Cleetus McFarland Says His 2026 NASCAR Schedule is Set in Stone

What’s Happening?

Despite rumors that he could add to his 2026 NASCAR schedule, YouTube star Cleetus McFarland confirmed during a recent podcast episode that the fall Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega will be his final start of the season.

As NASCAR enters the back half of its 2026 season, race fans are still closely watching Garrett Mitchell, better known by his persona Cleetus McFarland.

Mitchell, who made his name in the automotive content creation space on YouTube, made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2025 and expanded that effort into multiple NASCAR National Series starts in 2026.

Alongside making his Craftsman Truck Series debut, the 31-year-old also signed his first contract, a developmental deal with Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

This deal, which he touted was for two to three races a season, saw him make his series debut at Rockingham and follow it up with another run at Nashville Superspeedway.

Though he had originally planned to race at Talladega’s spring OAP Series race, NASCAR did not give the rookie approval to enter the race. At the time, many felt this ruling by NASCAR could open the door for another start later this season.

Furthermore, Mitchell has also spoken of additional starts in both the ARCA Menards and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, though now it seems this may not happen.

Mitchell has already confirmed that his next race this season will be the October 23 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega, and, per the latest episode of his podcast Bald Eagles, that will likely be his final start of the season.

Addressing some complaints about his turn to focusing on NASCAR, Mitchell told listeners that his NASCAR racing is mostly wrapped for the 2026 season, and that he only has one more race on his schedule.

“We don’t have any more races this year, besides the one Talladega race. That’s it.” — Cleetus McFarland

Cleetus’ 2026

Though this may be a disappointment for his fans and some NASCAR fans, the 2026 season was a major stepping stone in Mitchell’s development.

Not only did he make his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts, but Mitchell finally broke through as a consistent frontrunner in the ARCA Menards Series with Rette Jones Racing.

By far the highlight of his 2026 season was his second-place run at Talladega, a race that many believe he could have, or even should have won.

While he did not score another top five or top ten, Mitchell added another bullet point to his ARCA resume with his first-ever pole position, leading the field to green at Michigan just last month.

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