May 30, 2026; Lebanon, Tennessee, USA; Cleetus McFarland (33) at Nashville Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
May 30, 2026; Lebanon, Tennessee, USA; Cleetus McFarland (33) at Nashville Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Cleetus McFarland might have received a reality check in Nashville, but he does not intend to slow down. The YouTuber-turned-NASCAR driver talked about big plans while keeping an eye on the big goal of competing in the Daytona 500.
On the upcoming weekend, McFarland is gearing up for double-duty at Michigan. During his recent appearance on the Door, Bumper, Clear podcast, McFarland hinted at bigger plans after the Michigan races.
“I’m running the Truck and the ARCA car at Michigan and then I think Mark’s got me maybe tuned up on a couple extra ARCA races this year.”
McFarland further continued how he is currently enjoying racing in the lower divisions. He said, “Now, looking at the ultimate goal, it’s to make it to the Daytona 500, but I’m having so much fun that I think it’s gonna end up being more than that.
"One day I’ll race the Daytona 500. I’m in no rush. We want to just enjoy the h*** out of the process, just see where we end up.”
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Garrett Mitchell Cleetus McFarland 4 Niece Motorsports Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet waves to the crowd prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Craftsman Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 on February 13, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 13 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602133621250
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Garrett Mitchell Cleetus McFarland 4 Niece Motorsports Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet waves to the crowd prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Craftsman Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 on February 13, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 13 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602133621250
McFarland's racing plans had taken a drastic turn when Greg Biffle tragically passed away this offseason. Initially not feeling like racing anymore, he decided to honor Biffle and started in the Daytona 500 truck for Niece Motorsports.
He then had his stints at Rockingham, Kansas, and now at Nashville. He's been enjoying the ARCA races more and his results have also been significantly better there. In the Talladega race, he finished runner-up, his best one so far.
At Michigan, McFarland will drive the No. 30 Ford Mustang for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA race on June 5, followed by the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports in the Truck race on June 6.
Cleetus McFarland buries the hatchet with Tommy Baldwin
When the YouTuber-turned-NASCAR driver was offered a seat at Richard Childress Racing in the O’Reilly series, he was met with a lot of criticism from various NASCAR insiders, including Tommy Baldwin.
During the aforementioned podcast, Baldwin addressed the criticism and explained how they were never against him but were rather against NASCAR expediting the process. To which Cleetus replied:
"To go back on what Tommy's saying, I agree with you. From my perspective, I didn't think that you guys were against me. I think initially it came off, like the first podcast, obviously that blew up when Freddy was like, 'this guy's wad stuff', after I crashed a truck in Daytona. It just came off as if you guys were haters... to the internet.
“But I understood the fact that from the outside, it does look like I'm trying to shove my way into these higher series, which I really am not. If I can get a seat and it's offered to me, I'm going to take it. But I don't think I ever took it as the fact that you guys wanted me out."
As of now, Cleetus McFarland is focused on his ultimate goal of competing in the Daytona 500 and potentially adding more races to his racing schedule.
You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!
Written by
Chionia Libania Colaco
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason