- McFarland makes his mark at Talladega with runner-up finish in ARCA race.
- Aimed to win it for his friend Greg Biffle, but it slipped away at the end.
- The 31-year-old started P20, climbed to P7, and ran inside the top five.
Cleetus McFarland was not cleared by NASCAR to race at Talladega in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, but if his latest ARCA run at the superspeedway is anything to go by, he may have made his case on the track.
McFarland set out to win at Talladega in honor of his late friend and NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle, and while he fell short of that mark, he walked away with a second-place finish and the first laps led of his ARCA Menards Series career.
McFarland says a lack of room cost him the win
At Talladega, McFarland came within touching distance of victory before being edged out by Andy Jankowiak.
As the field went to the checkered flag, Cleetus McFarland and Gus Dean came together while fighting for the lead. While the two traded paint, Jankowiak seized the moment, sweeping past on the outside to snatch the win in a finish that turned the race on its head.
The YouTuber crossed the line in second behind Jankowiak, with Gus Dean and Isabella Robusto following to complete the top four.
Looking back on the finish, McFarland said in his post-race interview, “Well, looking at that. I think I needed to back up a smidge to get that help that was behind me. I kind of, you know, left the 71, I’m pretty sure, and tried to go down. I didn’t have enough room to get past … We started beating each other up, and then Andy passed us for the W. Congratulations to him. What an insane day of racing.”
He also took time to thank his team and sponsors, calling the Talladega race “the greatest race” he has been part of.
Further, he made a cheeky remark to narrate how much he enjoyed it, saying, “Honestly, probably the most fun I’ve ever had with clothes on. It was freaking insane. Talladega!” drawing laughs from the FOX crew.
How the race ended and how McFarland led 12 laps.
- Gio Ruggiero led the field from pole, with the race getting underway without incident. Starting from P20, McFarland wasted no time slicing through the pack, breaking into the top ten, and settling into P7. It took 30 laps for the first caution to fly, after Alli Owens crashed.
- Following restart penalties for Jack Wood and Taylor Reimer, McFarland found himself up to second at the competition caution, right on the bumper of Ruggiero.
- On the restart, he went door-to-door with Ruggiero in a fight for the lead before surging ahead with a push from Daniel Dye, taking the lead for the first time in his ARCA career.
- He held the point until the next restart, when Ruggiero fought back on the outside. Ruggiero drifted too far out, opening the door for McFarland to charge back through and retake control, and led a total of 12 laps overall.
One lap dash…
- The fight at the front only grew more intense. Locked in a push with the car behind, McFarland made contact that turned Jake Bollman while battling for the lead, dropping him back to fifth as Isabella Robusto moved into the lead.
- Soon after, Will Kimmel pushed Thomas Annunziata on the outside line when Annunziata got turned into Ruggiero. McFarland managed to thread the needle as the Big One broke out behind him, collecting several cars, including his friend and fellow YouTuber Squirrel McNutt.
- After a red flag for cleanup, another incident under caution brought further delays. The race was then set up for a one-lap dash to the finish. Robusto led Ruggiero and Kimmel, both carrying damage, while McFarland lined up in fourth for the final run.
- Ruggiero dropped back due to damage, and Kimmel briefly took the lead before losing ground. Dean and McFarland split him, running side by side out of the final corner. The two made contact and nearly wrecked, scrubbing off just enough speed for Jankowiak to slip through and finally take the win.
