Less than a month removed from making his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway, Garrett Mitchell, also known as “Cleetus McFarland”, will be making his first career start in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
McFarland has partnered with Richard Childress Racing (RCR), the organization responsible for fielding last season’s championship-winning entry for Jesse Love, to run a part-time schedule in NASCAR’s second-tier division, in what is expected to be a multi-year agreement.
“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,” said Mitchell. “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. Having Tommy’s Express on board for my debut makes it even more special. 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.”
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The 30-year-old driver will pilot the No. 33, a third entry for the organization, in at least three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events in 2026, beginning with his series debut at Rockingham Speedway in April. According to a Facebook post, McFarland also plans to runs events at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash, a rapidly-growing car wash service combining cutting-edge wash technology, industry-leading quality, and sleek, state-of-the-art facilities, will serve as the primary sponsor of McFarland’s No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
“We could not be more excited about hitting the track with Richard Childress Racing and Cleetus McFarland,” said Alex Lemmen, Chief Executive Officer of Tommy’s Express. “We are humbled to partner with an iconic brand, company, and story such as RCR – our organizations share many of the same mission and purpose. Family-owned, multi-generational, vertically integrated, and on the cutting edge of speed, technology, and execution. We could not think of a better fit. 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!”
McFarland first showed up on the NASCAR scene in 2025, when he attempted the ARCA Menards Series season-opener, along with four other races, for Rette Jones Racing in the No. 30 Ford Mustang, netting a pair of top-10 finishes. After a partial schedule in ARCA, McFarland expanded his horizons, running the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Daytona this February with Niece Motorsports.
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This season, in just his second year of driving a stock car at a professional level, McFarland will be running events in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/racing-america as Cleetus McFarland Signs O’Reilly Series Deal with RCR.
