For someone who just realized his big dream-stepping into stock car racing under a bright spotlight-Cleetus McFarland isn’t losing sleep over what people think. The YouTuber-turned-driver has quickly become one of the most talked-about names in NASCAR.
His recent O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Rockingham Speedway sparked debate, with some fans questioning whether the sanctioning body moved too quickly in giving him a shot. But for the 30-year-old, the outside noise isn’t part of the equation. He’s focused on making the most of an opportunity that, in his own words, he never expected to come this way.
Cleetus McFarland Awaits Talladega Approval From NASCAR
After making his series debut at Rockingham Speedway in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, McFarland now finds himself in a holding pattern. NASCAR is yet to decide whether he’ll be cleared to compete at Talladega Superspeedway later this month, a call that hinges largely on his performance and overall readiness.
Despite the uncertainty, Garrett Mitchell made it clear he’s not pushing for a green light. He stated, “I don’t care whether I’m approved or not. I did not come into this opportunity saying, ‘NASCAR needs to approve me.’ I never, in any instance, thought they should have approve me. I just got this opportunity and said, ‘Great, what can we do?’ And if they approve me to run Dega, I’m running.”
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Instead of pushing for approval or trying to prove a point, he seems content to let things unfold on their own, even with the criticism around how quickly he’s stepped into NASCAR. After his Craftsman Truck Series debut this year, he signed a three-race developmental deal with Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR made it clear that not every track would be automatic.
Superspeedways like Talladega Superspeedway would depend on how he handled earlier races, which made Rockingham Speedway an important first test, even if the results themselves weren’t anything special.
Mitchell, better known as McFarland in the racing circle, hasn’t followed the traditional ladder into NASCAR, and that’s where much of the skepticism comes from. Unlike most drivers who spend years grinding through lower series, he arrived with a massive fanbase and a unique racing background.
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But from his perspective, that doesn’t mean he forced his way in. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity offered to him, one he’s simply trying to make the most of. There’s no sense of entitlement in his approach, and that’s been consistent in how he’s handled both the praise and the pushback.
For McFarland, it really just comes down to getting better, taking the chances in front of him, and not getting caught up in everything being said around him. Whether NASCAR clears him for Talladega Superspeedway or not, that approach isn’t changing. He’s going to keep doing things his way, regardless of the outside noise.
