The conversation surrounding Cleetus McFarland’s race in the NASCAR national series still isn’t over, and now Brad Keselowski stepped in with an idea he believes could fix what he calls a “broken” system.
McFarland, a YouTuber who has built a large following through online automotive content, recently received approval to compete in NASCAR’s higher divisions despite his limited racing experience. After a few starts in the ARCA Menards Series and a debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he was allowed to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Richard Childress Racing.
Advertisement
This decision didn’t please everyone in the garage, and understandably so.
Keselowski said the situation shows how blurred NASCAR’s scale of development has become over the years. Speaking on Dale Earnhardt Jr. podcastthe RFK Racing driver said the structure that once guided drivers in the sport has slowly disappeared.
“The problem we have is the NASCAR industry as a whole is that for whatever reason we have completely abandoned the identity of these four series,” Keselowski said.
“Not necessarily the Cup Series, but those four series, kind of like the pecking order, were abandoned. And that started with the Cup drivers being removed from the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.”
Advertisement
In the past, most drivers worked their way up the ranks step by step. Many started in ARCA, moved to the Truck Series, then the Xfinity Series before reaching the NASCAR Cup Series. Keselowski believes that this path is no longer so clear.
For this reason, he suggested a stricter approval system that would require drivers to gain more experience before progressing to the next level.
“Personally, I think the 3 Series should have three different approval criteria, with the Truck Series being approved. So, here’s my take. If you want to run ARCA and you know you have less than 100 starts in any form of major or even minor league racing. Yeah. Okay, cool. ARCA is your place. In my mind, you shouldn’t be allowed to run the Truck Series unless you say, ‘I have over 100 departures across the country.
The conversation grew louder after McFarland’s truck debut ended after a crash during the race weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
Read also: “What are we doing?” Veteran blasts approval of NASCAR standards after Daytona
Kyle Busch also questions NASCAR decision
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Keselowski is not the only driver expressing concerns. Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch also questioned how quickly McFarland was able to enter the national NASCAR series. Busch pointed out that most drivers spend years gaining experience before reaching these levels.
Advertisement
In an interview with Fox8, Busch said“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 ran 10 or not, but you definitely have to have a lot of experience. My son has probably run more races than him, and he’s 10 years old. You know what I mean? So, I don’t think it’s a good fit for a lot of us.”
The debate over Cleetus McFarland highlights a wider debate that has developed in modern motorsport. On one side are the traditionalists who believe that drivers should move up the established developmental ladder – karting, Late Models, then ARCA – gaining years of experience before reaching NASCAR’s national series. On the other hand, NASCAR and teams such as Richard Childress Racing (RCR) understand that in today’s media landscape, a driver’s reach and marketability can matter greatly. It also seems like NASCAR is desperate to attract younger fans.
The real point of contention among insiders isn’t whether McFarland can actually drive. His top 10 finish in ARCA at Talladega showed he had skills behind the wheel. Instead, some wonder whether NASCAR’s licensing standards have become too flexible. By allowing a driver with only a small number of ARCA starts to compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, they believe the sanctioning body risks putting online popularity ahead of the experience and standards of competition expected at the professional level. And with that, security comes into play.
Regardless, McFarland will drive the №33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham Speedway later this season. Whether he proves the critics wrong remains to be seen, but the discussion around NASCAR’s endorsement system is unlikely to die down anytime soon.
Advertisement
Read also:: Kyle Busch says new NASCAR format benefits powerful teams
Related titles
