Garrett Mitchell, better known to millions of fans as Cleetus McFarland, is set to expand his racing ambitions by partnering with Richard Childress Racing for a part-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule. The popular content creator will move from exhibition events and grassroots promotions into one of stock car racing’s most established organizations on a limited basis. His deal signals a calculated step toward national competition while preserving the media-driven identity that built his audience.
The agreement positions Mitchell as a bridge between digital-first motorsport culture and traditional NASCAR competition. By aligning with a team that already fields a championship-winning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series program, he gains proven equipment and infrastructure, while the organization taps into a massive online following that rarely intersects with conventional race broadcasts.
The deal with RCR and what part-time really means
Richard Childress Racing confirmed that Garrett Mitchell, commonly known as “Cleetus McFarland” to his YouTube subscribers, will compete in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with the team in 2026. The announcement describes him joining RCR’s championship-winning NOAPS program in a part-time capacity, rather than as a full-season driver, which allows the organization to integrate his schedule around its existing commitments. In its formal statement from WELCOME, NC, RCR framed the move as an opportunity to pair Mitchell’s digital reach with the established competitiveness of its O’Reilly operation, signaling a strategic blend of marketing and performance goals rather than a one-off novelty entry.
Mitchell has clarified that his contract with RCR is structured around a small number of events each year rather than a full campaign. Per his own description, the agreement covers three races per season, although he has hinted that the number could grow if both sides are satisfied with the early results and logistics. That structure preserves flexibility for his media work and other racing commitments while giving RCR repeat opportunities to refine the collaboration. The team has already identified Rockingham Speedway as one of the tracks where Mitchell will compete, with his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut scheduled at Rockingham on April 4 as part of the 2026 slate.
Cleetus McFarland’s path from YouTube to NASCAR
Mitchell’s path to this RCR opportunity runs through a distinctive blend of online content, grassroots promotion, and gradual steps into sanctioned NASCAR events. As a digital personality, he built a large following under the persona Cleetus McFarland, producing videos that mix high-horsepower builds, burnout contests, and tongue-in-cheek Americana. Behind that character is Garrett Mitchell, a driver who has steadily increased his on-track commitments, from exhibition races at his home facility to late model and stock car events that demand more discipline than viral stunts. That dual identity, entertainer and competitor, is central to why a major NASCAR team now sees him as an asset worth investing in.
His first formal step into NASCAR-sanctioned national competition came through the Truck Series. Earlier this year, he sought approval to compete at Daytona International Speedway, pursuing the necessary clearances to race in the NASCAR Truck Series and ultimately making his debut at Daytona on February 18. That effort placed him in a field that included established names and rising prospects, and it drew scrutiny from a NASCAR spotter who publicly critiqued aspects of his performance. The Daytona outing nonetheless provided valuable seat time in a national series environment and demonstrated that Mitchell was willing to subject his brand to the same competitive and regulatory standards that govern full-time professionals.
Freedom Factory roots and the Rockingham spotlight
The RCR partnership is closely tied to the ecosystem Mitchell has built around his own racetrack, the Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida. The venue’s official schedule lists a 2026 slate that includes The Florida Man Games on February 21 and a Cleetus McFarland Driving Experience on March 4, illustrating how the facility blends entertainment events with hands-on fan engagement. By turning a former oval into a hub for burnout competitions, endurance challenges, and driving schools, Mitchell has cultivated a fan base that associates racing with accessible fun rather than distant corporate spectacle. That environment has given him a proving ground to hone car control and event promotion, skills that now carry over into his NASCAR ambitions.
Rockingham Speedway will serve as the first major test of how that background translates to a traditional NASCAR stage. RCR has confirmed that Mitchell is scheduled to make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut with Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham on April 4, placing him on a historic oval that once hosted top-tier Cup Series events. The choice of Rockingham, a track with a reputation for abrasive pavement and tire management, suggests that the team expects more than a simple start-and-park appearance. Instead, the event will likely be treated as a genuine evaluation of Mitchell’s adaptability to a demanding intermediate-style circuit within the framework of RCR’s established NOAPS program.
Why RCR, NASCAR, and sponsors are betting on this experiment
For Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR, Mitchell represents a test case in how far a social media star can move the needle for a national series. RCR has already described itself as a team that is helping bring NASCAR to a broader digital audience by adding Cleetus McFarland to its O’Reilly Auto Parts Series lineup, a move intended to help market the NASCAR brand to fans who primarily consume motorsport content online. NASCAR itself has been working with Google Sports data integrations to present schedules and results in formats that are more discoverable to casual viewers, and Mitchell’s presence gives the sanctioning body another hook for those who might find racing through recommendation algorithms rather than television listings.
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