The Talladega Superspeedway had a special driver on track for the General Tire 200 on Saturday. YouTuber Cleetus McFarland started in the ARCA Menards Series for the second time this year and ended up with a solid 10th place. His participation and effort drew praises from multiple quarters, including Cup Series hotshots Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman.
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Bell does not have a giant idea about who McFarland is or what he does. However, he has seen the viral interviews and believes that such a character can be a breath of fresh air in the upright world of stock car racing.
He told the press in Dega, “The name of the game has fallen down this path of political correctness. You have to say the right things, do the right things, and act a certain way.”
“It’s refreshing whenever you get a guy like that. I don’t think he is trying to make a career out of this. Maybe one day he will, I don’t know. But he definitely does it in his own way, and I respect that,” Bell added. McFarland’s result did not come without drama. After detecting an unfixable issue with his engine’s valve train, his crew had instructed him to continue the race and hope that the car doesn’t give up.
The chances of him crossing the checkered flag were low. However, he did not lose optimism and was fortunate with some well-timed cautions and restarts. These breaks helped him move up the order with the faulty car and finish inside the top-10. He was beyond thrilled, understandably. His first ARCA Menards Series race was at Daytona earlier this year, and it ended with a DNF.
Bowman is impressed by McFarland
Unlike Bell, Bowman has a clearer idea about who Cleetus McFarland is and what his abilities are. He expressed admiration at how the YouTuber has been able to climb up to the ARCA Menards Series quickly without having a lot of circuit driving experience. “I think he is going about things the right way,” he said. “He’s got a lot of people helping him.”
As far as McFarland’s easy-going character goes, the Hendrick Motorsports driver believes that it becomes serious and professional when it comes to performance. So, he doesn’t see any reason to consider him aloof or irresponsible about things.
McFarland is expected to race more at this level this year. However, there hasn’t been any confirmation of such a prospect so far. Bell and Bowman better watch out for this most unlikely of rivals.
