YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland showed up at Daytona International Speedway with a heavy heart and a clear mission. The back of his No. 30Â Ford carried three simple words: “Be Like Biff.”
It was a tribute to Greg Biffle, the NASCAR legend who died in a plane crash on December 18, and a promise to finish what they started together.
Cleetus McFarland Turns Grief Into Purpose With Greg Biffle Daytona 500 Mission
McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, was at Daytona for the annual ARCA Menards Series preseason test. But this wasn’t just another test session. It was the first time he climbed into a race car without the man who helped make it all possible.
“I absolutely would not be here today without Greg,” McFarland told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Friday. “When the whole NASCAR idea came up, I don’t think it ever would’ve happened without his guidance, his mentorship, his connection.”
The 19-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner had become more than just a mentor to the YouTube star. The two shared good times off the track and even flew helicopter missions together, helping victims of Hurricane Helene.
Biffle was heading to Florida to visit McFarland when the tragic crash claimed his life and six others. Now McFarland is carrying forward their shared dream: competing in the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s most prestigious race.
“The back of my car says ‘Be Like Biff’ today, and I’m carrying our mission of getting to the Daytona 500,” McFarland said. “That’s what we started with. So, I gotta finish it.”
It’s an ambitious goal. Biffle himself raced in the Great American Race 15 times, last competing in 2022. For McFarland to reach that starting grid, he’ll need to prove himself in NASCAR’s lower levels first.
That journey continues in 2026, when he’ll run about five ARCA Menards Series races with Rette Jones Racing, including events at Daytona and Talladega. The season-opening ARCA race at Daytona is set for February 14.
While Biffle built his fanbase by winning races and championships across all three NASCAR series, he built his legacy by helping others. He dedicated time to assisting victims of natural disasters, supporting the less fortunate, and protecting animals.
That’s what “Be Like Biff” really means: living a life that helps those in need.
McFarland wasn’t the only one honoring Biffle at the Daytona test. Bobby Dale Earnhardt, driving the No. 89 Chevrolet for Rise Racing, also ran a “Be Like Biff” decal on his car, which featured a throwback scheme to Dale Earnhardt’s Rolex 24 days.
The racing community will gather to remember Biffle and the other crash victims at a celebration of life ceremony on Friday at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. NASCAR will stream the 11 a.m. ET event on its website, Facebook, YouTube, and official NASCAR channels.