YouTube star-turned NASCAR driver Cleetus McFarland entered the sport earlier in 2025, but his debut proved challenging as he lacked experience. Looking to help him carve a better path, Dale Jr. recently extended a unique opportunity to race in the Late Model Tour.

Dale Jr., during the CARS Tour race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, spoke to the media, saying, "Cleetus could come race with us, and I would help him. I mean, this is a series that guys like that need to be racing in, as opposed to trying to get cleared for Talladega for the O’Reilly Series."

This past weekend, FrontStretch asked McFarland about Dale Jr.'s statements and a potential Late Model debut. He replied, "Well, I am building a Pro Late Model. Hopefully, it will be done in a few weeks. And then, I get my feet wet, and that will roll a little bit. And then, I am hoping to get out there and run with those guys. Yeah, what could go wrong?"

McFarland made his Truck Series debut at Daytona in February and his O'Reilly debut at Rockingham in April. He had a tough start to his racing career, finishing 37th at Daytona after an early spin and crash, and 32nd at Rockingham, six laps down.

This led fans, drivers, and veterans to question whether he belonged in the sport at this stage. However, he has been putting in the work to prove he belongs here, and his recent Talladega exploits prove it.

Dale Jr. reacts to Cleetus McFarland's Talladega race finish

During his recent outing in the ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega Speedway on April 25, Cleetus McFarland finished the race in second place, a career-best. In the final few laps, he looked calm and confident as if he had done this before.

Dale Jr. spoke about the same on his podcast "Dale Jr. Download." “I thought that he looked like a guy who knew what he was doing. It’s starting to click. He might not even know it," Dale Jr. said.

At some point, he was leading the pack during the race. However, a tiny bit of hesitation to pull a move cost him the big prize. Nonetheless, McFarland has shown improvement, and it will be worth watching if the 31-year-old can keep the momentum going. 

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yask Kotak