parents are Lori Edwards Mitchell and Mark Mitchell, and he grew up with a brother, Parker Mitchell.
In 2009, Mitchell became the social media manager for 1320Video, a drag racing media company, and that same year he launched his own YouTube channel. He eventually left 1320Video to work on his channel full time.
The “Cleetus McFarland” name did not come from Mitchell himself. In 2015, he adopted the moniker after a character created by Kyle Loftis that went viral during Rocky Mountain Race Week. The name stuck to his YouTube channel and is now how most fans know him, with his real name mostly used by close friends and family.
Before the persona took off, Mitchell’s channel looked much like any other small drag racing page, focused on grassroots track days and budget car builds. The turning point came once the Cleetus character gave his content a distinct voice, separating his videos from the wider field of automotive channels on YouTube at the time. That early shift from a generic car channel to a recognizable persona is one of the main reasons his subscriber base kept growing year after year.
Career Timeline
Mitchell’s career started with drag racing content and grew into a full automotive media brand. His build of a bodyless Chevrolet Corvette C5 with an exposed roll cage, nicknamed “Leroy,” became one of his most recognized projects and drew a large online following through record runs and viral clips. He later built a purpose-built race car out of a Chevrolet El Camino, known as “Mullet.”
In January 2020, Mitchell bought the abandoned Desoto Speedway in Manatee County, Florida, a 3/8-mile asphalt oval and figure-eight track that had sat closed since 2018. He renamed it Freedom Factory and turned it into the home base for his content and for large fan events branded “Cleetus and Cars.”
McFarland’s racing resume expanded beyond YouTube stunts. He made his Stadium Super Trucks debut in April 2022 at Long Beach, California, driving the No. 1776 truck, and he was leading late in one race before spinning out on the final jump. He also competed at the Music City Grand Prix later that year. In 2025, competing under his legal name Garrett Mitchell, he ran a partial schedule in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East for Rette Jones Racing.
By 2026, his racing involvement had grown further. He now competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Niece Motorsports, part-time in the ARCA Menards Series in the No. 30 Ford Mustang GT for Rette Jones Racing, and part-time in Asphalt Pro Late Model competition, alongside select NASCAR national series starts for Richard Childress Racing.
This progression matters for understanding his career, since it shows a path many fans do not expect: a YouTube creator working his way into sanctioned motorsports rather than the other way around. Most drivers build a racing career first and pick up a following later. Mitchell built the following first, then used the platform, sponsorship interest, and money it generated to fund an actual racing schedule across multiple national series.
His willingness to run part-time schedules across several series at once, instead of committing fully to one, also reflects how he balances racing with his YouTube and business commitments. Freedom Factory events, channel uploads, and Motion Raceworks still take up a large share of his time, so his race schedule is built around what fits, not the other way around.
Estimates of Cleetus McFarland’s net worth vary depending on the source and the assumptions behind them. Celebrity Net Worth, one of the more widely cited estimators in this space, puts the figure at around $10 million as of 2026. Other trackers land lower: Net Worth Spot estimates roughly $3.7 million based on YouTube ad revenue alone, with a possible ceiling closer to $5.1 million once other income is factored in, while a separate YouTube analytics site places the figure closer to $2.58 million.
The gap between these numbers comes down to methodology. Estimators that only track YouTube ad revenue tend to land on the lower end, while estimates that account for merchandise, sponsorships, Freedom Factory ticket and event revenue, and his ownership stake in Motion Raceworks land closer to the $10 million figure. None of these numbers are officially confirmed by McFarland himself, who has stayed private about his exact finances.
His YouTube channel is the most visible piece of the picture. Launched in June 2009, it has grown to more than 4.8 million subscribers and close to 2 billion total views as of 2026, built almost entirely around car builds, drag racing, and Freedom Factory content.
Growth on the channel has not been a straight line. Subscriber counts moved from just over four million in 2025 to nearly 4.8 million by mid-2026, a pace tied closely to how often Freedom Factory events and new builds land on the channel. Years with a full Cleetus and Cars calendar and frequent build videos tend to show the strongest subscriber and view gains, while quieter years slow the growth curve, which in turn affects any net worth estimate tied to ad revenue.
Income Sources
McFarland’s income comes from several overlapping streams rather than one main source. YouTube advertising is the most consistent piece, with third-party estimates putting his channel earnings anywhere from roughly $5,600 to $89,000 a month depending on view volume and ad rates, though these figures are algorithmic estimates rather than confirmed numbers.
Merchandise sales through his own store add a second stream, built on a loyal fan base that follows his builds closely. Freedom Factory itself generates revenue through ticket sales, vendor fees, and sponsorship packages tied to Cleetus and Cars events, which regularly draw large crowds of car enthusiasts to Bradenton, Florida.
McFarland also holds a 20 percent ownership stake in Motion Raceworks, a performance parts company, which gives him a business income stream separate from content creation. His expanding racing schedule across the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, and Asphalt Pro Late Model ranks adds sponsorship exposure and potential prize money on top of his media and business income, though racing itself is generally a smaller and less consistent piece of his overall earnings compared to YouTube and Freedom Factory.
Sponsorship deals tied to his cars, his events, and his racing entries make up another layer of income that rarely gets a specific dollar figure attached to it. Automotive parts brands, performance shops, and event sponsors pay to be associated with Freedom Factory and with McFarland’s build projects, since his audience skews heavily toward car buyers and enthusiasts who follow product recommendations closely. This kind of brand income tends to be private by nature, which is part of why outside net worth estimates vary so widely from one tracker to the next.
Family
Cleetus McFarland’s parents are Lori Edwards Mitchell and Mark Mitchell, and he grew up with his brother, Parker Mitchell, in Omaha, Nebraska. He is known to share moments with his mother on social media from time to time, though he keeps most details about his father and extended family relationships out of the public eye. McFarland has not publicly confirmed a spouse, and his relationship status is not something he discusses in detail in his content, which stays focused mainly on cars, racing, and events at Freedom Factory.
Physical Stats
McFarland has not publicly confirmed exact figures for his height or weight, and no verified source currently lists them. What is consistently visible across his YouTube videos and event appearances is his casual, mechanic-style presence, usually shown in work clothes suited to garage builds and track days rather than a polished on-camera look. Fans searching for physical details are better served focusing on his verified biography, since unverified numbers circulating online are not confirmed by McFarland or a credible source.
