- McFarland nervous ahead of his debut in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
- Claims he has nothing to prove to his naysayers.
- NASCAR veterans expect him to race respectfully.
As Cleetus McFarland prepares for his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start, he recently admitted he’s nervous. However, the good news is that he will have the ARCA race at the same track, Rockingham Speedway, so he can at least get used to it.
However, the real challenge for him would be to get used to the Gen 6 cars in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, which are extremely aero-sensitive and rear-light.
McFarland logged a 10-hour test at Rockingham in March 2026 with Richard Childress Racing. Over the course of that session, he cycled through five sets of tires and brought the No. 33 Chevrolet back without damage. It served as a base, but a race with 38 drivers brings traffic, pressure, and moments that do not wait.
The YouTuber-turned-NASCAR-driver has accepted that reality and will step in with a clear head, insisting he has nothing to prove to critics. The garage, for its part, has welcomed the attention he brings, while drawing a line on conduct when he shares the track with regulars.
ARCA will be another buffer race for Cleetus McFarland
McFarland will run 125 laps at 11:30 am ET before turning to a 250-lap stint later in the day. He has already logged a P27 finish in practice and will roll off from P33 after qualifying, having avoided the back of the grid.
“I feel pretty good about it, especially because I get a I get 125 lap warmup in my ARCA car. So, depending on how the ARCA race goes, the nerve level should stay pretty low,” he told SiriusXM NASCAR.
In the meantime, he has kept his focus narrow. “And I have nothing to prove. Like what you said, prove the haters wrong. I have eliminated that thought from my head. I’m not there to prove anyone wrong. I am there to run my, I am there to finish the race. Keep my race car in one piece, not ruin anyone else’s day. Nothing else matters. I got nothing to prove. So I would say the nerve level is like a three and a half out of 10 right now.”
The 30-year-old‘s ARCA record offers some footing, though. Across five starts since last year, he has finished two races in top-10 finishes and two in top-15. At Daytona in February, he missed a top 10 by one spot, crossing the line in P11. So, the expectation will now shift to Rockingham, where a steady run could set the tone ahead of the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at 2:30 pm ET.
NASCAR garage expects McFarland to just finish the race respectfully
Veterans such as Rodney Childers and Justin Allgaier see value in the attention McFarland brings, while acknowledging the climb he faces. For now, finishing the race stands as the mark to hit.
Jeb Burton has underlined the need for awareness in traffic, noting that a misstep can ripple through the field. He said, “Hopefully we can have a good day and just finish. I think that’s hopefully his first priority too, racing these guys with respect and not doing something dumb to hurt one of our days. Other than that, it’s not a bad thing that he’s in the sport and brings a lot of eyeballs.”
Harrison Burton pointed to the scale of the task, with McFarland’s Truck Series spin at Daytona being a reminder of how quickly a run can unravel.
The field views his entry as a gain for exposure, so long as it is matched with discipline on track. If McFarland keeps the car intact, steers clear of trouble, and takes the checkered flag, even if it is in the last position, it will stand as a job well done for both the driver and the sport.
