Cleetus McFarland and Squirrel McNutt Want to Race Talladega Nights Tribute Cars in 2027

What’s Happening?

YouTube personalities turned NASCAR drivers Cleetus McFarland and Squirrel McNutt are looking to get sponsorship to run two of Talladega Nights’ most iconic paint schemes at Talladega in 2027

For Cleetus McFarland and Squirrel McNutt, whose real names are Garrett Mitchell and George Siciliano, 2026 has been a whirlwind experience.

This time last year, Mitchell was merely a part-time driver in ARCA, who had some goals of racing in the NASCAR National Series, though nothing was set in stone. On the other hand, Siciliano was still just a content creator.

But, just a few months into the season, Mitchell has one Truck and one O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start under his belt (with more rumored to be on the way from each) and a part-time developmental deal with Richard Childress Racing.

Siciliano, who announced his plans to race before the start of the season, has two ARCA Menards Series East starts under his belt and, just last week, finished 12th at Kansas Speedway in his main ARCA Menards Series debut to earn approval to race with Mitchell in the ARCA race at Talladega this weekend.

While their plans to race beyond 2026 are not clear, they still plan to compete together, as, during the latest episode of their podcast Bald Eagles, the two shared that they are looking for sponsorship for an unknown race at Talladega next season.

Specifically, while they are tied to sponsors they love, Mitchell shared it is a dream to get the attention and sponsorship of Old Spice and Wonder Bread, who sponsored fictional drivers Cal Naughton, Jr. and Ricky Bobby in the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

“If the opportunity arose for us to run a Wonder Bread and Old Spice sponsorship at next year’s Talladega, we’d be highly interested. So I don’t know if any of you guys out there know a friend at Wonder Bread or Old Spice, but we’re willing to give them a hell of an advertisement. We’ll give them a deal a century, because if we can actually run Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. paint schemes for one race, I mean, that’s an opportunity no one can pass up.” — Cleetus McFarland

While there is no telling what level this race would be at, it wouldn’t be the first time either brand stepped up to pay tribute to the two Dennit Racing superstars in real life.

Tributes to Talladega Nights in NASCAR

While Wonder Bread has never had a major footprint in the sport, Old Spice has a healthy history, with a once long-standing partnership with Tony Stewart.

But Wonder Bread has graced the hood of a race car three times in the Cup Series, with the brand most recently sponsoring Ryan Preece at Talladega in back-to-back seasons, with an official Ricky Bobby tribute scheme in 2023.

In that same race, Preece’s then Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Chase Briscoe drove his No. 14, carrying Old Spice for the first official tribute scheme to Cal Naughton, Jr.

But if you’re looking for the king of Talladega Nights’ tributes, look no further than Hall of Famer Kurt Busch, who drove a Wonder Bread-sponsored car at Talladega in 2013, and a tribute to Ricky Bobby’s “ME” car at the track in 2012.

If Mitchell and Siciliano score their sponsorship with Wonder Bread and Old Spice, they won’t be the first to throwback to Talladega Nights, and they won’t be the first teammates to do it. Still, they might be the most fitting pair to do so in NASCAR history.

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