Billy McFarland’s cursed music festival is now available to the highest bidder and gird yourself for the investment opportunity of a lifetime Do you thrive on the sort of relentless negative public opinion that would drive most sane people into a permanent state of hiding salivating at the prospect of being remembered for all eternity as one of the most brazen hucksters ever to walk the earth Then does Billy McFarland have a deal for you In a statement released to Instagram in text too small to comfortably read and cultural capital,” is up for grabs “to an operator that can fully realize its vision.” And this was clearly the opportunity of a lifetime since “FYRE is one of the most powerful attention engines in the world.” Get quick access to your favorite articles Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers Make your voice heard with article commenting better known as the YouTuber Cleetus McFarland even after wrecking out of the ARCA season-opener when he joined the broadcast booth With over four million subscribers on YouTube the colorful internet personality returned for more superspeedway action at Talladega in April despite dealing with an ailing engine throughout the race He soldiered on to score a top ten finish in the No Fans and media alike surrounded him in the garage afterwards to hear his (entertaining) thoughts on the chaotic event Later, he met with NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick out in the infield where he was interviewed as part of the Harvick Happy Hour podcast While they touched on a wide variety of topics one of the most interesting bits was in regards to what might be next in his stock car racing endeavors.  Cleetus had previously eluded to potentially returning for the next ARCA race at Talladega in the fall of this year but his long-term plans may end up being far bigger than that "I've never been a big NASCAR guy until this year and [Greg] Biffle helping me stepping my foot in the door," said Cleetus "But in just this one season, you [Harvick] and I have both watched several people shove their way into Cup and look like fools.  he is taking a more realistic approach now that he understands more about the sport and what it entails "I think our original goal was the Daytona 500 in 2027 and I'm not saying that's off the board but now that i know just a smidge about NASCAR From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport In order to keep delivering our expert journalism we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker The organizer of the failed Fyre Fest and its long-awaited sequel — which was supposed to take place next month — has put the brand up for sale Founder Billy McFarland announced Wednesday that the brand had grown "bigger than any one person and bigger than what I'm able to lead on my own," and that it needs a team with "scale, experience and infrastructure" to reach its full potential. He said on social media that "it's time to pass the torch." "‍We have decided the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand and cultural capital — to an operator that can fully realize its vision," he wrote Interested buyers can provide their personal information and make an open-ended offer through an online form A disclaimer says people who submit offers will get an email with a request for follow-up information and their "bid will be considered forfeit" if they don't respond within 24 hours McFarland said his team will pick the new owner based on "their ability to execute the vision of FYRE in a transparent and built to last without me at the helm," he added The assets for sale include not only Fyre's name but an unspecified "Caribbean Festival Location" that McFarland says is ready to host Fyre Festival 2 McFarland's announcement confirms that the much-anticipated repeatedly postponed sequel will not take place on May 30 in Mexico as planned Doubts about where — and whether — the festival would happen arose in recent weeks after local governments of two different islands publicly denied that they would be hosting it Media outlets including ABC and NBC reported last Wednesday that organizers notified ticket-holders that the event was postponed only to say a few hours later that the show would go on and it would announce a new host destination soon McFarland said he has engaged with leaders from several Caribbean destinations that have already approached him about hosting the festival But it seems that work will continue without him "Giving control of the brand to a new group is the most responsible way to follow through on what we set out to do: build a global entertainment brand and continue to pay restitution to those who are owed from the first festival," McFarland wrote Wednesday's abrupt announcement is the latest turn in a saga that began in earnest in April 2017, when the original Fyre Festival imploded The event was advertised — by a cast of big-name influencers and celebrities — as a glamorous music festival on a secluded Bahamian island with luxury accommodations But when attendees arrived on Great Exuma for the inaugural weekend Their luxury lodging turned out to be unfinished FEMA tents, and gourmet food was actually boxed cheese sandwiches Many of the scheduled artists — a lineup including Blink-182 and Major Lazer — had already canceled their performances Attendees found themselves stranded on a remote — and He was released two years early in 2022 but still owes $26 million in restitution. McFarland quickly turned his attention to rebooting the festival He said on Wednesday that Fyre Festival 2 was "about two things: finishing what I started and making things right." The path to Fyre Festival 2 has been bumpy for years McFarland told the TODAY Show that he wouldn't be handling logistics this time around saying he had "an incredible production company who's handling everything from soup to nuts." While details on talent and location were scarce McFarland said the festival would have more than just music ("for example He talked of excursions like scuba diving and "super expensive" cheese sandwiches Ticket prices started at $1,400, according to Variety but high rollers could pay $5,000 for VIP access $25,000 for artist access and $1.1 million for the "Prometheus God of Fyre" package (which included a four-stateroom yacht and private chauffeur service) The website said at the time that the festival would be held on Isla Mujeres "We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it," Edgar Gasca, from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, told the Guardian when asked about it in late February The post said there were no records or plans to indicate such an event was being held within the municipality. McFarland quickly fired back on social media saying Fyre had been working directly with the local government since early March and sharing various screenshots of what he called "permits Two weeks later, attendees got messages about postponement and refunds. Festival spokesperson Nick Lawson said in a statement reported by the Washington Post that the event would not start in Playa del Carmen on May 30 after all but insisted that "FYRE Festival 2 is still on." "We are vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon," the statement said "Our priorities remain unchanged: delivering an unforgettable McFarland said Wednesday that "following the challenges we faced in Mexico," his team dove into the process of finding a new venue conducting site visits and meeting with officials He said they are confident they have "found the ideal location for the festival" — under new leadership I can't risk a repeat of what happened in Playa Del Carmen where support quickly turned into public distancing once media attention intensified," McFarland said it's clear that I need to step back and allow a new team to move forward independently bringing the vision to life on this incredible island." Become an NPR sponsor Founder Billy McFarland says ‘it’s time to pass the torch’ I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Billy McFarland, who was convicted of fraud over the disastrous Fyre Festival in 2017, has announced that a planned follow-up has been cancelled and he is putting the festival’s brand up for sale Last week, Fyre Festival 2, which was supposed to take place on Isla Mujeres, Mexico with ticket-holders informed that they had been issued refunds McFarland founded the event eight years ago and billed it as the ultimate beach party promising attendees the chance to rub shoulders with celebrities while luxuriating on the white sandy shores of a Caribbean island announced acts such as Blink-182 and Migos dropped out and guests were left to languish in ratty tents while being served up sad cheese sandwiches in styrofoam containers The situation inspired a pair of dueling documentaries and landed McFarland in jail on a federal fraud conviction. A second event planned for this year was announced for Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, but never materialized. In a new statement posted on the festival’s official website McFarland announced that he is now prepared to sell the rights to the Fyre Festival name “When my team and I launched Fyre Festival 2 it was about two things: finishing what I started and making things right,” he wrote we’ve poured everything into bringing Fyre back with honesty We’ve taken the long road to rebuilding trust And we proved one thing without a doubt:‍ Fyre is one of the most powerful attention engines in the world.‍ and conversations as one of the world’s most talked-about music festivals but we didn’t realize just how massive the wave would become That wave has brought us here: to a point where we know it’s time to call for assistance.‍ “This brand is bigger than any one person and bigger than what I’m able to lead on my own and infrastructure to realize its potential.‍ “We have decided the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the Fyre Festival brand and cultural capital - to an operator that can fully realize its vision.‍ “There is a clear path for operators and entrepreneurs with strong domain expertise to build Fyre into a global force in entertainment McFarland went on to say that he believes he has found a new venue for Fyre Festival 2 outside of Mexico but he “can't risk a repeat of what happened in Playa Del Carmen where support quickly turned into public distancing once media attention intensified.” who served four years of a six-year sentence for his fraud conviction still owes $26 million in restitution after the failure of the original Fyre Festival In the meantime, the festival’s name has become a byword for bad organization. When lengthy delays occurred at this month’s Coachella Festival, fans branded it “worse than Fyre Festival.” Tickets for Fyre Festival 2 which was marketed under the slogan “FYRE Festival 2 is real,” went on sale in February at a starting fee of $1,400 and up to $25,000 while premium packages were also being sold for as much as $1.1 million At the time, McFarland said a statement, “I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again. But I feel I’d be crazy not to do it again.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies govt and politics"},{"score":0.647862,"label":"/business and industrial/business operations/business plans"},{"score":0.604266,"label":"/finance/financial news"},{"score":0.56989,"label":"/automotive and vehicles/vehicle brands"},{"score":0.551148,"label":"/business and industrial/company/earnings"},{"score":0.507062,"label":"/business and industrial/war industry"},{"score":0.499756,"label":"/law Back in February of 2025, notorious Fyre Fest promoter Billy McFarland officially announced that Fyre Fest 2 is happening prompting two cities in Mexico (Isla Mujeres near Cancun and then Playa Del Carmen) to deny that they’re hosting it and he’s shared a timeline of events to prove it This past Friday (April 4), McFarland took to both his Instagram account and Fyre Festival’s Instagram account to affirm that the event is happening in Playa Del Carmen (which became the new location after Isla Mujeres refuted having any involvement with the festival) McFarland shared images (which you can view below) of what’s been done thus far to show that he “has been working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5 2025 to ensure a safe and successful event.” All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation FYRE has operated as a good partner with PDC government and has followed the proper processes and procedures to lawfully host an event March 24 Special Event Permit Government Payment9 March 25 Special Event Permit Government Payment10 March 28 Government of PDC and Secretary of Citizen Security Instagram Post @ssc_playadelcarmen13 March 28 Secretary of Citizen Security X Post14 April 2 Screen recording of the Government of PDC’s Official Instagram account @gobplayadelcarmen The main image offers a more detailed rundown of actions it claims that that “PDC government provided FYRE Festival 2 with an official invitation letter to share with potential performing artists” on March 12 as well as that “FYRE Festival 2 held a live press conference in collaboration with the PDC government” on March 27 Subsequent images feature alleged documents and social media posts related to his assertions READ MORE: Who Is Letting Billy McFarland Organize Another Fyre Festival? Nevertheless, and as Loudwire noted this past February, Fyre Fest 2 was initially going to take place from May 30 through June 2 on Isla Mujeres near Cancun Ticket prices start at $1,400 for “the Ignite level which only includes access to the festival grounds with options to add-on additional accommodations and activities.” Those looking for more could pay $25,000 for “artists passes backstage access and hotel accommodations,” and there’s a $1 million package “for eight people that include[s] ‘luxury villas,’ a place to dock your yacht McFarland even conceded: “I'm sure many people think I'm crazy for doing this again But I feel I'd be crazy not to do it again.” nor contact with any person or any company about it this is an event that does not exist." Days later, McFarland posted another video to social media in which he promised: pilots and creators who will lead the experiences for our guests Fyre is all about these intimate experiences We'll have dozens of artists in a private party-like setting Fyre is all about the people you'll meet the memories you'll make and the stories that you will be able to tell for the rest of your life Yet, as Loudwire reported on April 4, Playa Del Carmen soon shared a statement to X that (when translated to English) reads: "#ComunicadoOficial || There will be no event called 'Fyre 2' in Playa del Carmen A larger decree elaborates: “No such event with that name will take place in our city There is no existence of a registry nor plans that would indicate such an event taking place in this municipality.” and it’ll be interesting to see how Playa Del Carmen reacts to McFarland’s latest rebuttal and alleged timeline of events proving that Fyre Fest 2 is happening as he claims Gallery Credit: Philip Trapp City officials in Playa Del Carmen previously denied any \"record or planning\" for the event.\nRead More Back in February of 2025, notorious Fyre Fest promoter Billy McFarland officially announced that Fyre Fest 2 is happening This past Friday (April 4), McFarland took to both his Instagram account and Fyre Festival’s Instagram account to affirm that the event is happening in Playa Del Carmen (which became the new location after Isla Mujeres refuted having any involvement with the festival). Specifically, McFarland shared images (which you can view below) of what’s been done thus far to show that he “has been working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2025 to ensure a safe and successful event.” All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation. FYRE has operated as a good partner with PDC government and has followed the proper processes and procedures to lawfully host an event. We will be sharing all relevant permits, payments, and communications. The main image offers a more detailed rundown of actions. For example, it claims that that “PDC government provided FYRE Festival 2 with an official invitation letter to share with potential performing artists” on March 12, as well as that “FYRE Festival 2 held a live press conference in collaboration with the PDC government” on March 27. Subsequent images feature alleged documents and social media posts related to his assertions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FYRE FESTIVAL (@fyrefestival) READ MORE: Who Is Letting Billy McFarland Organize Another Fyre Festival? Nevertheless, and as Loudwire noted this past February, Fyre Fest 2 was initially going to take place from May 30 through June 2 on Isla Mujeres near Cancun Days later, McFarland posted another video to social media in which he promised: Yet, as Loudwire reported on April 4, Playa Del Carmen soon shared a statement to X that (when translated to English) reads: "#ComunicadoOficial || There will be no event called 'Fyre 2' in Playa del Carmen a known personality among automotive enthusiasts But the YouTuber wanted more financial independence beyond the Google platform and firms willing to sponsor his channel “… after my YouTube was growing and some of my antics [were] getting videos de-monetized I realized I needed a playground,” Mitchell told Ars Technica in an email Mitchell found a road toward new monetization opportunities through the DeSoto Super Speedway. The Bradenton, Florida, track had changed ownership multiple times since opening in the 1970s The oval-shaped racetrack is three-eighths of a mile long with 12-degree banking angles By 2018, the track had closed its doors and was going unused. DeSoto happened to be next to Mitchell’s favorite drag strip, giving the YouTuber the idea of turning it into a stadium where people could watch burnouts and other “massive borrowed some money from my business manager But like the rest of the world, Mitchell hit the brakes on his 2020 plans during COVID-19 lockdowns. Soon after his purchase, Mitchell couldn't use the track, renamed Freedom Factory “We had no other option but to entertain the people somehow And with no other racing goin’ on anywhere That “something” was a pay-per-view (PPV) event hosted from the Freedom Factory in April 2020. The event led to others and, eventually, Mitchell running his own subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, FRDM+ which originally launched as Cleetervision in 2022 a FRDM+ subscription costs $20 per month or $120 per year A subscription provides access to an impressive library of automotive videos Some are archived from Mitchell’s YouTube channel exclusive videos feature content such as interviews with motorsports influencers and members of Mitchell’s staff and crew You can watch videos from other influencers on FRDM+ and the business can also white-label its platform into other influencers’ websites Before Mitchell could host his first PPV event Pulling off the first PPV event at the Freedom Factory speedway was a "race against time," Jonny Mill who built FRDM+’s tech stack and serves as company president "Florida implemented a statewide shutdown on the very day of our event,” he said Mitchell also struggled to get the right workers and equipment needed for the PPV Flights weren’t available due to the pandemic forcing Mill to produce the event from California using a cell phone group chat and “last-minute local crew,” per Mitchell The ENG camera person was much shorter than Mitchell "and had to climb on whatever she could just to keep me in frame,” he recalled Mitchell said Freedom Factory's first PPV event had 75,000 concurrent viewers which caused his website and those of the event sponsors to crash “Our initial bandwidth provider laughed at our viewership projections we surpassed them in the first week of pre-sales," Mill said "They did apologize before asking for a much larger check." Other early obstacles included determining how to embed the livestream platform into Mitchell’s e-commerce site The biggest challenge there was “juggling two separate logins one for merch shopping and another for livestream PPV our focus is on seamlessly guiding the YouTube audience over to FRDM+ for premium live events," he added The service had 21 livestreamed events scheduled throughout 2025 and navigating the streaming service doesn’t feel much different from something like Netflix There are different “channels” (grouped together by related content or ongoing series) on top and new releases and upcoming content highlighted below and many titles have content summaries and/or trailers The platform also has a support section with instructions for canceling subscriptions AWS bandwidth servers handle the heavy lifting bridging the gap between our tech stack and the audience Brightcove serves as our primary video player partner with additional backup systems in place to maintain reliability we even beam air fiber from a house five miles away to ensure a reliable second Internet We also have a hidden page on [the Cleetus McFarland website] to launch a backup stream if the primary one fails,” he said FRDM+’s biggest challenge isn’t a technical one it's around managing the business's different parts using a small team FRDM+ has 35 full-time employees across its Shop and Merch divisions and is “entirely self-funded,” per Mill The company also relies on contractors for productions but its core livestream team has six full-time employees Mitchell told Ars that FRDM+ is profitable He said the service has "strong year-over-year growth and a solid financial foundation that allows us to continue reinvesting in our team and services," like a "robust technology stack and even giving away helicopters and Lamborghinis as the prizes for our races." “Having been at Discovery during the launch of MotorTrend OnDemand I’ve witnessed the power of substantial budgets firsthand," Mill said [FRDM+ has] achieved greater success organically than [Discovery] did with their eight-figure marketing investment This autonomy and efficiency are a testament to the strength of our approach.” FRDM+ doesn’t share subscription numbers publicly but Mitchell told Ars that the subscription service has a 93 percent retention engaged community driven by direct communication with Mitchell Mill also suggested to Ars that FRDM+ has successfully converted over 5 percent of Mitchell's YouTube audience Five percent of Cleetus McFarland’s current YouTube base would be 212,500 people Matt Frederick was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth him and his family have relied on Medicaid to ensure fullp-time care and wellbeing House of Representatives recently passed a broad budget outline that calls for $880 billion … Tom Ludwig wasn’t looking to get sent to collections for unpaid medical bills — and presumably his health care provider wanted to be compensated for services rendered So the 66-year-old McFarland man was mystified and not little frustrated that SSM Health wasn’t submitting two of his bills to his insurance provider Ludwig’s billing imbroglio dates back to Sept he explained in a March 31 letter to SSM that he shared with SOS That was when his coverage with a private insurer lapsed and he signed up for Medicare Part B Ludwig had already been covered by Medicare Part A but for some reason Ludwig is not privy to the addition of Part B never fully registered with Medicare This he said he discovered when SSM Health billed Medicare for two office visits and three procedures in October and November Ludwig got his Part B coverage straightened out in a phone call to Medicare on Nov when the federal agency backdated his coverage to Sept and SSM has since submitted three of the five bills — which were paid “I have been actively trying to resolve the issue — having called their billing office in St 2024 — but am seeing no results,” he told SOS He said he’d also submitted a message through the SSM website and after getting a bill for about $1,000 from SSM in mid-March a formal dispute letter to the SSM billing office “It has been two weeks since I sent the letter “I am not asking them to drop or reduce charges I am simply asking them to resubmit a bill to Medicare.” SOS shared this simple request with Tanya Craft a supervisor in SSM Health’s Patient Financial Experience Escalations’ Department an SSM Health senior communications consultant Ludwig said he’d “just received a message from SSM that said they have resubmitted the outstanding charges to Medicare.” “They added that it might take a few weeks for this to be fully processed,” he said “You can bet I’ll keep an eye on this to be sure it happens!” Ludwig emailed SOS on Thursday to say that he checked his Medicare account that morning “and it shows the charges in question have been processed.” His SSM account was also showing a $0 balance So what kept SSM Health from submitting those final two bills SOS has helped save Wisconsin State Journal readers more than $267,893.99 and solved hundreds of problems You can send an SOS using any of these methods: Email: sos@madison.com Online form: http://go.madison.com/sendSOS Paying for health care in the United States can be complicated and frustrating for readers "We have nothing but billing problems with this health care provider," Mike Bubrick said so were the 30-plus other cruisers who'd been with her on shore and were also each treated to a free margarita then I will go ahead with the procedure,'" Chris Harsy said "After going around in circles for a while Clare turns me over to a collection agency," Holzman said because I didn't want to be confronted with collections coming after me," he said Email notifications are only sent once a day him and his family have relied on Medicaid to ensure fullp-time care… "I have called Amazon six times and tried to use their online service," he said Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — A McFarland mother is sharing her story in hopes of preventing a playground injury like the one that left her daughter with two broken bones.   Chloe Medenblik said it was their first time visiting the new Waubesa inclusive playground when the accident happened early this spring.   “You really don’t think anything serious could happen,” said Eli Howery an eighth grader and Medenblik’s younger brother.   what started as a fun ride turned dangerous.   “It was really scary — happened really fast,” Howery said.   Aurora’s foot got caught between Howery’s leg and the side of the slide twisting backwards and breaking both her tibia and fibula.   “I knew something was wrong right away,” Medenblik said as she tried to remain calm while rushing Aurora to UW Health American Family Children’s Hospital Pediatric ER.   medical director at Mercyhealth, didn’t treat Aurora directly but said his emergency room frequently sees a number of similar injuries tied to improper tandem use of slides and other playground equipment.   “It really does run the gamut from scrapes and cuts to lacerations head injuries and broken bones,” Wistrom said.   He emphasized that slides are not designed to hold more than one rider at a time — and the momentum of an adult or older child can increase the risk of injury for smaller kids.   “That slide wasn’t designed to carry two at a time,” Wistrom said “Nor is a toddler designed to carry the momentum and weight of an adult human when those falls do happen.”   Medenblik said she doesn’t consider what happened to be a mistake but rather harmless fun that ended in an accident She’s now working with the Village of McFarland to install new safety signage at local parks.   Howery has also taken the incident to heart adjusting how he plays with his niece.   we’ll be taking off her shoes to make sure nothing gets caught,” he said I’ll actually hold her leg — and sometimes even her arms and hands.”   they said they hoped their story would help others understand the risks — and take steps to slide safely.   Wistrom added that during the warmer months emergency rooms often see an increase in playground-related injuries He urged parents to always check equipment surfaces and supervise children closely — The former director of the Jay County Emergency Medical Service has been charged with five felony drug-related charges was charged this week in Jay Circuit Court with two counts each of possession of a narcotic drug and possession of a controlled substance along with unlawful possession of a syringe The two most serious charges are Level 5 felonies carrying maximum six-year sentences The other three charges are Level 6 felonies carrying up to 30 months in prison Detectives from the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested McFarland on March 6 after a search warrant was served at a home the 800 block of East Race Street in Portland According to an ISP news release issued in March that search followed a five-month investigation of an individual believed to be in possession of child pornography Troopers said the Portland man locked himself in a bedroom when authorities entered his home resulting in an "entry team" deciding to "ram the door open to make contact with McFarland." Those searching the house — including Homeland Security special agents — reporting finding 85 glass vials containing drugs including fentanyl and morphine smoking devices and a bag that held marijuana McFarland reportedly admitted to investigators that he had stolen the morphine syringes and needles — and rubber torniquets — from Jay County EMS "McFarland admitted it was not part of his job to take the morphine and fentanyl home and that was a problem," an ISP trooper wrote McFarland is also charged with two misdemeanors possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia The Portland man was fired from his county job after his arrest He was released from the Jay County Jail after posting a $15,000 bond McFarland has also served as a volunteer teacher for Jay County schools The drug-related charges were filed against him on Monday by Adams County Prosecutor Jeremy W who was appointed special prosecutor in the case State police said the investigation leading to the March 6 raid began with information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children This week's affidavit did not refer to pornography-related allegations Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com By Shawn McFarlandTexas Rangers reporter They needed just a real nice day for the first time in what felt like a long time to get off and in the air toward Boston on Sunday though It’d have been an awfully long flight — 3 hours according to one reporter’s Delta app — without it “I really thought this was a critical game for that reason,” Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday afternoon pulled them to within a game of .500 at 17-18 and quite possibly more important than anything alleviated some of that cabin pressure en route to the Northeast GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy “I guess the last resort is to get some sage,” Bochy said pregame “and spray some smoke on the bats or something.” how well does a spiritual scent even travel “I feel like a lot of shoulders relaxed during the game today,” said catcher Jonah Heim everyone put together some great at-bats.” a 106.6 mph single from right fielder Adolis García gave the Rangers a 5-1 lead and the second-most runs that they’d scored in their last dozen games Second baseman Marcus Semien and third baseman Josh Jung each hit run-scoring singles in the third who played center field Sunday and collected a career-high four hits slapped a triple down the right field line that scored Jung from first base Eight of the Rangers starters reached base via a hit or walk and seven different players scored a run they cannot and did not fix everything Sunday with just seven extra base hits on the homestand and expected heavy hitters (like designated hitter Joc Pederson who went 0 for 4 Sunday and dropped his batting average to .094) still not hitting heavy They remain a bottom-third team in batting average and rectified a crucial weakness when they went 5 for 11 with runners in scoring position They hit just .095 in those situations during the four games prior and “With the way we’ve been swinging the bat lately things kind of haven’t gone our way,” Smith said He joined The Dallas Morning News after covering UConn basketball football and high school sports for The Hartford Courant Shawn graduated from Springfield College in 2018 and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Baseball America has brought new attention to NASCAR and the ARCA Menards Series A deep dive into the numbers shows that Mitchell is bringing new eyes to the sport and his own brand as well While YouTuber Garret Mitchell’s time in NASCAR has been brief the manner in which the sport props the 30-year-old car enthusiast up has obviously drawn its fair share of haters NASCAR fans, often timid about allowing outsiders into their circle, have wondered if NASCAR only cares for the attention brought by Mitchell, who has a massive 4.29 million subscribers on his channel, Cleetus McFarland when Mitchell ran his first ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona in February the sport itself welcomed him with open arms NASCAR even collaborated with Mitchell to create a live in-car camera that would be on YouTube during the race Mitchell was perhaps the first ARCA driver to hop in the FOX booth post-wreck to talk about his experience with his appearance at Talladega last weekend the talk of the town was once again the attention he brought alongside him including multiple collaborations with NASCAR Media all hoping to gain from his inclusion in their productions fans had dubbed his presence “the Cleetus McFarland Effect,” but just how strong has his impact been and could his ARCA efforts help both himself and NASCAR Let’s take a look at the numbers behind the “Cleetus McFarland Effect.” During his short debut in the ARCA Menards Series Ride the ‘dente 200, Mitchell’s in-car camera on the NASCAR YouTube Channel exploded and But his true effect would not be seen till days after the race when news broke that the race scored 1.160 million viewers the most-watched ARCA Daytona race since 2013 This bump in viewership was partially thanks to the race’s slot on “Big FOX,” which was given to the series prior to McFarland or even Hélio Castroneves entering the race as clips of his now infamous quote of “Rippin’ around Daytona like a bald eagle” even circulated outside normal NASCAR circles According to Social Blade the NASCAR YouTube channel had jumped from January’s 1.330 million subscribers to 1.380 million This means that after roughly gaining 10,000 to 30,000 new subscribers a month in 2024 the sport dropped to 50,000 from January to February Some could say there is little correlation to the “Cleetus McFarland Effect” present in these numbers during his second race at Talladega this past weekend gaining roughly 20,000 subscribers that Saturday his live in-car camera on the NASCAR YouTube Channel had over 70,000 viewers at one point as getting new eyes on the product is great but the question remains: is Mitchell seeing any gains from NASCAR’s viewers Mitchell’s gains are clear via his YouTube stats as well During his ARCA Menards Series debut, Mitchell’s pre-race uploads, “The Start of my NASCAR Career” and “NASCAR Put Me On Probation, Here’s Why,” garnered 1.8 and 2 million views apiece this is typical for the Cleetus McFarland YouTube Channel Even his latest ARCA video, “Talladega ARCA 200 – Insane Finish With a Broken Engine! (we got LUCKY),” currently has just 1.3 million views in which he collabs with Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored 2.1 million views and has only been up for a little over two weeks Another video titled Meeting Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Touring his Race Shop Download and uploaded to his secondary channel is the channel’s ninth most watched video The true magnitude of Mitchell’s growth since January is seen in his subscriber count According to Social Blade Mitchell ended January with 4.110 million subscribers and is currently at 4.29 million NASCAR and Mitchell have both seen some impressive gains in attention since the start of this indirect symbiotic relationship This growth has spilled over beyond these two and into the broader NASCAR landscape We have already talked about the bump in viewership for NASCAR on FOX and the views his video has gained on social media but what about the rest of the NASCAR media scene Mitchell’s time in NASCAR is drawing numbers and attention for the driver As he continues his journey through NASCAR What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Join in the conversations in our community to stay in the loop on everything racing Terms of Use Agreement | Privacy Policy Garrett Mitchell, known professionally as Cleetus McFarland, has taken the NASCAR world by storm in 2025. In February, McFarland, who has 4.3 million subscribers on YouTube competed in the ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona International Speedway McFarland ran at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend for a 10th-place finish The 30-year-old driver and YouTuber is a fan favorite due to his popular social media presence, and everyone wants to know his racing goals. Well, McFarland sat down with Kevin Harvick for an interview and addressed his goal of running the 2027 Daytona 500 in a few years I'm definitely not [going straight to the NASCAR Cup Series]," McFarland said to Harvick I've never been a big NASCAR guy until this year And [Greg Biffle] helping me like even get you and I have both watched several people shove their way into Cup and look like fools And I think our original goal was the Daytona 500 in 2027 but like now that I know just a smidge about NASCAR I still think that that might be too early Because them guys are on a whole other level.” McFarland wants to make sure he is truly ready to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series by the time he attempts the Daytona 500 It is very strong viewpoint for the 30-year-old driver McFarland definitely seems committed to making it work and his journey in NASCAR will be fun to follow over the next few years More: NASCAR could return to full-season points format in Cup Series Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Garrett Mitchell came to a significant fork in the road or do I take a chance that I’ll be able to make some sort of impact as a character on YouTube YouTube won, and Garrett Mitchell morphed into his near-full-time guise as Cleetus McFarland whom ye shall know by his mullet haircut and shirts with the sleeves torn off If you happened to watch the ARCA stock car race at Talladega Superspeedway on Fox Sports 1 last Saturday, you couldn’t miss McFarland, driver of the rented number 30 Rette-Jones Racing Ford, sitting in a seat most recently occupied by Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz, who is trying to make it in NASCAR now. Actually, no way is it the same seat: Muniz is five feet, five inches tall, and McFarland is six feet, six inches. A post shared by NASCAR on FOX (@nascaronfox) Anyway, in only his second start in ARCA, bold adventurer McFarland scored a 10th-place finish, and ARCA awarded him with the “Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race” for “avoiding disaster” by dodging a couple of spinning cars in front of him This was documented by McFarland’s in-car camera where he was shown pumping his fist after the Likely what ARCA and Reese’s were actually rewarding McFarland for was maybe a couple million dollars’ worth of publicity In case you didn’t know, ARCA stands for Automobile Racing Club of America but ARCA has continued doing what it always has: Offer a shorter season that looks and sounds like NASCAR—the cars are mostly based on Generation-5 NASCAR racers (current Cup cars are Gen-7)—but ARCA costs much less to compete in yet races at many of the same tracks as NASCAR the site of McFarland’s first start last February but almost all the cars are powered by a 396-cubic-inch V-8 built by Ilmor That same engine is used in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ilmor claims it’s capable of 700 horsepower Patterned somewhat after a Chevrolet LS V-8 at a cost of $35,000 per engine for the teams McFarland said after the race on the Fox Sports interview—possibly the first time the broadcast team has ever featured a 10th-place ARCA finisher—that the reason he didn’t do better was because his Ilmor engine broke a valve spring in the first few laps of the race rendering his Ford “a dog,” much slower than the healthy cars of his competition He said his crew was telling him on the radio to speed up this sucker’s wide open!’ You know what I’m sayin’ It was like I was ridin’ a horse out there!” That interview hints at the power of a man with 4.28 million YouTube followers: He live-broadcast the race from inside the car and drew nearly 70,000 YouTube viewers. His participation has been a godsend for little ARCA, which is typically ignored by the media. Now, the series is featured in a McFarland story that just ran on Newsweek.com which was a world record for… jumping over Subarus Or where the legendary short-track ace Butch Lindley crashed hard in 1985 Not long after Steele was killed in that sprint car race, DeSoto Speedway closed and was put up for sale. In 2020, it became the first major purchase for McFarland, who bought it for $2.2 million, well below the previous asking price. He repurposed the track as the Freedom Factory, where he stages many of the events featured on his YouTube channel. He also bought a major share of Bradenton Motorsports Park quarter-mile drag strip next door to the oval that also appears in his videos And a year ago, he bought a grass-strip airport located close to the Freedom Factory, apparently paying $3.5 million for it. He renamed it Bald Eagle Airfield because McFarland frequently cites bald eagles as an inspiration Why did he want an airport? Because he flies planes and helicopters. Last weekend, you may have noticed NASCAR Hall of Fame-nominated driver Greg Biffle in McFarland’s pit: Biffle also flies his own helicopter and the two paired up last year to transport food and other aid to isolated North Carolina residents stricken by Hurricane Helene Another McFarland pal: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who drove the former NASCAR Craftsman truck that McFarland rebuilt as a 1600-horsepower, four-wheel-drive drag racer painted up like Dale Sr.’s number 3 Cup car. Earnhardt drove the truck down the back straight of the Talladega track twice for a McFarland video I know I know there’s things that are a lot faster As for more ARCA racing: He said he’ll see leaving as a possibility a fall trip to ARCA’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 11 Those ARCA cars aren’t cheap to rent and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Sign up to receive our Daily Driver newsletter Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Funeral services celebrating the life of LeAnne Alford McFarland 2025 in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home After a whirlwind courtship and some eye rolls from their parents they were married on November 27 They started out with one precious little girl and over the years added two more daughters and a son Being a mother and later Nanna and then Great Nanna was always what gave her the most joy in her life She was always having to follow along with Kelly for his job From one small town to the next LeAnne would find a way to help with the family finances She always had a heart for children and volunteered several years with Community Bible Study as a Children’s Director Urijah; as well as a host of friends and loved ones LeAnne was preceded in death by her mother Those three are now rejoicing to be back together LeAnne will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at info@hngnews.com or call us at 608.837.2521 a daily talk show covering news and trending topics in the NASCAR fan community and with that milestone comes big questions about his future Can the two-time champ bounce back from a shaky start to 2025 or are we watching the beginning of the end Add to that the growing rumors of Texas Motor Speedway getting an Atlanta-style makeover From Busch’s legacy to Hocevar’s rise and Cleetus’s controversial ambitions Watch the full breakdown and let us know what you think Busch’s future looks like Out of the Groove is the No Eric’s audience — the Groovy Gang — tunes in daily not only to stay up to speed with the sport but also to be a part of the spirited and fun online conversation Out of the Groove consistently delivers the latest stories from around the NASCAR world Out of the Groove is the best YouTube series for fans who want to stay in the know In his recent sit-down interview with Kevin Harvick better known by his YouTube name Cleetus McFarland once again called out fellow inexperienced drivers who he claims “shove their way into Cup.” While his introduction to NASCAR has been a learning curve Mitchell is still not ruling out a future Daytona 500 attempt Garrett Mitchell’s conversion from a drag-racing/automotive YouTuber into an ARCA Menards Series driver has been one of the best stories of the 2025 NASCAR season including Sports analyst and former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kevin Harvick are wondering what the end goal of Mitchell’s ARCA efforts is In this week’s guest interview on Kevin Harvick‘s Happy Hour Podcast “Where does this budding ARCA career head from here?“ Mitchell discussed his inexperience in NASCAR and addressed something he has talked about on several occasions: Telling Harvick “You [Harvick] and I have both watched several people shove their way into Cup and look like fools.” McFarland has previously made similar comments on other podcasts, telling a tale similar to Corey LaJoie on the Apr. 3 edition of Stacking Pennies we see it time and time again where some motorsports person with some pull—whatever they had power and fame or whatever—they get a ride in Cup and they just get humiliated because you can’t hang with these guys.” — Garrett Mitchell Mitchell’s comments recall veteran drivers who made lackluster NASCAR Cup Series debuts in 2025 like open-wheelers Katherine Legge and Hélio Castroneves these are two of the most recent examples of outsiders floundering at the Cup level Mitchell also told LaJoie and his co-host Ryan “Skip” Flores in that episode that he’d rather take development slowly I’m just gonna run ARCA until I feel ready to go run Xfinity,” Mitchell said While he has often talked about his original goal being to race in the 2027 Daytona 500 is honest that ARCA has been an eye-opening experience While he is not ruling out the 2027 Great American Race “Our original goal was the Daytona 500 2027 And I’m not saying that’s off the board but now that I know just a smidge about NASCAR Cause them guys are on a whole other level.” — Garrett Mitchell Mitchell finished tenth in his Talladega debut last Saturday with Rette Jones Racing despite mechanical issues Connor Zilisch OUT after a hard Talladega crash The young star’s Xfinity Series season takes a hit but there’s more to this than just an injury report From waiver drama to career-long implications A brutal setback for one of NASCAR’s brightest young talents but is it just a speed bump or something more Stick around for all the details and drop your thoughts on Kyle Larson stepping in Roger Burnham McFarland enjoyed his last hours visiting with his kids and his grandkids in his hospital room he laid back to rest and passed from this world into the next he was diagnosed with polio and moved to a hospital far across Los Angeles County lovingly traveled for hours by streetcar to visit him Roger was cured but mistreated while in the hospital and carried physical and emotional burdens for the rest of his life He enjoyed Boy Scouts and youth activities in the Las Flores Ward Roger was called to the British Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where he learned to love the working-class accents of London and Ireland’s green landscapes He later studied at Brigham Young University living in a dark basement in the Tree Streets and surviving on boiled eggs Relatives introduced him to Sandra Sue Reimer He proposed to her on the banks of the Provo River at Springdell and later shared a shake to celebrate at Stan’s Drive Inn on 9th East where Roger earned his MS in Library Sciences from USC and then worked as a librarian at Mount San Antonio College Roger and Sandy welcomed four children: Rob Tax cuts and educational restructuring led Roger and Sandy to make the terrifying choice to leave California and to move to Orem Roger’s brave move allowed him to still use his excellent librarian’s cataloguing skills and he was honored by the Orem Chamber of Commerce for his business acumen Roger and Sandy served in a branch presidency at the Missionary Training Center in Provo after marrying off several of his children and welcoming his grandchildren Roger turned around and sold the business so that he could take care of Sandy as she slowly succumbed to her battle with cancer Roger once again bravely pivoted and returned to Brigham Young University as the stacks manager of the Harold B leading a band of merry student book shelvers as they re-organized the library’s collections and a great support to his widowed daughter Betsy and her two boys Roger worked hard to maintain relationships with his family in his own unique way Roger was the life of the party at the Cove Point Senior Living Center in Provo he never passed up a good pun (or even a bad pun) danced like Popeye to make his kids eat spinach and even sometimes let other people be right about things He will be honored and remembered by his children Rob McFarland his daughters-in-law Mary Ann McFarland and Dawn McFarland We thank the beloved residents and staff of Cove Point for you will bend and tell me that you love me and I shall sleep in peace until you come to me.” with a viewing held from 9:00 am - 10:00 am prior to the services Burial will be at 2:00 pm in the Ogden City Cemetery Condolences for the family may be expressed on this page This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page While Lawless Alan earned his first career ARCA win YouTuber Cleetus McFarland avoided the chaos and collected an impressive top-ten finish in the No Nearly 70,000 people were watching the in-car camera as he took on the infamous superspeedway made his ARCA debut at Daytona earlier this year where he was involved in multiple wrecks before recording a DNF in 30th place Talladega went a lot smoother for the popular internet personality but it wasn't without its fair share of drama he forgot his HANS Device and was late in rolling off the pit lane he quickly moved from his 24th-place starting position to be running inside the top ten But things started going sour soon after as his car began to fade he fell back to 20th and lost the main pack's draft.  The team reported that it was an issue with the valve train and he could only ride it out hoping the car doesn't fully break before the finish 30 Ford did not fail him as McFarland soldiered on slowly creeping back to the front of the field It nearly came to an end in the final few laps when two cars crashed right in front of him on the backstretch one of the damaged cars came back across the actually tagged the right-rear fender of McFarland's machine he proceeded to pump his fists in the air while pacing under caution He later jokingly credited his cut-off sleeves for being able to avoid the late-race incident in an animated post-race interview saying: "Tucked one of my wings and just dodged right out of there The race came down to a one-lap dash in overtime with McFarland restarting in 14th the field didn't make it very far as a slow car triggered a multi-car pileup before even reaching Turn 1 surging up to 10th place just before the caution flag flew McFarland gave an assessment of his race in a way only he could I thought we were done," he told NASCAR on FOX."Ilmor the engine guys just came over here and pulled the valve cover off And this #30 always hauls tail so I'm like 'what the hell is going on?' Got my foot stabbed in there they're getting on radio like 'keep your momentum' and I'm like this sucker is wide open.' You know what I'm saying it felt like I was riding a horse out there you cannot get out of the draft.' And they just start telling me stuff I'm using knowledge from the Biff-meister [Greg Biffle] read the air with the dog we had and stayed in there McFarland expressed a desire to return to stock car racing and even hinted at potentially putting something together for the ARCA race at Talladega in the fall The McFarland Center helps foster a vibrant intellectual community at Holy Cross and shares what we learn with scholarly and public audiences worldwide conferences and support for innovative faculty scholarship the McFarland Center is a place where Catholic and Jesuit perspectives interact with other traditions to create spirited respectful dialogue.The McFarland Center’s programs address a wide range of religious and ethical issues while providing thought leadership in two specific areas: global Catholicism and Jewish-Christian understanding Explore Past Events on YouTube The McFarland Center is currently scheduling lectures & conferences for Fall 2025 and events will be added here as they're confirmed.  Ethics and Culture at Holy Cross derives its mission from the College’s conviction that "the search for meaning and value is at the heart of the intellectual life." The McFarland Center ensures that exploration of the complex interrelationships among religion ethics and culture plays a vital role in the life of the Holy Cross community It provides a forum for intellectual exchange and multidisciplinary inquiry that respects people of all faiths cultures and nationalities while working to enhance awareness of injustice and the conditions that foster human wellbeing The McFarland Center is among the world’s leading resources for helping students scholars and the general public understand the diversity and context-specificity of Catholic practice in a Church whose greatest vitality is increasingly found in Africa the Center promotes scholarship on global Catholicism both on and off campus Catholics and Cultures provides a first-hand look at contemporary forms of lived Catholicism across the world This dynamic resource currently features scholarship videos and data from more than 40 countries and regions an upcoming volume set to be published in the Routledge Worlds Series aims to be a comprehensive resource for scholars and students who wish to engage with Catholicism not as a monolith but as an ever-evolving and locally instantiated lived religious tradition The McFarland Center is committed to interreligious dialogue with a special emphasis on Jewish-Christian understanding a historically sensitive translation of the Revised Common Lectionary the McFarland Center helps Christians engage in scripture readings that are true to their original contexts and free of anti-Jewish sentiment Funded by the College and the Kraft-Hiatt family the program sponsors opportunities that impact students faculty and the campus community as a whole visiting scholars and support for faculty and students to study abroad The Kraft-Hiatt Fund has enabled Holy Cross faculty to attend seminars at Yad Vashem the world's Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem and has supported students' study abroad at Hebrew University The McFarland Center's primary public space is the Rehm Library forums and information sessions with state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities it also provides quiet space for study and reflection enhanced library resources on religion and spirituality and primary texts on an array of religious traditions The College of the Holy Cross does not discriminate unlawfully in admission to treatment in or employment in its programs and activities on the basis of a person's race gender identity or any other legally protected status including in the administration of its educational policies and athletic and other school-administered programs Individuals who feel that they have been discriminated against based upon any of these categories may contact the Director of the Office of Title IX and Equal Opportunity Read the College's full Nondiscrimination Statement and Legal Policies YouTube star Cleetus McFarland has revealed he has big NASCAR ambitions YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland returned to the ARCA Menards Series McFarland made his series debut at the season-opening race at Daytona Though his result wasn’t what he wanted (after being involved in a late-race pile-up) he turned quite a few heads by running in the top 10 for much of that race he announced that he would be participating both in the ‘Dega race and at Bristol later this fall McFarland was coached by former NASCAR driver and champion He also sought out superspeedway ace Dale Earnhardt Jr for advice on how to approach driving at Talladega Here’s how Cleetus McFarland fared in today’s General Tire 200 at ‘Dega McFarland rolled off today in the 18th position he wasted little time making his way toward the front he was battling in the lower half of the top 10 it looked as though Cleetus McFarland was on track for a well-deserved top 10 finish the 30 car started falling through the field Fun while it lasted. Let’s do it again at @TALLADEGA Cleetus McFarland🦅🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UN5fUpa2W2 Not even a quarter of the way through the race stating that something was wrong with his number 30 Ford At first it was reported that the team suspected an engine issue where his crew promptly lifted the hood to diagnose the situation the team started that there was an issue with the valve train The team sent McFarland back out to nurse the car to the finish The hood is up on Cleetus McFarland car under this caution. Motor is still running but the broadcast reported the 30 car may be having engine problemsMcFarland's crew took just long enough to address whatever the issue was before the leaders came back around pic.twitter.com/J7C4Usubz8 McFarland was able to narrowly avoid incident after incident climbing his way up the leaderboard to 10th NASCAR live-streamed Cleetus McFarland’s in-car camera on their YouTube channel The stream got a mind-boggling 70,000 views 10th place finish for Cleetus McFarland!70k viewers watching his in-car camera on NASCAR's YouTube channel. Big content weekend for NASCAR/ARCA pic.twitter.com/iA9jwQud4p Cleetus McFarland gets a solid top ten finish in the Arca Menards Series General Tire 200. Lets go! pic.twitter.com/MFtdaiUUYe How do you feel about McFarland’s performance today Do you think he has what it takes to make it in NASCAR Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here YouTube star Cleetus McFarland will make his second-ever start in NASCAR’s fourth-tier division: the ARCA Racing Series His first came at fellow drafting track Daytona International Speedway earlier this year where his in-car live stream on YouTube has nearly 800,000 views — almost as many as the TV broadcast itself the NASCAR world learned in real time how much pull McFarland has McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, has nearly 4.3 million subscribers on YouTube. His video persona is popularly traced back to a 90-second, decade-old YouTube upload from 1320 Video where “Cleetus McFarland” is a character with a 3,000-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro The description is one sentence: “Bless his red Cleetus is one of the most American race-car drivers we’ve met.” Mitchell went to law school but started posting on YouTube as Cleetus McFarland, and in 2020, he posted a video titled: “Dropped Out of Law School to Become a Professional Redneck…” He said in the video that he took out student loans for law school Even if you’re unfamiliar with his persona you can tell the law-school video feels very Garrett The redneck accent and volume are toned down and it’s more laid back than his usual antics (which include taking $5,000 busted RVs to Talladega for the race) Mitchell owns a racetrack in Florida called the Freedom Factory and he showed up to Daytona with less fanfare from the NASCAR side than I expected Popular non-NASCAR personalities have and do compete in NASCAR — like Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz longtime racer Hailie Deegan — but it was wild to see how the coverage of Mitchell snowballed as the Daytona race went on He yelled recaps of wrecks to his in-car camera mid-race his interview with Fox Sports’ Kaitlyn Vincie went viral ripping around Daytona like a bald eagle,” he told her I thought I was the best driver to ever exist in that moment It was probably because my sleeves were cut off that I was able to pull off that maneuver.” (His sleeves were not cut off at the time because that would be against NASCAR rules but they were by the time he got invited into the booth to help commentate the latter parts of the race.) Fox Sports told me that Mitchell will be part of the show He’ll have an onboard camera just like Daytona and the broadcast will talk to him before the race They’ll also radio him mid-race while he’s in the car if he doesn’t get wrecked out and time permits Fox said they understand the following Mitchell brings which was evident when his Daytona interview and sleeveless booth visit went viral I scrolled back a year on the Cleetus McFarland YouTube channel and only found two videos with less than a million views The ARCA Daytona race did 1.16 million views which was the best viewership for the race in a decade while Mitchell’s in-car stream sits at 778,000 views on YouTube Mitchell’s participation was such a hit that he went on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast after the race and also recently gifted him some swans for his home pond Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle participates in Mitchell’s videos regularly and current Cup driver Carson Hocevar hopped on a live stream with Mitchell recently to help him virtually practice for Talladega on iRacing If you check the NASCAR YouTube channel right now the featured video is a scheduled live stream for Mitchell’s in-car camera That’s extraordinary for a race in the fourth-tier series Mitchell’s success and YouTube following is something I love to study Since my husband and I are fairly new to posting on YouTube we watch popular channels to learn how they package and present videos I find that popular internet personalities are often popular in one place but it’s hard to bring people to a new platform Mitchell has the perfect combination for YouTube and NASCAR stardom because he lives a dream life for a lot of dudes who watch YouTube: he builds cars does challenges with his friends to see who can buy the best cheap vehicles local friends who make frequent trips to see the races Mitchell hosts his fans would travel to watch him drive a lawnmower allows Mitchell to continue to behave as that meme while running NASCAR races — something people want So much of racing is just “Drive fast and be boring,” because racing depends on sponsors To have his own enterprise outside of racing where his income isn’t dependent on following traditional sponsor rules That makes him a hotbed for NASCAR virality but I do find his approach to the internet — and real-life racing career — textbook-worthy Top graphic images: Cleetus McFarland/YouTube/NASCAR; depositphotos.com Google News MSN News Apple News+ The Daytona race was the first time I ever watched NASCAR people say he’s a very genuine and caring person in real life Unlike some (clearly a serial killer) fake nice personalities like Mr he seems to be a person that people just want to be around He’s that friend we all had where just EVERYONE liked them because your day was better when they were around “Twitter gives insight into your personality and creates relationships with followers but it’s an unstable platform in its current era.” This makes more sense as he is fighting the legal battle over a Housing company expanding near his track From his track planning and expansion shows his business side more that you know I do get tired of the redneck persona but if you hear him working on a difficult project he drops that for his work voice Imagine if Katherine Legge had pulled a stunt like that and Ed buy terrible import cars and take them to the Freedom Factory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL7TDaOGDAo Hoovie’s the first I unsubscribed from I’ve been following his channel since the Leroy days (or maybe before) the redneck schtick can get a hair old sometimes but the channel is incredibly entertaining I’m stoked that he bought the Freedom Factory and has proven that racetracks aren’t all dead; they just need a different strategy to succeed It’s also super cool that his genuine care for people is a big part of why he’s doing NASCAR now He met Biffle due to needing a landing zone while using his personal helicopter (Consuela) to help the folks who were affected by the massive hurricane that took out a chunk of North Carolina He seems like a genuinely nice dude and I’m happy that his dreams are seemingly coming true I love his videos about buying Consuela in Venezuela and having it restored His efforts to aid people after the NC floods were generous and commendable The operating expenses of any helicopter are rough He seems like a nice guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously and I don’t watch every post for any of them I’ve watched some of his stuff I find it interesting he was able to get his hands on a race track and a airport He has some weirdo as a camera guy that I can’t stand always very annoying in the back ground making very dumb comments and generally being wrong about everything also terrible camera work I find many others much more appealing like VGG They all kind of fit that redneck mold but don’t try hard for it but admit it Media has definitely evolved and the rot brain tik tok people probably find him amusing so I guess only makes sense for NASCAR to get him in there he is basically running events of their roots with stock cars and a circle track VGG is far more entertaining and long term sustainable but I admire the “let’s work with what we’ve got instead of throwing $10,000 in sponsor parts at builds every episode” approach The Gran Torino Elite and LeSabre episodes are pure gold Yeah he is an original lots of comical releaf all his lexicon very amusing I about died laughing at a few including the one where he was painting a square body for his brother when he still lived in Minnesota The other guys are good too no nonsense or sponsors “That sound you hear is the cam grinding its own profile so we’re going to let it go and see what it comes up with.” VGG is top of the heap for me in the “popular” Youtubes but ColdWarMotors is still some of the best content out there with few subscribers which I don’t really understand a bunch of good friends hanging out in Can-an-ada and building some truly fantastic restorations on a real budget The cussing and “Light Buzz” segments probably mess with the algorithm though I also believe that Cleetus manages VGG’s merch in some way That came up in a video and I know that they work together a lot behind the scenes Derek has been very clear that there is only one place to get real VGG merch – wonder if someone was caught selling fakes somewhere Edit: I’m not implying Cleetus was doing that just that you reminded me when you mentioned VGG’s merch Whoever manages Cleetus’ merch also manages VGG or something like that Address on the current giveaway on the VGG site says this: That sure looks like a Cleetus address…… I’ve bought a lot of VGG stuff over the years and am buying some Rebuild Black and a back rag so I can win that sweet dually The demo ranch guy has bunker branding and make a fortune from that Cleatus got in on it a few years ago I think I saw him give a warehouse tour with someone Makes sense those guys band together and create jobs He seems like a good guy I just don’t really care for his videos I’ve seen the cold war guy a few times he seems decent but I can’t really get into it and for some reason almost everyone I really watch is in Oklahoma I really enjoy puddins fab shop and sleeperdude it’s somehow wholesome but they build some good stuff they are massive under rated Been around guys like that and can’t stand them The voice the dumb wrong comments constantly I’m sorry this guy is funny but I grew up around rednecks and this isn’t even close Jr” Smith made millions off that shtick I know Ernest had a Southern accent (Varney was from Kentucky) but I wouldn’t consider his act to be redneck Larry the Cable Guy on the other hand… Ernest was just kind of an oblivious idiot manchild who had a southern accent Daniel Lawrence Whitney definitely counts though Jim Varney started out as a Shakespearian actor Probably a heavy lift with a Kentucky accent it was in a KY so that probably helped some I’ve got a fair tolerance for redneck highjinks I was getting away from Hoonigan as the heavy music and jerky in&out camera shots seemed to be getting more important than actual nuts and bolts builds so I followed the development of Leroy the Vette cart The novelty wears off of his “I needed something I could film and publish in a hurry” content quickly I’m pumped for the ‘Dega race (Sat 12:30) Also his Crown Vic series is coming to town here next weekend the tolerant Left… It must be exhausting hating half the country Much harder than dividing and wrecking the whole country and alienating most of our allies Forgive me if I don’t particularly want to support people who support the asshole who wants to annex my country Trump only got about 32% of them to vote for him He didn’t even get 50% of those who actually voted to vote for him While he did get more votes than any other candidate more voters in total voted for someone other than him than for him Let’s save the politics for other sites and focus on our collective shared love of vehicular mayhem I’m not a fan of people who want to annex my country We’re just asking you to stop bringing him up when it’s not on topic If Cleetus includes politics in his persona then your beef and mine are with Cleetus Politics have nothing to do with this article Neither you nor anyone else is doing a service by following Trump supporters around the internet and shitposting about it If you want to do something meaningful go join a rally Stop adding political noise to a forum about cars I guess being pro-American is political now Other than specific local politics involving the freedom factory I don’t know of any instance he’s been overtly political Or does American Flag anything just equal Trump supporter to you I assume that did change once he finally got it himself Cy cheered on local dignitaries as they broke ground for McFarland Clinic’s newest facility recently The April 15 groundbreaking in Ames was ceremonial as construction was already underway for the 78,000-square-foot clinic at 1825 Jack Trice Way near ISU’s football stadium When it is completed in late 2026 or early 2027 the state-of-the-art clinic will serve residents of central Iowa More: McFarland Clinic becomes CYTown development’s first anchor physician and president of McFarland Clinic with an ever-smiling Cy on hand for quiet fist pumping and mascot applause “This really is an exciting day for Iowa State University for McFarland Clinic and for the Ames community,” Wintersteen said “We are so pleased that McFarland Clinic will be the first place to break ground in CyTown.” starting out with a base rent of $50,000 and a $3 million security deposit The medical company will pay for the construction of its newest clinic off University Boulevard though Iowa State will take over ownership when finished and lease it to McFarland Rent will increase $5,000 per year throughout the life of the 30-year contract New CyTown details — including a mini football field, birdhouse-themed playground, and Marriott hotel — were unveiled by Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard Tuesday in a video message in February The university said they expect the district to open by 2027 Omaha-based Goldenrod Companies, the master developer on the project, was approved by the Board of Regents for the $200 million, 94-acre project located between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum Eight buildings will be built between the football stadium and the Iowa State Center adding roughly 575,000 square feet of vertical space More: ISU, McFarland nearing $50,000-a-year rental agreement as CYTown’s first tenant CyTown's McFarland facility will be the largest single build in the clinic’s history The main clinic on Duff Avenue is larger but has been renovated and expanded several times over the decades “We’re excited for this to be such a large facility that will help meet our growth needs,” Talbott said She expects to add 30 full-time employees in the next five to seven years because of the extra room Talbott estimates that an average of 800 patients will be seen each day at the clinic More: New renderings for CyTown revealed, including rooftop bar and The Cardinal hotel The three-story building will not have a basement The McFarland Clinic CyTown location will feature several primary care and specialty care services available to the general public primary care sports medicine and urgent care There will also be a laboratory and radiology services 108 geothermal wells will help with energy efficiency and will also free up physical space in and on top of the building that would otherwise be occupied by mechanical equipment McFarland Clinic has a long history of working with Iowa State and Iowa State Athletics as the clinic has provided medical services to Iowa State student athletes for a number of years through its sports medicine program and orthopedic surgeons “We've been on the sidelines and been part of the program expedite their return to the playing courts and surfaces,” Perry said The clinic has also provided primary and specialty care to faculty The new facility is part of McFarland’s long-term strategic plan to grow and meet the needs of Ames and the surrounding communities “CyTown is an extraordinary project," Wintersteen said "It is a place that will really revitalize the Iowa State Center for what it does in terms of education the fine arts and entertainment and athletics.” Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune Click To Call left her earthly presence on 11 January 2025 Even though she was oftentimes in great pain Throughout her years she has carried herself in that same calm spirit with which she was born In our younger years she was the neighborhood “go to mother” for the friends of her children keeping the confidences of her children and especially her grandchildren who went to her to vent about their parents and she became a single mother to 5 rambunctious boys She had more than a handful of responsibility but has always said she was most proud of having raised her kids to adulthood to stand on their own she willingly and lovingly became our babysitter After the grandkids grew up beyond needing a babysittter and she was “off to the races” so to speak She became very active with the Seniors Center participating in all their events and activities such as crafts and she was featured in several of their senior brochures they finally hired her for some of her work She loved to travel and was blessed to go to such places as Hawaii She was also blessed to go on a Carnival cruise She loved to eat out and attend the theater and was treated often by her children and grandchildren our kids’ grandmother was “spoiled” lovingly became her home church where she was a long time attending regular early morning service until her health Mother was predeceased by her parents; 4 sons Memories of her will forever be treasured by her 3 daughters and great great grandchildren; many nieces I am praying for comfort and peace for the family and friends during this difficult time comfort and peace to the family prayers are with you,Esther Wrim Bradshaw I extend sincere condolences to the family of Mrs May God give you comfort and peace during this time of great sorrow My brothers and I were home when we entered their house God bless you all at the time of your loss.❤️🙏🏽 May God continue to comfort you all and may the memories y’all shared be everlasting.- LaKeia Reddick May your beautiful calm spirit continue to shine bright in heaven Love your Great granddaughter Kiana – Tim’s daughter Prayers for comfort and strength to the Vines and McFarland family I am sadden to hear of the loss of my Dear God Mother’s I had the pleasure of visiting the family with Ms I just lost my father in October 2024 and I know that loss and grief isn’t easy Sending sympathy and condolences from Tara Carter Overton and the Carter Family of Edenton I was so very sorry to hear of your mom’s passing but wanted you to know I am thinking about you To our dearest grandmother… you were a guiding force in our lives… a gentle reminder of how to stand strong and stay classy and to NEVER slam the screen door… you will be missed but you will live on thru each of us… 💗 🕊 Thanks for visiting If you’ve followed NASCAR this season you’ve probably heard the name Cleetus McFarland more than once — and we’re not just talking about YouTube videos and turbochargers this time is shaking things up in the ARCA Menards Series In a new sit-down on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast McFarland made it clear he’s not a fan of racers jumping into the NASCAR Cup Series without earning their stripes he didn’t call anyone out by name — but the message was clear “In just this one season, you and I have both watched several people shove their way into Cup and look like fools,” he told Harvick While he didn’t mention Katherine Legge or Hélio Castroneves Both open-wheel vets have struggled to move into NASCAR’s top level He’s an internet legend — a car guy with over 4 million YouTube subscribers and nearly 2 billion views From blowing up engines in Florida to winning drag races in homemade rides he’s built a huge fan base that loves fast cars he took a big step — going from internet motorsport star to ARCA Menards Series driver he landed a top-10 finish even while dealing with car problems He’s planning to race again at Bristol in September What’s even cooler is that McFarland is staying humble Unlike others who want to go straight to the top “And I think our original goal was the Daytona 500 2027 now that I know just a smidge about NASCAR Because them guys are on a whole another level,” he told Harvick While his comments may have stung a little And even though Legge fired back with a strong defense about earning her ride in Cup McFarland’s point wasn’t about her personally He was looking at the bigger picture: drivers should get real experience before racing with the best on Sundays especially with cameras on every corner and fans watching every move Whether or not he makes it to the Daytona 500 one thing’s for sure — he’s giving NASCAR a much-needed dose of reality of Signal Mountain went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on December 27 she enjoyed Shopping on the QVC shopping channel but most of all she Loved spending time with her family and her beloved Pomeranians: “Cookie” She retired from AT&T after 29 years as a Service Representative she went back to school at Chattanooga State Community College where she studied Medical Coding She passed the state of Tennessee exam and was certified as a Medical Coder of which she was very proud Melmoth and Thelma (Mama) Wingo; her father-in-law and mother-in-law Elisha H and Gladys M McFarland Sr; along with her sister Bill McCardell and Wayne Hodge; and several aunts and uncles Those left to cherish her memory include her loving husband “Nick” McFarland III; and stepson Christopher H.(Xiaohong Zhang) McFarland; sisters Kay Hodge and Paulette (Jimmy) Thurman; brother Elizabeth Seals Todd and Sebastion McFarland; great-grandson Celebration of Life visitation is 3:00-8:00 Saturday at Lane Funeral Home Arrangements are entrusted to Lane Funeral Home — Coulter Chapel atTom Jones Invitational Trent McFarland (Michigan Photography)McFarland Herger Set Top-10 Program Times as U-M Splits Across Two Meets4/18/2025 11:43:00 PM | Men's Track & Field -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team split between a pair of meets on Friday (April 18) concluding the Wake Forest Invitational at Ketner Stadium and opening the Tom Jones Invitational hosted by Florida at Percy Beard Track with a pair of top-10 program times set in Winston-Salem Trent McFarland (3:38.45) and Brendan Herger (3:38.72) posted personal bests in the 1,500-meter run invite section The pair set top-10 times on the program performers list for the second straight meet Law was just 0.09 seconds shy of the 10th fastest time on the program performers list In the 800-meter run invite section, John O'Reilly finished 20th with a season-best time of 1:49.31 and Miles Brown finished 23rd with a time of 1:50.42 Liam Kinney matched his personal best in the pole vault In the long jump, John McNeil finished seventh (7.23m/23-8.75) and Tianhao Wei finished ninth (7.13m/23-4.75) Tyler Baker threw for a personal best in the javelin throw with a mark of 47.47m (155-9) to finish 17th U-M will close out the weekend with day two of the Tom Jones Invitational on Saturday (April 19) with the discus throw at Percy Beard Track William Wesley McFarland III Beloved Husband known to all as "Wes," passed away peacefully on November 6 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California Wes was the son of Bill and Linda McFarland Wes' spiritual journey began at the young age of five and a half when he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior he was baptized as a public profession of his faith a faith he lived out every day until his passing His relationship with Christ sustained him through life’s joys and challenges and it was his unwavering faith that helped him through his extended battle with cancer Wes spent his early years moving around the United States with his family before settling in Bryant where he graduated from Bryant High School in 1980 It was in Bryant that Wes developed a strong work ethic building a reputation for integrity and dedication in the business world and together they raised three children: William Wesley McFarland IV Whether watching a game on TV or listening to it on the radio he was always tuned in to his favorite team Visits to Wrigley Field were highlights of his life and he often shared his excitement about the Cubs with his family and friends Wes also proudly cheered for his children’s accomplishments whether on the baseball diamond or at the bowling alley He served faithfully as a Sunday School teacher and deacon at Indian Springs Baptist Church in Bryant where he found joy in sharing his knowledge of Scripture and generous spirit made him a beloved member of the church and his faith was a beacon of strength for others sometimes offering more than he had to give Scott (Mary) and Shaun (Tammy); his sister Melinda; and a host of extended family and friends He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Arrangements entrusted to Smith Benton Funeral Home McFarland served jail time after the original 2017 Fyre Festival failure The postponement of Fyre Festival 2 has raised eyebrows as ticket holders and performers try to make sense of the chaos ticket holders for Billy McFarland’s festival have reportedly been sent an email sharing news of the postponement “The event has been postponed and a new date will be announced,” a message sent to a ticket-holder and seen by ABC News said you can repurchase if it works for your schedule.” Organizers have insisted that the festival is still on saying in a further message obtained by The Independent that new locations were being vetted and their “priorities remain unchanged: delivering an unforgettable those who were planning to attend or perform remain unsure about what comes next Brothers Asa and Eli Maker were set to attend the festival after winning free tickets But the lack of details surrounding the event gave them pause “I think we would’ve booked plane tickets and hotels if we saw a real lineup,” the brothers told Good Morning America A DJ slated to perform was contacted by festival organizers who let her know about the postponement “They didn’t necessarily give me dates of when they would be rescheduling it,” Juliana Salunek The Independent has reached out to Fyre Festival organizers The festival’s website remains live, and those looking for a piece of history can still purchase Fyre Festival 2 merch. Options include a $70 t-shirt that proclaims “Fyre Festival 2 Is Real” and a $130 hoodie that says “Playa is on Fyre.” Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply. ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Tickets being sold from $1,400 to $1.1 million for the Prometheus pass (which promises luxury travel, accommodations, and experiences) are still advertised on the site but don’t appear to actually be available for purchase. Attendees of the infamous first Fyre Festival have been outspoken about the chaos they experienced. They were promised luxury villas and dining experiences in an event touted by influencers and pop stars. Instead, they were relegated to tents and forced to eat cheese sandwiches out of plastic cartons. The festival is largely regarded as a massive scam and led to McFarland, 33, spending time behind bars. McFarland, who served four years of a six-year sentence, still owes $26 million in restitution after the failure of the original Fyre Festival. He has provided numerous updates regarding the fate of Fyre Festival 2 on his social media channels, even holding a press conference with Mexican officials in late March in an attempt to quiet the naysayers questioning whether the event would happen. McFarland has not issued a public statement following the postponement announcement. (KBAK/KBFX) — A man has officially been charged with murder in connection to the 2021 disappearance of Oscar Oliva RELATED: $2,500 reward for information on McFarland man 2021 disappearance Sanchez is being charged with first-degree murder authorities were able to establish that Ray Sanchez shot and killed Oliva before disposing his remains The McFarland Police Department said they and District Attorney Investigators have been unable to recover Oliva’s body The McFarland Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in finding his remains The McFarland Police Department is asking anyone with information about this case Ray Sanchez is currently in custody with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) RELATED: Family & McFarland police ask for public assistance in disappearance case of Oscar Oliva The City of McFarland is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for major crimes Anyone with information is asked to call the McFarland Police Department’s anonymous tip line at (661) 428-1256 or the Kern County Secret Witness line at (661) 322-4040 Information can also be given at kernsecretwitness@gmail.com or the McFarland Police Department non-emergency number at (661) 792-2121 the Hixson family has served the people of Central Louisiana by providing funeral and cremation services to all faiths Find your loved one below to share a memory or express your condolences You may also show sympathy by sending flowers Enter your information to receive emails when new obituaries are published We're dedicated to providing personalized professional and compassionate services to help lighten your burden and support you Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website Your browser may not work with certain site. Upgrade now.