- Cleetus McFarland is eyeing a full-time ride next season.
- The YouTuber-turned-racer scored runner-up finish last weekend at Talladega.
- Fans are split on his move to full-time, some saying he needs more ARCA time.
After finishing second at Talladega in his latest ARCA Menards stint, it appears Cleetus McFarland has found a dose of belief. The signs point toward a driver weighing a run at the grind of a full season.
For now, the YouTuber-turned-NASCAR driver runs part-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, at the wheel of the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Richard Childress Racing.
He has also logged part-time duty in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Niece Motorsports, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 30 Ford Mustang GT for Rette Jones Racing.
Cleetus McFarland is ready for a full-time NASCAR stint
All his NASCAR runs so far have been part-time, and he has made 11 starts in the sport. Yet, if his latest hint is any guide, McFarland may be fixing his sights on a full-time path.
During the latest episode of his podcast Bald Eagles, Cleetus McFarland said, “If we can do this and pay for a full season of racing, that’s absolutely bonkers. So that’s what I’m looking forward to trying to do, is race a full season of ARCA,” after his seventh ARCA race.
While Mitchell has yet to lay out plans to race full-time next season, a move in that direction would likely draw a crowd for the series, which has seen a rise in attention from his part-time outings.
Last weekend, McFarland came within a move of a win at Talladega and led his first NASCAR laps. He teamed up with his friend Squirrel McNutt during the ARCA race and notched his best finish, falling one move short of taking the win for Rette Jones Racing. That run appears to have lit a spark toward a full-time attempt.
Away from the track, during his podcast Bald Eagles, McFarland broke down how his car’s in-house sponsorship turned into a windfall for his online store. The buzz from Talladega, along with a paint scheme for Mr. Sam’s Spray Wax, led to the sale of thousands of bottles of the product.
In his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series outings, McFarland has made one start in each. In ARCA, he made his debut last year and ran four races, with his best results coming at Talladega and Charlotte Motor Speedway with finishes of P10 and P9. This year, he has made three starts with Rette Jones Racing, opening at Daytona with a P11, then Kansas with a P20, and Talladega with a P2.
Mitchell has not often spoken openly about a full-time run, though in a past Bald Eagles episode, he spoke about the toll of a full schedule. He said that with the demands of a full season and his work as a content creator, it would be “really fun,” but he also just doesn’t know if it’s worth it.
Fans suggest McFarland logs more laps in ARCA
While some fans called for more seat time in ARCA before any step up to the Craftsman Truck or O’Reilly ranks, many others backed his move without pause.
One fan wrote, “I’m all for it but he needs to take his time and go up through the ranks. He’s been in ARCA for what almost 2 years now so he needs to take his time in Trucks before moving up further.”
Another said, “Full ARCA, guys that’s it. That’s what he said on his podcast and at Jr.’s a month ago he said for any other series he probably wouldn’t do that because it needed to be the only thing to focus on.”
Some however showed their support toward him as they said, “Hell yea Brother!!💯🇺🇲”
One more fan commented, “Yups greatness.”
