Garrett Mitchell, better known online as Cleetus McFarland, is heading to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
The team at Richard Childress Racing says he’ll take over the No. 33 Tommy’s Express Chevrolet. His first race is scheduled for April 4 at Rockingham Speedway, and the announcement got the NASCAR community talking.
Cleetus McFarland’s NASCAR Breakthrough Draws Mixed Reactions from the Racing Community
McFarland’s racing résumé is thin by any measure. He has five ARCA Menards Series starts, with a best finish of P9 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His only NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start came at Daytona in February, where he finished P37.
Senior motorsports journalist Pete Pistone was direct in his criticism. “YouTube views and Instagram followers should not impact the approval process — this is the tail wagging the dog,” he wrote.
“He’s great for the sport but logically needs more time to develop as a driver before getting tossed into the literal deep end of the pool in a NOAPS car at Talladega.”
Others in the community echoed that concern, pointing specifically to McFarland’s rocky road to approval.
Eric Estepp wrote: “Rooting for the guy but man… 5 ARCA starts… 5 laps in a truck… and he’s already in an RCR car at THE ROCK? Forget the deep end — he’s throwing himself into shark-infested waters!”
The details of McFarland’s approval process drew particular scrutiny. Joseph Srigley noted the timing felt off given recent events.
“I totally understand the appeal for NASCAR and RCR to have Cleetus McFarland in an O’Reilly Series car,” he wrote, “but I can’t in my right mind agree with the move after how Daytona went — not to mention the fact that he crashed in his Truck Series approval test AT ROCKINGHAM.”
Freddie Kraft kept it short and sharp, summing up the absurdity with dry humor.
“Crash at the Rockingham truck test. Crash lap 5 of your only truck start. Good enough for me. Approved ✅,” Bubba Wallace’s spotter wrote, before adding: “I don’t blame Cleetus one bit. We’d all jump at the chance to just show up and get approved.”
Not everyone in the garage sees it as a disaster waiting to happen. Steven Tranto offered a more measured take, arguing McFarland is breaking new ground.
“What interests me about Cleetus McFarland is he’s doing something that hasn’t been done before — going from YouTuber to NASCAR driver,” he wrote. “From what I’ve seen of him in ARCA, he can hold his water out there. I say let him try Trucks and O’Reilly.”
The debate ultimately comes down to one question: Is McFarland ready? Come April 4 at Rockingham, the track will give its own answer.
