Polaris has announced a multi-year partnership with YouTube personality, racer, and motorsports entrepreneur Cleetus McFarland—real name Garrett Mitchell—and the deal is exactly what fans of both would expect: loud, unfiltered, and built around giving people more ways to get in on the action.
For those who don't know Cleetus McFarland, here's the short version. He built one of the most passionate communities in online motorsports by being exactly who he is—a guy who loves horsepower, hates pretension, and turned a repurposed NASCAR track in Florida called the Freedom Factory into a full-blown motorsports playground. His YouTube channel pulls in millions of views, his events draw crowds of dedicated fans, and the whole thing runs on a simple idea: if it's got an engine and it's fun, it belongs here.
Now Polaris, the Minnesota-based powersports giant behind names like RZR, RANGER, and Slingshot, is stepping through those gates.
A Partnership Built on More Than a Check
Polaris isn't exactly a small operation. The company has been in the powersports business since 1954 and sells vehicles in close to 100 countries. Their off-road lineup is about as well-known as it gets in that space. But what's interesting about this deal isn't just the brand names attached to it—it's the reasoning behind it.
Reid Wilson, President of Polaris Off-Road Vehicles, didn't mince words about why the company got involved. "We are big fans of Cleetus and the community he has built. We couldn't just watch from the outside; we had to be a part of it," he said. "He brings a level of energy, passion and authenticity that reflects what American motorsports is all about, and we look forward to supporting a community that shares our love for performance and adventure."
That framing matters. This isn't Polaris slapping a logo on a YouTube video and calling it a day. The company is positioning itself as an active participant in what Cleetus has built—a community that revolves around real events, real machines, and real people who show up because they genuinely love this stuff.
Cleetus was equally direct about why it made sense from his side. "I built my community around freedom, horsepower, and having a good time, and Polaris fits that perfectly," he said. "They get the people, they get the spirit—hell yeah, brother—that's what we're all about. Teaming up allows us to introduce more people to powersports and the fun that comes with it."
What the Partnership Actually Looks Like
The deal centers on the Freedom Factory and everything that radiates out from it. Cleetus and his crew will be running Polaris vehicles through their day-to-day operations, their content, and the events they host at the facility. The idea is to put the machines in front of real enthusiasts in real settings—not a controlled demo environment, but the kind of chaotic, high-energy atmosphere that the Freedom Factory is known for.
Beyond the equipment side, the partnership is also built to create new opportunities for fans to get involved. That means more experiences, more content, and more chances for the people who follow Cleetus to actually participate rather than just watch.
Polaris and Cleetus kicked the whole thing off with a video released on YouTube—shot, predictably, in the kind of full-throttle style that Cleetus fans already know by heart.
Why This Makes Sense for Polaris
On the surface, aligning with a YouTube star might seem like a reach for a company that's been around for seven decades. But Polaris isn't chasing trends here—they're chasing an audience that already overlaps significantly with their own customer base.
The people who show up to Freedom Factory events are the same people who buy RZRs and RANGERs. They're not casual observers. They're hands-on, they're knowledgeable, and they're deeply loyal to the things they care about. Getting Polaris vehicles in front of that audience—in a setting where they're being pushed hard and treated like tools rather than trophies—is exactly the kind of exposure that resonates.
There's also the matter of reach. Cleetus McFarland has built a genuinely massive following across YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. The Freedom Factory has become a destination, not just a backdrop. Attaching the Polaris name to that ecosystem in a meaningful way is a different kind of marketing than a television ad buy—it's embedded in something people are already passionate about.
The Bigger Picture for Powersports
The partnership also signals something worth paying attention to more broadly. The powersports industry has long relied on traditional channels to reach customers—dealerships, trade shows, print advertising. What Cleetus McFarland has done is demonstrate that there's an enormous appetite for motorsports content that's raw and accessible, built around real personalities rather than polished corporate messaging.
Polaris is betting that connecting with that audience authentically—through a creator who has earned genuine trust rather than manufactured it—is worth more than conventional advertising alone. And given the size and loyalty of the community Cleetus has assembled, that's not a bad bet.
The multi-year structure of the deal also suggests this isn't a one-off sponsorship. Both sides appear committed to building something that grows over time, with new content, new events, and new ways for fans to participate at the center of it.
What Comes Next
Details on specific events, vehicles, and experiences tied to the partnership are still rolling out. What's clear is that the Freedom Factory will serve as the primary stage for whatever comes next, and that Polaris plans to be a visible and active presence there rather than a quiet logo on a banner.
For fans of Cleetus McFarland, the addition of Polaris backing means more resources behind the events and content they're already showing up for. For Polaris, it means a direct line into one of the most engaged communities in American motorsports.
Either way, it's a partnership that looks and feels like both sides actually wanted to be in it—which, in the world of brand deals, is rarer than it probably should be.
