ROCKINGHAM — YouTuber Cleetus McFarland is set to make his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Rockingham Speedway next month.
McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, will be driving for Richard Childress Racing in the N.C. Education Lottery 250 on April 4, RCR announced Tuesday.
The popular motorsports-oriented content creator, who boasts more than 4.6 million YouTube subscribers, tested at the Rock last month — following the NASCAR organizational test — prior to his Craftsman Truck Series start at Daytona.
McFarland started 12th in that race — three positions ahead of three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart — but only completed five laps before spinning out, crashing and finishing last. However, he went on to finish 11th in the ARCA Menards Series that weekend.
“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,” Mitchell said in a press release. “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.”
The Florida native had four starts in the ARCA Menards Series in 2025, with two top-10 finishes at Talladega Superspeedway (10) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (9). He also finished 17th at Bristol Motor Speedway.
McFarland will be driving the No. 33 Tommy’s Express Chevrolet. According to a press release, Tommy’s Express is “a rapidly growing national car wash chain with more than 270 locations across the United States, Canada and France.”
"We could not be more excited about hitting the track with Richard Childress Racing and Cleetus McFarland,” Alex Lemmen, chief executive officer of Tommy’s Express, said in a release. “
“We could not think of a better fit,” Lemmen continued. “When you add Cleetus McFarland as our driver, you truly have a dream team. 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!"
Kasey Kahne drives the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing in the 2025 N.C. Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway.
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
Kasey Kahne came out of retirement in 2025 to drive the No. 33 car for RCR at Rockingham. Kahne — who won the 2012 Craftsman Truck Series race at the Rock and placed second behind Matt Kenseth in the 2004 Cup Series race — started fourth and finished 14th in the N.C. Education Lottery 250.
McFarland will be the third RCR entry in the race, along with Jesse Love and Austin Hill.
Love was initially declared winner of last year’s race at Rockingham, but was later disqualified and lost his appeal. Despite the setback, Love went on to win the season championship.
NASCAR weekend kicks off Thursday, April 2 with Thunderfest in downtown Rockingham, featuring a driver meet-and-greet, food and merchandise vendors, and musical entertainment by Anna J and the Eli Young Band.
The racing action begins Friday, April 3 with the Black’s Tire 200 in the Craftsman Truck Series. The next day, Saturday, April 4, will include a 125-lap race in the ARCA Menards Series East, followed by the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series N.C. Education Lottery 250.
Tickets for the race weekend are available at racetherock.com and Rockingham City Hall.
