- NASCAR denies Cleetus McFarland’s entry for the Talladega Superspeedway race.
- Daytona 500 winner Earnhardt Jr. backed the decision, noting McFarland’s spins.
- Despite the “kick in the nuts,” McFarland is taking the decision in his stride.
What looked like a wild American dream from the outside, Cleetus McFarland was actually living it up until this week. From turning laps at Daytona International Speedway in a Truck to landing a shot in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham, the YouTuber-turned-driver had momentum on his side and a growing belief that he belonged.
But as Talladega crept closer, with optimism building around a long-awaited debut at ‘Dega,’ reality hit just as hard as the draft at 190 mph. NASCAR stepped in and denied his entry, turning what should’ve been a milestone moment into a blunt reminder.
In the wake of the decision, the 30-year-old didn’t dodge the moment. He addressed it head-on, speaking directly to fans in a candid, grounded tone that balanced disappointment and understanding.
‘NASCAR did not see enough’ – Cleetus McFarland speaks out amid Talladega snub
Before the denial, there was real momentum. In just a few appearances, Garrett Mitchell, aka Cleetus McFarland, had already started to move the needle. The popular YouTuber’s presence brought a fresh set of eyes to the sport, with viewership for the recent NOAPS at Rockingham climbing by over 10% compared to last year.
It wasn’t just casual interest; it was a different audience entirely, tuning in because of someone they already followed.
That’s why the sanctioning body’s Talladega call became a tough pill to swallow. “I wanted you to hear from me first that I have been denied by NASCAR to run Talladega in my O’Reilly’s car,” McFarland said, addressing his fans via a Facebook post.
“(I) made my O’Reilly’s debut last Saturday with hopes of getting approval for Talladega, but they (NASCAR) did not see enough.”
The message from NASCAR was unmistakably straight: more seat time, more reps, more proof. While McFarland is already approved to compete in the Craftsman Truck Series, his path in the O’Reilly Series remains limited, particularly when it comes to superspeedways like Talladega and Daytona.
“Nonetheless, NASCAR has said, we’re going to need to see you run more ARCA and more Trucks. I’m fully approved for trucks, which I have some of those on my schedule coming up. But in O’Reilly’s, I am still limited to short tracks,” he addded.
That distinction matters. Superspeedways are a different ball game altogether, with tight packs, drafting, split-second decisions, all happening at nearly 200 mph. For someone with no prior experience in stock car racing, it’s not surprising NASCAR wants a bit more before throwing him into that environment.
McFarland takes it in his stride
Rockingham kind of showed both sides of it. McFarland finished the race, but it was anything but clean and he ended up well down the order. In contrast, his ARCA run at the same track was a completely different story, bringing home a strong fourth-place finish.
Even then, McFarland isn’t fighting the call. If anything, he’s taking it in stride – “It is what it is. I need more windshield time, regardless of whether it’s in an O’Reilly’s car, an ARCA car, or a Truck. More windshield time is gonna help me. I got a lot to learn, guys.”
For McFarland, the focus now shifts to building that experience across ARCA and Truck Series races.
“This isn’t as much of a step back or a push down as it seems, a little bit of a kick in the nuts, but I just got to get out there in the other cars, and do as much learning as possible. And then hopefully I’ll get to run Daytona and Talladega next year.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. points to control issues behind NASCAR’s decision
His year actually started with a big opportunity in the Truck Series at Daytona with Niece Motorsports. There were signs of speed right away, especially in qualifying, but the race told a different story. Just six laps in, he got loose coming off Turn 4, lost the rear, and slammed into the inside wall, ending his day almost as soon as it began.
Rockingham, though, was supposed to be a reset. His NOAPS debut was filled with self-spins, a few caution-triggering incidents, and one particularly close call late when he looped it into traffic. To his credit, he avoided major damage, but the rhythm just never came. Ultimately, he finished 32nd six laps down, though he started from P35.
Reflecting on NASCAR’s decision, two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t hold back. “I saw enough to not approve him for Daytona or Talladega in O’Reilly Series,” he said bluntly on his “Dale Jr. Download” podcast.
“I was not present in person for any of this, but I watched a YouTube video from the Truck test with Niece (Motorsports), I watched the YouTube video of his O’Reilly test with RCR, and then I watched the race. And in all three of those, he busted his a**. Now, he didn’t hit anything except for the Truck – he did wall the truck off Turn 2.”
For Earnhardt Jr., the concern wasn’t effort; it was control. “In all three of those instances, he lost control of the car/truck. And I told him this after the race. If I were him and if I were NASCAR, I’d be trying to get him in more ARCA races, every single opportunity to run all these little bull rings and short tracks.”
That said, Earnhardt Jr. also made it clear just how impressive McFarland’s progress has been, given where he’s coming from: “To do what he’s done is really, really phenomenal.”
Talladega might be off the table for now, but this story feels far from over. But if anything, it has just taken a detour.
