Two weeks ago, YouTuber-turned-racer Garret Mitchell, aka Cleetus McFarland, received a Talladega masterclass from Dale Earnhardt Jr. ahead of his track debut. The driver who finished P30 in Daytona in the season opener made the most of Earnhardt’s teachings and achieved his first top-ten finish in the ARCA series.
Often timid about allowing outsiders to race in NASCAR, the sport’s fans wondered if the authorities were only allowing him to race because of his 4.2 million followers on social media.
Although he has shown just how good he can be behind the wheel of a racecar, Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader reveal McFarland’s massive following might not be a bad thing for the sport.
Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader Discuss Cleetus McFarland’s Impact on NASCAR’s Following
Having impressed in Daytona despite a P30 finish, McFarland had garnered enough attention for authorities to put an in-car camera in his No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford.
According to a report by Journalist Adam Stern, the official YouTube channel of NASCAR gained between 20,000 and 30,000 new subscribers in one day, ahead of the Talladega race. Furthermore, nearly 70,000 people tuned in on McFarland’s in-car camera to watch the 30-year-old deliver a solid outing in Talladega.
Speaking on the latest episode of “The Kenny Wallace Show,” Wallace discussed a glaring issue within NASCAR and how McFarland could be the answer to all their problems.
Wallace (61) and Schrader (69) run a podcast called “Herm & Schrader,” and the average viewership of the podcast is aged 55. Per Wallace, the same age group is the average viewership age of the NASCAR series, meaning the sport isn’t too popular among youngsters, and no new viewership is joining.
“So NASCAR has got a real issue- to grow. Cleetus is bringing those kids in.”
Wallace then referenced Stern’s report of the Talladega numbers, compelling Schrader to chime in on the conversation.
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Although he isn’t a fan of social media and its influence, Schrader said that if NASCAR is getting new fans because of McFarland’s involvement, then the sport should make proper use of the 30-year-old’s popularity.
“The Cleetus deal- if he’s as stout as he is on social media, NASCAR needs to do whatever they need to do to capitalize on that.”
Herm & Schrader discuss Cleetus McFarland's impact on #NASCAR @Kenny_Wallace @KenSchrader @CharlieMarlow_
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— The Kenny Wallace Show (@KWallaceShow) May 2, 2025
Notably, this isn’t the only time Wallace realized what McFarland could do for the future of NASCAR, given what he said less than two weeks ago.
During his stay at Talladega, McFarland shared a clip for his fans, showing them around the track and told them that it takes 50 seconds to complete a lap around the 2.66-mile trioval.
He gave fans a peek behind the curtains, showing them where he slept, and took them on a tour of Greg Biffle’s RV before wrapping things up at his friend’s RV.
Noting the same, the official X handle of NASCAR reacted to the video and wrote, “That’s a whole lotta … stuff! Cleetus McFarland, show us what you got on @TALLADEGA Boulevard, please.”
Subsequently, Wallace claimed NASCAR had learned something crucial from McFarland’s video, and he quickly pointed it out on social media. The 61-year-old wrote, “@NASCAR has learned that Cleetus can take NASCAR far.”