Cleetus McFarland, also known as Garrett Mitchell, recently shared in a Facebook video that NASCAR has not approved him to run superspeedways in the O’Reilly Series at this time. According to Cleetus, NASCAR did not think he had shown enough during a recent race, which included some chaotic moments like attempting to pass in a three-wide situation and spinning out multiple times. As a result, NASCAR has advised him to participate in more ARCA and Truck races to improve his skills. Despite the setback, Cleetus acknowledges that he still has a lot to learn and emphasizes the importance of gaining more experience behind the wheel. He remains hopeful that with more practice, he will eventually be able to compete at Daytona and Talladega in the future.
The decision by NASCAR to withhold approval for Cleetus to run superspeedways was also echoed by Richard Childress Racing’s Danny Lawrence, who mentioned that NASCAR might require Cleetus to participate in additional races before granting permission for Daytona and Talladega. This sentiment was further supported by NASCAR EVP John Probst, who emphasized the need for Cleetus to demonstrate more on short tracks before moving on to larger venues. Despite the obstacles, Cleetus remains determined to continue his journey in NASCAR and improve his skills with every opportunity he gets.
