Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord

The Drivers who Struggle at New Hampshire

LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 16: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 Action Industries Chevrolet, drives a. damaged car during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Crayon 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, 2022 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Joshua Lipowski

All Content
Royal T Grafix

Join the Conversation

Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord

The “Magic Mile” in New Hampshire is one of the most challenging race tracks on the Cup Series calendar. Some drivers have struggled to get a handle on it. Which drivers struggle at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

5. A.J. Allmendinger

By the Numbers: 0 Wins; 0 Top-5s; 1 Top-10; 13 Laps Led; 22.4 Avg. Finish; 20 Races

Breakdown: With New Hampshire being a finesse-type race track similar to a road course, one would think that A.J. Allmendinger would find a better groove at New Hampshire. His only top-10 at the track came back in 2010 when he was driving the 43 car for Richard Petty. It’s Just not a place he’s had a ton of success at.

4. Chris Buescher

By the Numbers: 0 Wins; 0 Top-5s; 0 Top-10s; 0 Laps Led; 23.4 Avg. Finish; 9 Races

Breakdown: Chris Buescher has not had the best equipment at New Hampshire, but he has only two finishes inside of the top-20. His best finish is 15th, which came in 2019 for JTG Daugherty Racing. He has never failed to finish a race, but he just has not been able to put together a great race at the track.

3. Daniel Suarez

By the Numbers: 0 Wins; 0 Top-5s; 3 Top-10s; 0 Laps Led; 15.7 Avg. Finish; 7 Races

Breakdown: Recency bias does apply here to some extent, but Suarez has never been a major threat at New Hampshire. Despite two top-10 finishes to start his career in the series at the track, he had four consecutive finished after that outside of the top-15. With a solid finish last year, maybe he is figuring out the track.

2. William Byron

By the Numbers: 0 Wins; 0 Top-5s; 0 Top-10s; 0 Laps Led; 13.8 Avg. Finish; 5 Races

Breakdown: Given how much William Byron has improved in his time in the Cup Series, it’s hard to believe that he has failed to get a top-10 or lead a lap at New Hampshire. Most of his finishes are inside of the top-20, so he is not outright terrible at New Hampshire. However, it’s not quite up to his normal standards.

1. Alex Bowman

By the Numbers: 0 Wins; 0 Top-5s; 1 Top-10; 0 Laps Led; 24.3 Avg. Finish; 11 Races

Breakdown: Some may look at these stats and note that Bowman started his career in subpar equipment. Sure, that is true, but Bowman have never finished higher than ninth in a Hendrick car at the track. That’s not great for the equipment he is driving in.

A few big names are on this list, but this is a potential weekend for some redemption. Which of these drivers could surprise some people this weekend?

Share this:

Join the Conversation

Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.