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Everything that Happened in the 2025 ARCA Race at IRP

LAKEVILLE, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 28: Brent Crews, driver of the #1 JBL Toyota, enters his truck for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series LiUNA! 150 at Lime Rock Park on June 28, 2025 in Lakeville, Connecticut. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Cody Williams

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Royal T Grafix

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What’s Happening?

One of NASCAR’s biggest weekends on the calendar is here! It’s Brickyard 400 weekend, and we’re kicking things off in style. Tonight, Friday, July 25, 2025, we’re getting a double-header from the bullring just outside of Indianapolis. The ARCA Menards and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series take to the Lucus Oil Raceway Park (formerly the Indianapolis Raceway Park) for some beating and banging short track racing!

First up was this afternoon’s ARCA race. There were a couple of things to look for heading into this race. For starters, Brenden “Butterbean” Queen came into the race with the points lead. He held a 26-point advantage over Lawless Alan ahead of this afternoon’s event. While he didn’t feel comfortable with that lead, he knew that wins were the answer. He had 4 this year before this race. Queen was looking to add to his win total today from the pole.

Meanwhile, Toyota’s top prospect, Brent Crews, was back in the JGR No. 18. He was one of the few drivers who would have anything for Queen in this race. So, what went down? Let’s talk about it. Here’s Everything that Happened in the ARCA Menards Series race at IRP.

Before the Halftime Break

The likes of Queen and Crews dominated the opening laps of this race. While they were able to extend a sizeable lead over third place Lawless Alan, Queen and Crews remained nose to tail with one another for the first half of this race. Queen led at the halftime break. The top 10 running order at the time of halftime was as follows.

Top 10 Running Order
  • 1st: 28-Brenden Queen
  • 2nd: 18-Brent Crews
  • 3rd: 20-Lawless Alan
  • 4th: 6-Lavar Scott
  • 5th: 55-Isabella Robusto
  • 6th: 79-Isaac Kitzmiller
  • 7th: 82-Connor Mosack
  • 8th: 97-Jason Kitzmiller
  • 9th: 25-Mason Mitchell
  • 10th: 95-Hunter Wright

Brent Crews Scores at IRP

To restart the second half of the race, Brent Crews overtook Branden Queen for the lead for the first time of the evening. Meanwhile, Queen got mired back in lap traffic. Looking at the win slipping away, Queen got exactly what he needed with around 50 to go when the caution came out. This meant that he would have at least one more shot at recapturing the lead.

On the restart, the outside line of Brent Crews and Lawless Alan got the jump. This dropped Queen down to third and into the clutches of Isabella Robusto. As Alan and Queen battled, Crews set sail. The No. 18 JBL Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing extended his lead to over one second. As the ran, it was clear that the No. 28 of Queen was starting to struggle. In dirty air, the handling of his car went away. Initially, he fell down to 5th. Then, with 10 to go, he took 4th back away from his teammate, Connor Mosack.

Crews continued to stretch his lead to three seconds over Alan. The second half of this race ended up being a no-contest. Brent Crews collected his 4th career ARCA Menards Series race. It was his second win of the year after Phoenix this spring.

Unofficial Race Results

Winner: 18-Brent Crews
  • 2nd: 20-Lawless Alan
  • 3rd: 28-Brenden Queen
  • 4th: 55-Isabella Robusto
  • 5th: 6-Lavar Scott
  • 6th: 82-Connor Mosack
  • 7th: 79-Isaac Kitzmiller
  • 8th: 97-Jason Kitzmiller
  • 9th: 95-Hunter Wright
  • 10th: 46-Thad Moffitt
  • 11th: 2-Lanie Buice
  • 12th: 40-Andrew Patterson
  • 13th: 70-Sam Corry
  • 14th: 23-Tyler Reif
  • 15th: 25-Mason Mitchell
  • 16th: 11-Zachary Tinkle
  • 17th: 68-Regina Sirvent
  • 18th: 9-Cody Dennison
  • 19th: 31-Quinn Davis
  • 20th: 96-Jackson McLerren
  • 21st: 10-Tony Cosentino
  • 22nd: 03-Alex Clubb
  • 23rd: 7-Cadence Davemport
  • 24th: 98-Mike Bashem
  • 25th: 06-Brayton Laster
  • 26th: 48-Brad Smith
  • 27th: 69-Brian Finney
  • 28th: 67-Presley Sorah
  • 29th: 99-Michael Maples
  • 30th: 34-Austin Vaughn
  • 31st: 12-Tokkuma Koma
  • 32nd: 01-Matt Kemp
  • 33rd: 86-Doug Miller
  • 34th: 85-Becca Monopoli

Conclusion

That does it for the 150 laps of the ARCA race at IRP! What did you think of the race, Daily Downforce readers? Let us know what you think! And stay tuned! UP NEXT: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at IRP!

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Cleetus McFarland Explains The One Catch to His NASCAR O’Reilly Series Schedule

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

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.

Stirring the Pot

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.

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Cleetus McFarland’s First NASCAR Diecast is Officially Available for Pre-Order

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

Lionel has officially opened pre-orders for Garrett Mitchell’s (better known as Cleetus McFarland) first-ever NASCAR diecast.

  • This announcement comes as part of his upcoming debut in NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next month. While the sponsor, Tommy’s Express Car Wash, and car number, No. 33, are known, there has yet to be an official render of his paint scheme released to the public.
  • Lionel Racing is offering two diecast options for Mitchell: the first option is the 1:64 scale diecast at $11.75, and the second is a 1:24 scale diecast at $70.00. As of press time, it appears the car will not receive any other options, such as Special Finishes like Color Chrome or Galaxy Colored.
  • Mitchell announced his first NASCAR OAP Series race on Wednesday afternoon, signing a two-year, three-race-per-year deal with RCR. This is a major step for the YouTube star turned NASCAR driver, who made his ARCA debut last season.
  • Due to his popularity both in and out of NASCAR, Mitchell’s diecast may be one of the most anticipated in recent memory. Many race fans are already giving bold predictions for the large order quantity this car will receive by the time it reaches production.

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BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 11: Garrett Mitchell, also known as Cleetus McFarland, driver of the #30 Kenetik Ford waits on the grid prior to the ARCA Menards Series Bush's Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 11, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

UPDATE: Cleetus McFarland Will Race in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series This Year

by Kauy Ostlien

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 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.

  • Mitchell announced his signing with RCR in a Wednesday afternoon post on his Facebook. The 30-year-old says that RCR reached out, offering to make him “a better driver and give you an opportunity to grow in this sport.”
  • The Floridaian will drive the team’s part-time No. 33 on a part-time basis over the next two seasons. Mitchell claims in his post that the deal is three races a year, but hints it could be more, saying “3 races a year right now.”
  • Mitchell, who made his NASCAR debut last season with a four-race schedule in the ARCA Menards Series, has brought a legion of fans to NASCAR in his few starts. So far, Mitchell has made five career starts in the ARCA Menards Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
  • That start in the Truck Series, at Daytona earlier this season, was a spark of controversy, as, after crashing in his test for approval, Mitchell crashed himself early on in the race. While he has his supporters, including many in the garage area, this move up the NASCAR ladder will likely see some pushback from fans across the board.
  • As of press time, Mitchell has yet to announce his first race of this part-time schedule with RCR.

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.