Garrett Mitchell, better known as ‘Cleetus McFarland’ will be returning to NASCAR competition in 2026 to drive three races in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Richard Childress Racing. McFarland will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet for his debut at NASCAR’s second-highest level. His three entries this year will be sponsored by Tommy’s Express.
“To have the opportunity to make my NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut with a legendary race team like Richard Childress Racing is a dream come true,” McFarland said. “It’s a huge honor, and I am incredibly grateful to learn under the leadership of Richard Childress, Mike Verlander, Danny Lawrence and everyone in Welcome, North Carolina.”
Building Cleetus’s NASCAR Deal
RCR’s deal with McFarland puts him in the No. 33 Chevrolet for three races apiece in 2026 and 2027. These starts are still pending McFarland’s formal approval to race from NASCAR. The 30-year-old Nebraksa native credited his late friend Greg Biffle as the driving force behind his journey from content creator to NASCAR driver.
The No. 33’s sponsor, Tommy’s Express, is a car wash chain with 272 locations in the United States. “Having Tommy’s Express on board for my debut makes it even more special,” McFarland continued. “They’re a fast-forward brand that understands speed, performance, and connecting with people, which lines up perfectly with everything we are trying to accomplish.”
The first race on McFarland’s slate this year is at Rockingham Speedway on April 4. On his social media McFarland wrote that his other two starts will be at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
Cleetus McFarland’s Journey to NASCAR
Earlier this year McFarland made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Daytona International Speedway. Driving the No. 4 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports, McFarland crashed on Lap 5 and finished 37th. To build on that opportunity, McFarland’s next ride is with the team that won the 2025 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship.
Prior to his NASCAR debut, McFarland rose to fame from his 4.6 million-subscriber YouTube channel. He purchased a short track in 2020 and named it the Freedom Factory. Since then he’s continued to film videos there with all-star guests such as Travis Pastrana, Carson Hocevar, and Greg Biffle.
McFarland drove four races for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA Menards Series last year. His best finish was ninth place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After his post-race interview at Daytona went viral, McFarland quickly became a rising star in the NASCAR world. That played a major part in his breakthrough to national series competition.
“We could not be more excited about hitting the track with Richard Childress Racing and Cleetus McFarland,” said Tommy’s Express CEO Alex Lemmen. “Cleetus is not only a skilled driver and motorsports enthusiast, but also a genius marketer with an authentic connection to millions of his fans. We can’t wait to bring our shared energy, purpose, and execution to the racing world. Let’s Go!”
