What’s Happening?

A recent report suggests that YouTuber Garrett Mitchell, better known for his on-screen persona Cleetus McFarland, will play a key role in the return of Stellantis’ RAM brand to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. While this would be another step on the NASCAR ladder for Mitchell, how does this news match up with past comments from the YouTuber-turned-racer?

Ram and McFarland

Garrett Mitchell made his NASCAR debut in the ARCA Menards Series opener at Daytona International Speedway in February. Since then, the YouTuber, who has over four million subscribers on his Cleetus McFarland Channel, has become a viral sensation for the lowest level of NASCAR’s touring divisions.

While Mitchell is taking his development slowly, a shocking piece of information dropped this weekend when Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal reported that Mitchell will take part in another one of 2025’s biggest NASCAR stories. The report claimed that Mitchell is one of a few “potential drivers” who will play a major role in Ram Trucks’ return to NASCAR in 2026.

The prospective @RamTrucks team is expected to lean on celebrity partnerships and potentially ownership to grow its presence quickly in NASCAR. https://t.co/LixlpYMFDS

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) June 2, 2025

Since early February, rumors have circulated that the brand, which has not been in NASCAR in over a decade, could return to the sport in 2026. According to the report from Stern, their return, which is yet to be officially confirmed, will “lean on celebrity partnerships and potentially ownership to grow its presence quickly,” with Mitchell serving as a “driver and brand ambassador.”

So, if RAM returns and Mitchell joins them, how does this fit into his NASCAR development?

What Has Mitchell Said About His NASCAR Development?

Though he has mostly played his pursuits in NASCAR off as a gimmick, Mitchell is taking his development seriously since he debuted with Rette Jones Racing’s No. 30 Ford Mustang in February; Mitchell has added a race at three of the four styles of NASCAR tracks to his schedule.

However, what’s often overlooked in his part-time starts is his long-term goal.

Multiple times, Mitchell has mentioned making it to the 2027 Daytona 500 and stating that he initially intended to run the Great American Race as soon as possible. Yet, since his ARCA debut, McFarland has made a 180 on these opinions, often expressing his intentions to take his development as a driver slowly.

In doing so, Mitchell has also called out those drivers who take that quick jump to Cup he once pursued, currently calling this the “dumbest thing I could possibly do.”

After Daytona, McFarland told Corey LaJoie on the Jun. 3 episode of Stacking Pennies, “I’m just gonna run ARCA until I feel ready to go run Xfinity,” Mitchell said. “And then when I feel ready to run Cup, I’m gonna run Cup or [a] Truck.”

Even after his second Superspeedway race at Talladega, Mithcell reiterated his new slow approach to NASCAR development during an interview with NASCAR Legend Kevin Harvick.

“Our original goal was the Daytona 500 2027. And I’m not saying that’s off the board, but now that I know just a smidge about NASCAR, I still think that might be too early. Cause them guys are on a whole other level.” — Garrett Mitchell

We know that Mitchell is comfortable taking his time, and he is still interested in the 2027 Daytona 500, so how does a startup like RAM fit into this picture?

How does this play into Other Rumors About Dodge and the Truck Series?

The first and most obvious issue is the difficulty of finding a ride in the Truck Series. For example, take fellow celebrity turned racer Frankie Muniz. After a season with RJR in the No. 30, Muniz had to sit as a part-time driver in 2024, awaiting his spot in the Truck Series. Ram could fix this.

However, equally difficult for McFarland will be his pursuit of a ride for the Daytona 500. While it’s not hard to find a ride for the race, quality seats are few and far between. While Ram can quickly come back to the Truck Series in 2025 thanks to their spec Ilmor Engines, not far behind them in the NASCAR rumor mill is fellow Stellantis brand Dodge.

Rejoining the NASCAR Cup and even the Xfinity Series will take a little more work for the brand. A Feb. 22 report from Jordan Bianchi of the Athletic, Dodge’s Cup Series program “could be operational as soon as 2027 or 2028.” A keen eye will notice these two dates are within Mitchell’s projected timeline for the Daytona 500

So, rather than being a stopgap for Mitchell, the two Stellantis brands could work symbiotically to help themselves and Mitchell achieve their shared goals of racing at the highest level of NASCAR in the coming years.

Of course, both the 2027 Daytona 500 and the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series season are far away. A lot can change in that time, but maybe NASCAR fans will see two of the best storylines this season intertwine by next season.

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