Cleetus McFarland explains why he chose Nashville to be his next NASCAR O'Reilly Series race

You won't see Cleetus McFarland on track in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, but he will be back behind the wheel of the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Nashville Superspeedway on May 30. 

McFarland, a YouTube star who has quickly shot up the NASCAR ranks, made his NOAPS debut at Rockingham on April 4 but finished 32nd and spun multiple times. His performance was not good enough to warrant NASCAR's approval for Talladega. 

In a Friday news conference, McFarland explained why he and RCR decided to add Nashville to his 2026 schedule. 

Why Cleetus McFarland is running Nashville

"When we first got the news back from NASCAR — which we kind of expected based on my hectic drive at Rockingham — that we were only approved for the shorter tracks, they probably just looked at it as, Nashville is a safe bet," McFarland said. "Considering the slower speeds in the turns, more time for me to just learn the car and the horsepower. 

"It just kinda worked out on its own. Hopefully, if I do well in Nashville, I can keep working my way up to bigger tracks and make my way up to Daytona."

McFarland will race alongside his friend and fellow YouTube star Squirrel McNutt in Saturday's ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega. 

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.