UPDATE: Cleetus McFarland Will Race in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series This Year
What’s Happening? YouTube star-turned-NASCAR driver Garrett Mitchell, best known by his online persona Cleetus McFarland, has signed a part-time deal to…
Bristol Dirt is officially off the schedule for 2024. Some fans, however, do not want to see dirt track racing go away completely. Where else could the NASCAR Cup Series race on dirt in 2024?
Okay, just hear me out on this one. North Wilkesboro Speedway originally had a unique plan for their “Racetrack Revival”. They would run races on asphalt and tear up the surface to repave the track, but, in the interim, they would put dirt on the track for some dirt races to be run on the speedway.
The NASCAR All-Star Race announcement threw a wrench into those plans, but, North Wilkesboro now finds itself in a unique situation. It is a track on the verge of a repave, and NASCAR seems like it will come back next year. How about running the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race on the dirt North Wilkesboro race track before it is repaved?
Yes, it would be a one-time event, but it would be an entertaining event for the All-Star Race which truly is all about the show. Plus it give NASCAR an extra year to figure out the short track package before going back to North Wilkesboro in years to come.
What better dirt track to bring the Cup Series cars to than the one that hosts the biggest sprint car race of them all, Knoxville. Knoxville Raceway is in Knoxville, Iowa, which is almost an hour outside of Des Moines. It’s not a big market, but neither is Bristol, Martinsville, or North Wilkesboro for that matter.
The Craftsman Truck Series even ran a dirt race there in 2021 and 2022. If NASCAR really wants to bring a dirt race back to the Cup Series schedule, this is the most famous dirt track of them all. Go big or go home would be the philosophy of this track.
The Tony Stewart owned dirt track in New Weston, Ohio is a dirt track out in the middle of seemingly nowhere. However, it is a gem that is in the middle of nowhere. It is one of the most famous dirt tracks in the world that hosts the famous World 100 dirt late model race and the Kings Royale sprint car race.
The track is also owned by NASCAR star Tony Stewart, which can either help or hurt this track getting a Cup date. Stewart has been very vocal about some of his displeasures with NASCAR in recent years, and he also had his NASCAR dirt dates taken away in favor of Knoxville. However, maybe that relationship could be what brings the two together for a NASCAR Cup Series dirt race.
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a home track for NASCAR teams and many drivers, but there is also a dirt track there just outside of turn four. Maybe not a points race could be held there, but maybe an All-Star race could be held there. NASCAR could maybe even hold heat races to an All-Star Race at the dirt track to prepare for a main event at the track.
It would seem to make some sense in a lot of ways, but it would also be a bit bland in some respects. Staying in the Charlotte area for a race that NASCAR could easily go to another new market that has never had NASCAR before could be seen as a missed opportunity by some fans. It does not mean it is not worth a shot, however.
Williams Grove Speedway is such a popular venue that the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars race not once, not twice, but three times at the track in 2023. If they go there three times, then why not have the Cup Series go there at some point? The issue with this track is that they would have to bring in a lot of extra seating with it only being able to hold a bit over 8,000 people.
However, it is a historic venue that continues to draw crowds year after year. Maybe NASCAR could take a stab at dirt racing at that track?
With Bristol Dirt gone, it will be interesting to see if NASCAR brings another dirt race to the schedule in 2024. Maybe at one of these five different race tracks.
Garrett Mitchell, better known by his online persona Cleetus McFarland, says his 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule isn’t set in stone, something the YouTube star explained to Dale Earnhardt Jr on the latest episode of The Dale Jr Download.
One of the biggest surprises in recent NASCAR news is that YouTube star Cleetus McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, will make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut next month at Rockingham Speedway.
Mitchell, who has just won a NASCAR National Series start to his name, will make this start with Richard Childress Racing in their No. 33 car as part of a part-time development contract that will see him make starts in 2026 and 2027.
Per Mitchell, his contract will cover three races per season, though he hinted it could be more in a Facebook post. Nonetheless, fans are eagerly awaiting an official schedule of what other tracks Mitchell and RCR will tackle in 2026.
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a little longer for this schedule, as the 30-year-old Floridian explained during a recent interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr, his 2026 schedule is still up in the air a month ahead of his first race.
During an interview on the latest episode of the Dale Jr Download, Mitchell told Earnhardt that while he plans to race the superspeedways after Rockingham, with his sights set on Talladega’s April 25 or October 24 race weekend, the decision lies in the hands of NASCAR.
“NASCAR said I cannot run Talladega unless I go to Rockingham first and do well,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell then clarified that while he will have a rookie test for Rockingham, the race at Rockingham will determine his eligibility to race at Talladega.
What’s Happening? YouTube star-turned-NASCAR driver Garrett Mitchell, best known by his online persona Cleetus McFarland, has signed a part-time deal to…
Mitchell, who has two ARCA starts at Daytona and one at Talladega, has already taken a rookie test this season at Rockingham for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Despite a minor crash during this test, Mitchell was cleared to race in the season-opening race at Daytona, crashing himself in a single truck spin five laps into the race, after a valiant qualifying effort.
Even with the barrier of Rockingham in the way, fans are already somewhat concerned about McFarland’s skills, given the result of his short time behind the wheel of a truck.
During this episode of The DJD, Mitchell expressed his intentions to work his way up the ladder and learn, but with the caveat that if an opportunity presents itself to him, he will take it, using the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series as a metaphorical example.
“I don’t want to drive a Cup car right now. But, brother, if someone calls me and says, ‘We got a spot in a Cup car in the Daytona 500?’ I mean, what am I supposed to do?” — Cleetus McFarland
Despite his doubters, with the support of RCR and their developmental tools, Mitchell seems confident about the opportunity, already getting in some sim time with RCR.
Either way, no matter how much support he has in his corner, Mitchell is diving in headfirst once again with this opportunity.
What’s Happening? Despite his internet fame, Garrett Mitchell, by his screen name Cleetus McFarland, has recently taken to stock car racing…
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Lionel has officially opened pre-orders for Garrett Mitchell’s (better known as Cleetus McFarland) first-ever NASCAR diecast.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
YouTube star-turned-NASCAR driver Garrett Mitchell, best known by his online persona Cleetus McFarland, has signed a part-time deal to race with Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for the next two seasons.
UPDATE 3:00 PM EST: Per RCR Mitchell will make his debut at Rockingham Speedway on April 4.
What’s Happening? Despite his internet fame, Garrett Mitchell, by his screen name Cleetus McFarland, has recently taken to stock car racing…
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
