Cleetus McFarland. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NASCAR makes major Cleetus McFarland decision ahead of Talladega

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 7:33 PM ET

Following his NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Rockingham Speedway on Sunday, NASCAR denied internet sensation Cleetus McFarland approval to run the April 25 NOAPS race at Talladega Superspeedway with Richard Childress Racing and the No. 33 team.

McFarland shared the news in a Facebook post Tuesday evening. He will still compete in the April 25 ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega.

McFarland finished 32nd, six laps down after an eventful day at Rockingham that saw him spin four times.

Cleetus McFarland reacts to being denied for Talladega

"I want you to hear it from me first that I have been denied by NASCAR to run Talladega in my O'Reilly car," McFarland said. "[NASCAR] did not see enough [at Rockingham]. Granted, it was a pretty hectic race. NASCAR has said, we're going to need to see you run more ARCA, more Trucks. In the O'Reilly [Series), I am still limited to short tracks."

NEWS: Cleetus McFarland confirms on Facebook that #NASCAR has NOT approved him to run in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Talladega — citing they’d like him to run more Trucks and ARCA.
— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) April 7, 2026

McFarland made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13 but crashed early. Daytona, like Talladega, is a superspeedway where drivers race together in one large pack due to the draft.

It appears NASCAR still wants to see more from McFarland on short tracks and intermediates before he tackles the high banks of Talladega or Daytona in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. His next NOAPS start is currently unknown, though his two-year deal with Richard Childress Racing left room for McFarland to make three to four NOAPS starts in both 2026 and 2027.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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