MOORESVILLE, N.C. — NASCAR fan favorite Cleetus McFarland will make a splash this spring at Rockingham Raceway, entering the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race in the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Richard Childress Racing — marking his first start in the series and one of the most talked-about entries of the 2026 season. After earning NASCAR approval through a recent test at Rockingham Speedway, the YouTube star and grassroots racing ambassador is set to tackle one of motorsports’ toughest and most exciting challenges with one of the sport’s most capable teams behind him.
*OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE ORIGINAL MIX UP, MCFARLAND IS RACING AT ROCKINGHAM, NOT TALLADEGA. WE HAVE UPDATED THE POST TO REFLECT AS SUCH*.
Cleetus, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, has built a massive following on social media and a reputation for engaging fans through authentic, high-energy content. Though he’s lapped competition in drag racing and built a solid foundation in the ARCA Menards Series, where he’s competed in several events and turned heads with early speed, this Talladega start represents his transition into NASCAR’s national touring ranks. As of early 2026, McFarland has made one NASCAR Truck Series start — at Daytona International Speedway — and multiple ARCA starts, but the O’Reilly Series debut stands apart as his first foray into what NASCAR considers its primary feeder division to Xfinity and Cup competition.
Talladega’s spring race, contested at one of the sport’s fastest and most unpredictable superspeedways, will be a fitting backdrop for McFarland’s big league debut. The track’s history with crossover personalities and underdog stories — like Jeffrey Earnhardt’s feel-good run in the No. 3 car in the spring of 2022 — gives this announcement extra cultural resonance among fans and pundits alike.
On paper, McFarland arrives in Alabama with RCR’s engine program and aerodynamic packages, widely regarded as among the best on plate tracks in any NASCAR series. Richard Childress Racing has long excelled at restrictor-plate and superspeedway racing, with multiple wins and strong finishes across national divisions thanks to horsepower, drafting expertise and strategic pit calls. That pedigree provides McFarland with a platform that few first-time O’Reilly Series drivers enjoy, and it gives his supporters reason to believe he won’t just be “along for the ride.”
Statistically, superspeedway races are volatile — Talladega’s wide racing surface and pack dynamics frequently lead to lead changes exceeding 50 positions in a single race — and NASCAR’s competition format rewards both patience and aggression. Drivers who can draft efficiently and avoid the infamous Big One will often find themselves in contention late, even from modest starting spots. McFarland will likely lean on RCR’s experience and spotter communication as he navigates his first taste of this high-speed chess match.
McFarland’s journey to this moment has been unconventional. In ARCA competition, he’s demonstrated race craft on big tracks like Daytona and Talladega, including a career-best top-ten finish despite running limited laps on seven cylinders during one event. Those experiences, though limited in number, supplied him with valuable superspeedway time and helped clear NASCAR’s approval protocols, including the recent Rockingham evaluation that green-lit his O’Reilly entry.
Now, as anticipation builds for Talladega’s spring showdown, McFarland’s debut resonates on multiple levels — as a competitive opportunity, a fan engagement milestone and a cultural moment in NASCAR’s ongoing evolution. Talladega’s long history of surprise heroes and unexpected contenders makes it a fitting place for a breakout story. Whether McFarland battles for the win or simply survives the unpredictable chaos of superspeedway racing, his presence on Sunday will be felt far beyond the 2.66-mile oval.
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