The ARCA Menards Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025, took a chaotic turn when YouTube star Cleetus McFarland, real name Garrett Mitchell, triggered a multi-car wreck during a restart, drawing both sympathy and scrutiny. Driving the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing, McFarland spun his tires on old rubber while restarting on the front row, causing his car to fishtail and collide with Isabella Robusto’s No. 55 Toyota. The crash, which sent Robusto into the wall and involved several other cars, including William Sawalich, was a defining moment in McFarland’s third ARCA start. He issued a heartfelt apology post-race, but his subsequent actions have ignited a firestorm of debate.
McFarland, speaking to Fox Sports, expressed remorse, saying, “I want to start by apologizing to the team I took out. I feel terrible—it was a rookie mistake.” The YouTuber, with over 4.4 million subscribers, admitted to misjudging the restart, noting Charlotte’s intermediate track was “100 times harder” than superspeedways like Talladega, where he earned a top-10 finish (Motorsport.com). His candor won praise from some fans on X, with one posting, “Cleetus owned it—respect for that.” Yet, controversy erupted when McFarland, in a YouTube video uploaded May 24, downplayed the incident as “just racin’,” sparking backlash from ARCA purists who felt he trivialized the damage to low-budget teams.
The wreck, captured in a viral ARCA tweet (@ARCA_Racing), showed Robusto’s car taking the worst hit, bouncing off the wall and into the infield. Critics, including On3.com, questioned Rette Jones Racing’s decision to keep McFarland out on old tires, arguing it set up the inexperienced driver for failure. “If this was a lesser-known YouTuber, the pitchforks would be out,” one analyst wrote, highlighting the perceived favoritism due to McFarland’s 40,000-strong in-car camera audience. His apology, while sincere, was overshadowed by his lighthearted video, where he laughed off the chaos, prompting fans on X to call it “disrespectful to Robusto’s team.”
Despite the controversy, McFarland salvaged a ninth-place finish, his best in ARCA, showing resilience under Greg Biffle’s mentorship (The Daily Downforce). However, the incident has divided the racing community. Some defend McFarland’s learning curve, noting his top-10 at Talladega despite engine issues (arcaracing.com). Others argue his celebrity status shouldn’t shield him from accountability, especially after damaging competitive cars. “He brings eyes to ARCA, but at what cost?” one X user posted. McFarland’s next scheduled start at Bristol in September 2025 will be closely watched, as fans and drivers alike question whether he can avoid similar mishaps.
The Charlotte crash has placed McFarland at a crossroads. His apology showed accountability, but his casual follow-up has fueled perceptions of flippancy. As he prepares for Bristol, McFarland must balance his larger-than-life persona with the demands of professional racing, where every move is scrutinized. The controversy underscores the challenges of transitioning from YouTube stardom to motorsport legitimacy, leaving the racing world eager to see his next step.
