Drag Illustrated Issue 141, February 2019 | Page 64

GARRETT MITCHELL Garrett Mitchell aka Cleetus Mcfarland Providing entertainment was always part of Mitchell’s plan and it turned out drag racing was the backdrop for him to thrive. “(Growing up), my dream was to have a talk show,” Mitchell says. “I always looked up to Jay Leno and I’ve always been really goofy and I love making people laugh. That’s my biggest thing, making people smile and laugh.” To say a guy like Mitchell is important to the future of drag racing is an understatement. Not only do legions of fans flock to his YouTube page the moment their phone dings with a Cleetus McFarland notification, taking the Cleetus show on the road has created a rollicking scene at drag- strips across the country. He has 20 events lined up for 2019, includ- ing his wild “Cleetus and Cars” show that is the complete opposite of whatever you envision is a typical drag race. This is more like drag racing and partying on steroids, combining every aspect of what you wish a race, car show, fair and trip to the circus would look like. It promises demolition drag racing, burnout contests at sunset that go to the extreme, grudge racing and a post-event highlight video on YouTube to relive the madness. It’s drag racing to the extreme, but it’s also not. There’s not 10,000 horsepower involved or 330 mph runs, and everything McFarland uses to get to his end destination is available to his fans. 64 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com It’s not nostalgic Americana or even classic drag racing, but that could be why it works. Young fans show up in force, embracing the light-hearted, full-on fun ‘Murica culture that Mitchell has thrived on. Terms like “Who’s ready to go FREEDOMING!” and “Bardle Skeet” and “Do It For Dale” fully showcase the enjoyment- at-all-costs approach, and millions of fans are more than happy to help play the part of the longstanding joke, as long as there are fast cars, wild antics and plenty of horsepower involved. Mitchell and his crew take the redneck perso- na to entertaining, tongue-in-cheek levels, but drag racing and great storytelling remains the centerpiece of all of it. Looking at his success, one thing remains clear as the sport delicately tries to wade the waters of its growth and future in this new, digital age: Drag racing and fast cars are not the problem. Mitchell can attest to that, and one look at his subscriber page and fan interest backs it up. “The sport is evolving, but there’s so many people in- terested in so many different aspects of the sport,” Mitchell points out. “There’s a huge car culture fanbase and that shows in all the different types of things people are interested in, whether it’s drag racing or burnouts or drifting or whatever. But I definitely think there’s a growing fanbase. I think people just like things they can relate to and there’s a lot of great things going on right now.” McFarland is at the forefront of that, mostly because he’s willing to do something decidedly different. That includes bringing a salvage-ti- tled, stripped Corvette to life, purchasing another Corvette with a truck engine in it and his latest project, putting a jet engine in the back of an El Camino. It’s drag racing to the extreme, but it’s also not. There’s not 10,000 horsepower involved or 330 mph runs, and everything McFarland uses to get to his end destination is available to his fans. Instead, it’s perhaps recognizing what the drag racing crowd wants to see, and Mitchell took note of this as early as 16 years old when he met Kyle Loftis, the owner of 1320Video. It was right when Instagram was starting, and Mitchell, knowing the massive following 1320Video already had on Facebook and YouTube, offered to run the new social media platform. Loftis gave him the Instagram reigns and Mitchell soon became an expert in the power of social media. Since then, we’ve seen YouTube stars come to life, with the platform exploding in popularity for every subject matter imaginable. But drag racing is part of that, with millions flocking to the page to watch endless videos. As Mitchell worked with 1320Video, he figured out how to embrace that new revolution, honing his producing, editing and monetizing skills, recog- nizing an opportunity on social media far before most – especially in this sport – saw it. It soon led to his first appearance in a video and Mitchell’s Cleetus McFarland persona was ATTENTION GETTER Garrett Mitchell’s Corvette, affectionately known to his fans as “Leroy” has become the stuff of legend, becoming the first stick shift GM to make a seven-second run. Issue 141