Get ready to see him ripping around like a bald eagle in the O’Reilly Series.
Cleetus McFarland is undeniably one of the most electric personalities in motorsports. If you’re not familiar with the racer whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, he built a massive following online as a YouTuber and in 2020 bought an abandoned racetrack in Florida and rebranded it as the Freedom Factory.
Along with hosting and competing in events at his own track, Cleetus has also competed in various off-road and dirt racing events. And in 2025, he made his stock car debut in the ARCA Menards Series, where he instantly became a fan-favorite with his post-race interview at Daytona:
Cleetus ran a handful of ARCA races last year, and this year made his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
He qualified a respectable 11th, but his night ended early when he crashed just 6 laps into the race.
After the quick exit from his Truck Series debut, there was a lot of chatter about whether Cleetus needs more experience in stock cars before making the jump to one of the top three NASCAR series.
But apparently it didn’t hurt his career any, because now he’s back…and getting promoted to a higher series.
This afternoon, Richard Childress Racing announced that Cleetus McFarland will make his debut in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly the Xfinity Series) at Rockingham Speedway in April, driving the #33 car sponsored by Tommy’s Express, a national car wash chain.
McFarland is obviously excited about making his O’Reilly series debut:
“To have the opportunity to make my NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut with a legendary race team like Richard Childress Racing is a dream come true.
It’s a huge honor, and I am incredibly grateful to learn under the leadership of Richard Childress, Mike Verlander, Danny Lawrence and everyone in Welcome, North Carolina.
Having Tommy’s Express on board for my debut makes it even more special. They’re a fast-forward brand that understands speed, performance, and connecting with people, which lines up perfectly with everything we are trying to accomplish.”
But other people aren’t so sure.
After the announcement was made, many people criticized NASCAR for approving Cleetus to race in the O’Reilly Series with so little experience (and given his record in the one Truck Series start he’s made so far), with quite a few people believing he needs some more time behind the wheel before making the jump to a higher series:
It’s just too soon man. This is disrespectful to the people that have climbed the ladder the right way.
— JT (@jxntate) March 4, 2026
Nothing against him, but he is not ready yet. NASCAR needs to fix their approval system.
— Alfred.e22racing (@alfrede22racing) March 4, 2026
Love Cleetus more than anyone but yeah I think he still needs so much more time to develop
— bluebird24 (@bluejaysguru) March 4, 2026
Now, you can’t blame Cleetus or RCR for this: If NASCAR is willing to let him race, and he brings in sponsorship dollars, why not?
And it’s easy to see why NASCAR might rush to approve him. They want him in the race as much as anybody because he’s a massive personality with a loyal fanbase who brings a ton of attention (and viewers) to the sport.
But at what point does it become a safety issue to have such an inexperienced driver out on the track, even in an O’Reilly series race?
For his part, Cleetus has obviously heard the criticism and concerns, but he said today during an appearance on the Dale Jr. Download podcast with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that he’s not too concerned about it:
“I think being a YouTuber for so long, I’ve had everything in the world said about me, and I expect way more…
I think right now I’m the rookie and people can say whatever they want, but when I keep coming back every time and they realize that their words don’t affect me time and time again, they’re gonna run out of breath.
Because as long as I’m having fun, I’m gonna keep showing up at these NASCAR races. And whether I’m in ARCA, Truck or O’Reilly, their words on Facebook will not change the fact that I’m gonna come back and try again, as long as I’m having fun.”
Honestly, I really hope Cleetus can find a way to succeed in NASCAR because I think he’s great for the sport. He’s energetic, entertaining as hell, and a great personality.
I just hope he can eventually back that personality up with results on the track.
