DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: Yes, it’s for real.
Garrett Mitchell, otherwise known as Cleetus McFarland to his subscribers on the YouTube platform will put down the camera and tackle his ARCA Menards Series debut in Saturday afternoon’s Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
With some racing experience under his belt, McFarland leaned on the guidance of friend, business associate and former NASCAR Cup Series superstar Greg Biffle for his next step in Motorsports competition.
After receiving the appropriate approval from the ARCA Menards Series, the Omaha, Nebraska native participated in the preseason practice session at the 2.5-mile superspeedway with flying colors, earning his superspeedway license and named the driver of Rette Jones Racing’s flagship No. 30 Ford Mustang entry for the first of two superspeedway races this season.
“This is surreal for me,” said McFarland. “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.”
Despite his inexperience in a stock car, let alone the “World Center of Racing”, McFarland quickly got up to speed in his Ford Mustang during his one-day session last month – at the time delivering a time that hovered inside the top-10 before landing as the 15th quickest car overall during the two-day session on January 9 and 10.
Since then, McFarland has utilized all the resources available to prepare him for the 80 laps that await him and the opportunity to showcase his experience to his more than 4.07 million subscribers.
Kenetik, a ketone-based drink that’s designed to boost energy, focus and mental clarity will support McFarland in his first ARCA Menards Series race.
Kenetik is a science-backed drink that harnesses the power of bioidentical ketones.
It’s designed to boost brain function, provide clean energy, and support overall health without caffeine or sugar. Each serving contains 12 grams of pure, bioidentical ketones.
“I’m extremely appreciative of Kenetik being a part of the journey this weekend at Daytona,” offered McFarland. “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.”
Rette Jones Racing co-owner Mark Rette has been impressed with McFarland’s quick adaption to the ARCA Menards Series platform and the driving style that Daytona International Speedway requires. Based on his rookie driver’s feedback and attentiveness during the ARCA preseason practice session, he believes he is ready for the big stage.
“It’s a big weekend for Rette Jones Racing,” sounded Rette. “We are pleased to welcome Cleetus and Kenetik to the family and we are looking forward to growing our relationship in the future.
“I was impressed with his ability to catch on quickly to the fundamentals of superspeedway racing. His intensive to details and asking questions before, during and after the practice session leads us to believe that he is more than ready for Saturday’s challenge.
“He will have a teammate in our development driver Kyle Steckly and we believe the two drivers will have the opportunity to work together and keep our Rette Jones Racing team in the hunt for a win on Saturday afternoon.”
Biffle, a former NASCAR Cup Series winner at Daytona International Speedway in 2013, will attend McFarland’s ARCA debut this weekend in an advisor capacity.
Additional ARCA Menards Series races for Cleetus McFarland are pending and will be announced applicably.
For more on Cleetus McFarland, like him on Facebook (Cleetus McFarland) and follow him on Instagram (@garrett_1320video), TikTok (@cleetusmcfarland) and YouTube.
For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and X | Twitter (@RetteJones30).
The Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200 80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Thursday, February 13, from 4:05 p.m. to 4:55 p.m. General Tire group pole qualifying begins on Friday, February 14, at 1:30 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag the following afternoon shortly after 12:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live for the first time on FOX, with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the day’s festivities.
About Rette Jones Racing:
Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never-give-up attitude.
Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plans to field a full-time entry in 2025 in the ASA STARS National Tour Series while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series platform and NASCAR, respectively.
Rette Jones Racing also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.
Source: Rette Jone Racing
