A two-time NASCAR champion has said that Cleetus McFarland's rapid rise through the ranks of stock car racing doesn't sit well with him and his peers.
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Speaking with media members at Phoenix Raceway, Kyle Busch said that he would have liked McFarland (Garrett Mitchell) to run more races before getting to this point. McFarland just signed a part-time deal with Richard Childress Racing, which includes his O'Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Rockingham Speedway.
"I don't know how many races he's run," Busch said, quote courtesy of The Athletic's Jeff Gluck. "Denny Hamlin ran 10,000 before he got here, right. I don't know if Cleetus has run 10 or not, but there's definitely a need to having ample experience.
"My son has probably run more races than he has, and he's 10 years old. You know what I mean? I don't think that sets well with many of us."
Hell yeah brother. 🇺🇸🦅
Cleetus McFarland broke the news to @DaleJr that he's signed a deal with @RCRracing. pic.twitter.com/fgxPEY1ZFl
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) March 4, 2026
To Busch's point, the YouTuber made four ARCA Menards Series starts before moving up to the Craftsman Truck Series with a test at Rockingham Speedway and his first official start at Daytona International Speedway. He crashed on Lap 5 in a single-truck incident.
McFarland made his fifth ARCA Menards Series start the following day at Daytona. He finished 11th after qualifying fifth. Now, his rise will continue with the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Rockingham Speedway on April 4.
While McFarland doesn't have much NASCAR experience, he has competed in other events while creating content. This includes the Ford Crown Victoria races he puts on at the track he owns, Freedom Factory USA in Bradenton, Florida.
The YouTuber-turned-racer will continue to gain experience in stock car racing over the next couple of years as he drives part-time for Richard Childress Racing.
He hasn't detailed the number of starts he will make other than saying "three or four" a year, but he has noted that it will include superspeedways. Granted, he must first receive approval from NASCAR to compete at bigger tracks.
