How’s it going, race fans? Are you ready for the greatest weekend in all of motorsports? Memorial Day Weekend has always been a special weekend for fans. After all, it’s jam-packed with the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the Coca-Cola 600 all taking place on the same day. What more could we ask for? And kicking things off for this holiday weekend down in Charlotte were the youngsters of the ARCA Menards Series.
Making his third start on the year in the ARCA Menards Series was YouTube sensation, Cleetus McFarland. And ARCA and McFarland were going all out. His in-car camera was streamed on NASCAR’s YouTube channel all race long. This race in particular was significant because it was his debut on an intermediate track. So, with around 35,000 eyes on him via his stream, how did McFarland do in tonight’s race? Let’s break it down! Here’s how McFarland did in his intermediate ARCA debut!
Green flag at @CLTMotorSpdwy!
📺 @FS1 pic.twitter.com/qUwLKCRvCT— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) May 23, 2025
McFarland started off strong. Rolling off in the 11th position, the driver of the number 30 Ford quickly started to climb up the ladder into the top 10. He seemed to have settled in at 7th place before the first caution of the race flew for William Sawalich, who was off the pace on the outside. Riding solidly in the top 10 a tough decision had to be made–would he stay out for the track position or would he opt to come down pit road for adjustments?
Following the first caution of the evening, Cleetus McFarland chose track position over fresh General rubber. This launched him to second-place and he had the privilege of restarting on the front row. Leading the race at the time was NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular, Grant Enfinger, who was pulling a double of his own. This was a new experience for the YouTube celebrity as for the first time in his young ARCA career, he was one of the cars leading the field to the green.
Prior to the restart, his team reiterated to him the importance of warming up his tires before taking off. When the green flag flew once again, Cleetus’ tires spun, causing a stack-up in the outside lane. He weaved his number 30 Ford back and forth, trying to find traction. Before he could, though, Xfinity Series regular William Sawalich tagged him from behind. This got McFarland even more bent out of shape and he caught himself on the number 55 of Isabella Robusto. The incident took out a number of competitive cars. Both Sawalich and McFarland were able to continue but they received damage on the front and rear ends, respectively. Check out the whole incident in the clip below.
Here’s a funny thing to add. Prior to this restart, Cleetus McFarland got to fulfill his dream by tagging the pace car from the front row. Check it out.
Following the incident which saw him trigger a large wreck, McFarland, frustrated with himself over his “rookie mistake”, came down pit road. The crew changed tires, repaired some of the damage he received in the incident, and sent him back out. He managed to stay on the lead lap during the caution flag.
Upon the restart, he started to climb his way through the field again, impressing many with his ability to navigate traffic. He once again managed to work his way up to the 7th position. He ran in the position for most of the closing laps but faded as the leaders took 10 laps to go. Thad Moffitt in the number 46 managed to get around him. Meanwhile, the battle with Moffitt opened the door for Dr. Staropoli in the number 25. This dropped him down to 9th where he would run for the remaining laps.
McFarland got to learn firsthand just how far off the pace the rest of the field is compared to the handful of leaders up front week in and week out. Despite scoring a top 10 finish, McFarland was lapped by eventual race winner Austin Green. Still, 9th is his best finish in the series so far, bettering a 10th place finish at Talladega a number of weeks ago.
That does it for ARCA action at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, ladies and gentlemen! How about that one? What do you think of McFarland’s performance? Currently, his next scheduled start is Bristol in the fall. Would you like to see him pick up a few more races? Would you be interested in seeing him make a truck start or do a full campaign in ARCA next year? Let us know what you think! And be sure to stay tuned here at DailyDownforce.com as we get ready for Truck racing under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
