Garrett Mitchell, recognized as Cleetus McFarland and a popular YouTube personality, made his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Daytona International Speedway this past Friday. Dale Earnhardt Jr. voiced his strong NASCAR opinion, criticizing the sanctioning body’s decision to let McFarland compete, citing the need for greater real-world experience in such a demanding series.
Early Exit Marks McFarland’s NASCAR Truck Series Debut
McFarland entered the 2024 NASCAR Truck Series season-opener at Daytona after NASCAR cleared him to participate, having passed a high-speed evaluation at Rockingham Speedway. However, just six laps into the race, he lost control exiting Turn 4 and crashed by himself into the wall, resulting in a last-place finish among 37 starters. Mitchell’s prior experience in the stock car world was limited to five ARCA Menards Series starts in 2025, making this jump a formidable challenge amid heightened competition.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Candid Assessment
Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of NASCAR’s most noted voices and a steady supporter of new drivers, shared a conflicted response to both McFarland’s opportunity and NASCAR’s role in his entry. Earnhardt expressed that McFarland’s lack of seat time was a major factor in the Daytona incident, relating it to previous similar mishaps in Mitchell’s tests and races.
“Cleetus busted his ass off the corner, which I figured might happen. If you watched his test at Rockingham, which I did, he busted his ass off Turn 2 in a similar situation and got in the wall with his truck. They cleared him, which is fine,”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Driver and Broadcaster, said Tuesday on the Dale Jr. Download.
He continued, raising the question of readiness:
“Is he ready to race trucks right now? No. Will he be, could he be? Yes. If I was NASCAR, I would be doing everything I could to get him better. … He just needs to be racing more than he’s doing, and he needs to get more experience and get better. What happened to him at Daytona could happen to anyone, happened to me, could happen to anyone.”
Calling for a Structured Pathway for New Talent
Earnhardt Jr. called for NASCAR to do more to prepare social media talents like McFarland for national series competition. He emphasized the importance of building a deeper foundation of racing experience before drivers are thrust onto major stages like Daytona, especially given the influence McFarland brings with his 4 million subscribers and vast online following.
“I just think he needs a bigger library of experience, so that he can be better at the truck and go back there and really compete. I want him racing in the Truck Series, I want him racing in NASCAR, I want him bringing his followers to our sport, I want him to have success, I want him to have fun. I would say that he probably wouldn’t tell us, but that probably wasn’t too much fun, what happened [at Daytona]. So, why don’t we, as a sport, get behind this guy and surround him with the tools, get him in the sim, get him all the experience we can get him, so when he does go out there, he knows what he’s getting involved in.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Driver and Broadcaster
Debating NASCAR’s Review Process and Motivations
The question of NASCAR’s readiness standards was front and center, with Earnhardt Jr. noting he had no issue with sanctioning McFarland for the event but arguing the league’s priorities seemed misguided. He pointedly criticized what he saw as a focus on publicity over building sustainable driving skill.
“My feeling is he doesn’t understand what’s about to happen in these situations,”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Driver and Broadcaster, said.
“… If I was NASCAR, I wouldn’t be worried about making content and making clicks and how can we put him in front of the camera and how can we make a YouTube video that gets 2 million views — I wouldn’t worry about that sh*t. I would be making him a racecar driver. He’s got the clicks, they’re coming, they’re there…”
Acknowledging the entertainment value and boost to NASCAR’s audience brought by personalities like McFarland, Earnhardt Jr. nonetheless argued that true long-term impact comes from competitive respectability and driver development, rather than mere social reach.
“I just don’t feel like he’s as good as he needs to be to be able to come out there and have fun and have a respectable result. At the same time, I don’t mind they cleared him. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been out there — he wasn’t ready. … I don’t have a strict standard in terms of approval and so forth.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Driver and Broadcaster
What Lies Ahead for Cleetus McFarland?
Despite the disappointing debut, McFarland is expected to continue his motorsports journey, with plans for a partial ARCA schedule in 2026 on the horizon. His future participation in the Truck Series for the rest of the current season remains uncertain as NASCAR, teams, and influencers weigh the delicate balance between digital audience appeal and driving proficiency. Earnhardt Jr.’s pointed NASCAR opinion spotlights ongoing debates about readiness and the evolving standards for new entrants in stock car racing, especially those leveraging fame from outside traditional racing circles.
As NASCAR continues to navigate this new landscape, the focus will be on whether prospects like McFarland will receive more structured support and experience before returning to national competition.
