Every Cleetus McFarland NASCAR Diecast in 2026 (So Far)
What’s Happening? Cleetus McFarland’s fan base stretches far beyond the grandstands, and that support has translated into a wave of demand…
Despite early struggles in his racing career, YouTuber Cleetus McFarland recently said that he still wants to attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500, though he plans to take his time getting there.
For a while, Cleetus McFarland’s NASCAR ambitions centered around one goal: racing in the Daytona 500.
With his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debuts now behind him, McFarland has now gotten a real taste of national-level stock car racing. However, the experience hasn’t diminished his great American Daytona dream.
If anything, it has given him a greater appreciation for the challenge that lies between where he is now and where he hopes to be one day.
Speaking recently on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Mitchell, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, admitted that his early ARCA experience quickly opened his eyes to the steep learning curve that separates NASCAR’s developmental ranks from the sport’s biggest stage.
“I started running ARCA and realized that I’ve no intentions of running Cup or the Daytona 500 anytime soon,” the 31-year-old noted. “A way bigger skill gap than I imagined and I realized that immediately.”
The YouTube star first sparked conversations about a potential Daytona 500 bid after reaching out to former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. But once he got behind the wheel and began competing regularly, the reality of stock car racing set in.
Rather than chasing results or rushing up the ladder, Mitchell has now focused on gaining experience wherever possible.
“Obviously I took a lot of help from you guys and other people when this O’Reilly’s opportunity popped up,” he continued. “There’s a lot of reasons why I shouldn’t have the seat but I never seeked out driving higher than ARCA. Since the opportunity came to me, absolutely, you know its more seat time, more opportunities for me to make mistakes and get better.”
That opportunity came through Richard Childress Racing, courtesy of Ty Dillon, which has helped expand McFarland’s schedule beyond ARCA competition and has given him valuable laps in NASCAR’s national series.
That said, while the Daytona 500 remains the ultimate target, it is no longer something he feels the need to force.
“Now looking at the ultimate goal, its to make it to the Daytona 500 but I’m having so much fun that I think it’s going to end up being more than that. I think one day I’ll race Daytona 500, I’m in no rush.” — Cleetus McFarland
In hindsight, his latest outing came in the NOAPS race at Nashville Superspeedway, where a spin on the final lap of Stage 1 and a pit-road penalty left him with a 35th-place finish. Although the result was frustrating, it was another learning experience in a career that remains very much a work in progress.
As for his upcoming runs, he’ll return to action at Michigan International Speedway this weekend, where he is scheduled to compete in both the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
What’s Happening? Cleetus McFarland’s fan base stretches far beyond the grandstands, and that support has translated into a wave of demand…
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