In the storied world of NASCAR, there’s a time-honored tradition of veteran drivers taking newcomers under their wing. From Richard Petty mentoring a young Jeff Gordon to Dale Earnhardt Sr. offering wisdom to Tony Stewart, these mentorship moments often shape the future of the sport. In recent times, NASCAR veteran Greg Biffle stepped into those legendary shoes and promised fans his comeback at Talladega with YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland.
Garrett Mitchell, aka Cleetus McFarland, made his ARCA debut at Daytona International Speedway in 2024 with Rette Jones Racing. Driving the No. 30 Ford, the YouTube sensation was collected in a big one that was sparked early in the race. Just like that, McFarland’s dreams of impacting his ARCA debut snapped in a crash. But the good news is that Biffle will be supervising his next racing adventure, which is not just restricted to superspeedway races.
With 19 NASCAR Cup Series wins and nearly two decades of top-level racing experience, Biffle brings invaluable knowledge to McFarland, whose racing journey has captivated millions through his YouTube channel. The partnership represents a fascinating bridge between NASCAR’s traditional past and its social media-driven future.
Biffle Commits to Talladega Return
When asked about his continued involvement with McFarland’s racing endeavors, Biffle was clear about his immediate plans. “Yes, I’m going to be in Talladega in a few weeks,” demonstrating his commitment to McFarland’s development despite the disappointment at Daytona.
But Biffle didn’t stop there, revealing an even more exciting possibility for fans of both drivers. “We keep talking about it and I keep threatening to run one of the ARCA races so we can race together as teammates,” Biffle admitted, though he added, “I can’t get myself to do it, I don’t know why.” This tantalizing prospect of the NASCAR veteran returning to competition alongside his protégé could potentially materialize at upcoming events.
Biffle’s last start in the ARCA Series came last year driving the Sigma Performance Service No. 23 Chevy at Tri-City Raceway. He ended the race with a P9 finish, it’s clear that he hasn’t lost the knack of delivering the goods on the racetrack. However, McFarland still needs to learn a lot when it comes to stock car racing. A six-race stint back in 2022 driving the Stadium Super trucks is the only time he ran as a professional racer, but stock car racing is a different ball game altogether.
Reflecting on McFarland’s Daytona learning experience, Biffle offered insight into the unique challenges of superspeedway racing. “When an accident happens, there’s you can’t avoid it and that’s really unusual,” Biffle explained. “You think you can go around it…but the car won’t react that fast and won’t get around it.” Despite the early end to McFarland’s race, Biffle maintained optimism: “I still feel like he learned a decent amount at Daytona and hopefully Talladega will be a cleaner race.”
Part 1 of @gbiffle announcing that he will be at Talladega to support Garrett Mitchell (Cleetus McFarland) and what he expects from him the second go around. #NASCAR | #Racing | @MtrsprtsToday pic.twitter.com/n1YNYPVOw9
— Tim Moore (@IveBeenTimMoore) April 6, 2025
Looking beyond Talladega, rumors suggest Cleetus McFarland is set to tackle another legendary venue with a completely different set of challenges, setting up the next phase of his racing education under Biffle’s watchful eye. “I believe he is going to run Bristol later in the year.” The veteran then painted a vivid picture of what awaits the YouTube star at the high-banked short track known as “The Last Great Colosseum.”
“You go out and make 10 laps at Bristol, you come in, you can’t feel your arms and you’re out of breath,” Biffle recalled from his own experience. “It’s like death grip on the wheel and it’s so fast for those first 10 laps.” So, McFarland is expected to get the real experience from riding the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway, followed by the chaos on the short-oval at Bristol.
Biffle’s Challenge to McFarland
Despite the disappointing outcome at Daytona, Greg Biffle hasn’t lost faith in his protégé’s potential, though he’s playfully distancing himself from any potential missteps. “I basically taught him everything he knows about driving a car. And today he’s going to prove that,” Biffle declared in a recent interview, before adding the humorous disclaimer, “Now if he does some dumb s— out there, that’s not me – I did not tell him to do that.” This good-natured challenge adds another layer of intrigue to McFarland’s upcoming Talladega appearance.
With 4+ million YouTube subscribers McFarland has displayed excellent speeds after starting his NASCAR career. The two-day Daytona session in July revealed McFarland had a top ten spot and then secured a 15th position finish among Mustangs showing his racing skills go further than his Cleetus and Cars events. Biffle’s ongoing coaching suggests the possibility for McFarland to escape the early wreck that ended his Daytona event.
Biffle has even outlined what victory would look like, adding his own colorful conditions to their partnership. “Now if he drives that thing to the front and gets the trophy, and tears up that infield, and we together don’t wear sleeves for two years? That’s what I taught him,” the 2002 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion joked. With McFarland’s second superspeedway start at Talladega rapidly approaching, both mentor and mentee have everything to prove—though regardless of the outcome, McFarland’s enthusiastic fanbase ensures he’ll remain a popular figure in this unexpected NASCAR journey.
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