Cleetus McFarland’s No. 33 Late Model was wrecked in the closing laps of the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin.
Collision in the Final Laps
The YouTuber, owner of the 3/8‑mile Freedom Factory oval in Florida, started Berling Raceway with a brand‑new car, qualifying 22nd in a 27‑car field. An early spin while avoiding a wreck rattled his fenders, caused a tire rub, and even drew a middle‑finger gesture from Evan Szotko as he was lapped.
With under twenty laps remaining, McFarland lost traction ahead of the leader, slid down the track, and was collided with by the car directly behind. Keith Herp, who was running 14th and off the lead lap, bore the brunt of the impact. Both vehicles suffered severe damage, bringing the No. 33’s race to a premature end.
Reflection and Result
After pushing his battered Late Model into the infield, McFarland told FloRacing, “I was fighting for my life out there, trying to learn this thing. I got a couple of good runs, then I would overheat my right‑rear, overdrive, drift across, and get drilled on the inside. So that sucks. Apologies to the other team that hit me.”
He finished 19th in a field that saw Tristian McKee capture the win, with Bubba Pollard second and NASCAR Cup star Carson Hocevar third.
Looking Ahead
McFarland plans to return to his Freedom Factory home track and has lined up an appearance at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Talladega Superspeedway on 23 October. This follows a near‑victory when he finished second in the ARCA race at ’Dega earlier this year.
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