MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — He goes by the name "Cleetus McFarland" – and, according to our news partners at WWSB, he’s now the proud owner of the old DeSoto Speedway in Manatee County.
Garret Mitchell is a 24-year-old YouTube star from Nebraska. The Bradenton Herald reports he was studying law in Tampa when he developed his wildly popular alter-ego.
According to the Herald, Mitchell’s love for fast cars became a social media sensation in 2015 when a video about a 3,000 horsepower Camaro he produced for 1320 Video revved up to 1,000,000 views overnight.
And just like that – Cleetus McFarland was born.
His admiration of American muscle – and parody racing culture – have attracted more than 1,700,000 YouTube subscribers and spawned a lucrative merchandise business, as well.
Now, the real Cleetus McFarland is the owner of a very real speedway right in our backyard. Mitchell told the Bradenton Herald he plans to build a new racing facility at the track.
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