Cleetus McFarland’s entry into the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has not sat well with many in the community. Most of the criticism has been centered around the driver approval process. Of course, there are veterans like Mark Martin who have voiced support for the internet personality as well. Kyle Busch, McFarland’s teammate, presented an interesting and candid perspective on the situation.
Advertisement
McFarland will represent Richard Childress Racing via an agreement that will see him compete in three races across two seasons in the O’Reilly series. When Busch was asked about the decision and his team’s role in bringing McFarland into the fold, his response was short and direct. “Good for him.”
When Busch came in, he was 17 or 18 years old, and it was time to go run some of these places for the first time. They had five tests available to rookies, and he used all of them. “So I don’t know. It’s a different time, man,” said Busch, pointing out that the pathway into NASCAR has changed.
The No. 8 RCR driver then spoke about how money and backing often open doors in NASCAR. And that happens even if critics continue to raise questions about experience and the approval process.
“I feel like when you’ve got drivers that have funding that are able to come up here and do this sort of stuff, then by all means, there’s going to be the critics that where’s the approval process, and I’m probably one of those to some, and this might be one of those cases, but we haven’t stopped letting people race yet, so why now?” added Busch.
For context, here’s the full exchange between Kyle Busch & @NoahReedReports on the Cleetus McFarland approval process.#nascar #racing pic.twitter.com/mPIpCIh9Ux
— Charlie Marlow (@CharlieMarlow_) March 8, 2026
When asked what advice he would give to McFarland when he makes the step up, Busch said that, with on-track testing no longer part of the routine, simulation now serves as the main tool for learning tracks. Even while wishing McFarland well, Busch hinted at the gap in racing mileage.
“I don’t know how many races he’s run. Denny Hamlin ran 10,000 before he got here, right? So I don’t know if Cleetus has run 10 or not,” he said.
Busch also pointed to the value of time behind the wheel, noting that his son, Brexton Busch, has already logged a large number of starts in youth racing despite being just 10 years old.
Experience still stands as the bread and butter of stock car racing. While the door remains open for newcomers, the garage knows that laps, more than fame, usually help script success on the track.
