ARCA Menards Series driver Cleetus McFarland has been facing backlash from both NASCAR fans and insiders ahead of his O’Reilly Series debut. This time, former seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty’s son, Kyle Petty, joined the discussion and pointed out that “internet sensations” like McFarland have “no place on racetracks” with stock car racing drivers.
On March 4, 2026, McFarland signed a new deal with Richard Childress Racing to debut in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The 30-year-old will pilot the #33 Chevy entry for the team in three events each year. This announcement drew criticism from several figures, including Freddie Kraft, Kyle Busch, and now Kyle Petty.
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During a post-Phoenix race, Petty talked about Cleetus McFarland’s experience in stock car racing. The YouTuber has only one official start in the NASCAR Truck Series, raising Petty’s concern. Following that, Richard Petty’s son blasted McFarland ahead of the Rockingham race (via DailyDownforce.com):
“All you have to do to be a NASCAR O’Reilly or Truck [driver], to get to that level, is to have your parents buy you a video game when you’re young, so you can learn how to drive on a sim, or have ten million YouTube followers. You don’t have to have any talent. You don’t have to know anything about it. You just have to drive a Crown Vic and have some great races and some great crowds show up for you.”
“Don’t come here if all you are is an internet sensation because you’ve got no place on a racetrack with those guys at the Cup level, and you’ve got really no place with a lot of those guys at the O’Reilly level,” he added.
Cleetus McFarland is set to pilot the #33 Chevy for RCR alongside Jesse Love and Austin Dillon at the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 Presented by Black’s Tire. The 250-lap race is scheduled for April 4, 2026, at Rockingham Speedway.
“My son’s run more races than he has”: Kyle Busch’s blunt reaction to Cleetus McFarland’s RCR deal in the O’Reilly Series
A few days ago, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch called out Cleetus McFarland for his O’Reilly Series deal with Richard Childress Racing. Despite competing for the same team in the Cup Series, Busch was not impressed by the decision and questioned the YouTuber’s experience behind the wheel.
Continuing, the Cup Series driver cited Denny Hamlin’s experience as an example and compared McFarland to his son, Brexton. Busch emphasized that his 10-year-old son has more starts than the ARCA Menards Series driver.
The Richard Childress Racing driver further told the media:
“I mean, he just, I don’t know. I don’t know how many races he’s run. Denny Hamlin ran 10,000, right, before he got here. I don’t know if Cleetus has run 10 or not, but there’s definitely a need to having ample experience.”
“My son’s probably run more races than he has, and he’s 10 years old. You know what I mean? So I don’t think that sits well with many of us,” he concluded.
However, Kyle Busch was not the only NASCAR figure questioning Richard Childress Racing’s decision to sign a deal with Cleetus McFarland. Previously, 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, also called out the decision on social media.
Edited by Karan Yadav
