Cleetus McFarland, Richard Childress Racing announce plans for full ARCA Menards Series schedule in 2027

WELCOME, N.C. – Richard Childress Racing announced today that Garrett Mitchell, commonly known as “Cleetus McFarland” to his millions of YouTube subscribers, will compete full time in the ARCA Menards Series for the legendary race team in 2027.

McFarland, an aspiring racer, entrepreneur and influencer, will race the No. 33 Chevrolet under the RCR banner and be paired with crew chief Robert Strmiska. Cleetus’ 2027 campaign marks RCR’s full-time return to ARCA Menards Series competition, building on the 57-year-old race team’s long-standing commitment to using the Series as a platform for developing emerging talent.

After making his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut with RCR in 2026, McFarland’s transition to a full-time ARCA campaign marks the next step in his racing career as he continues to develop behind the wheel while showcasing the sport to a large and engaged fan base.

“Cleetus has an undeniable passion for racing and a work ethic that has impressed everyone at our organization,” said Mike Verlander, President of Richard Childress Racing. “Cleetus is a perfect fit for RCR. He’s earned this opportunity, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish over the course of a full season. Pairing Cleetus with Robert Strmiska gives him the support of a talented leader who is equally passionate about racing.”

RCR has a proven track record developing drivers in the ARCA Menards Series, a diverse national tour incorporating superspeedways, intermediate ovals, traditional short tracks, road courses and even dirt tracks. The Welcome, N.C.-based race team guided Ty Dillon to an ARCA Menards Series Championship in 2011 on the strength of seven wins and an impressive 16 top-10 finishes in 19 races.

Drivers who have raced under the RCR banner in ARCA include former NASCAR Truck Series champion Mike Skinner, NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon, current Cup Series spotter Burney Lamar, Truck Series crew chief Alex Yontz, and former Truck Series winner Timothy Peters and Tim George, Jr., who ran a full season in the ARCA Menards Series under the RCR banner.

RCR’s history in the Series dates back to the early 1990s when the organization supplied team owner Floyd Garrett with black-and-silver Chevrolets and a Cecil Gorden-led team for Charlie Glotzbach, who notched a trio of victories at Talladega Superspeedway and another at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Tim George, Jr. also scored a win in an RCR Chevrolet at Pocono in 2011.

McFarland has made limited starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series over the past two seasons, but the 2027 ARCA campaign will be his first full-season pursuit of a national stock car championship. Strmiska, who will serve as crew chief for McFarland and the No. 33 Chevrolet, brings deep experience to the team. He joined the organization in 2010 and has contributed to three championships. He made his crew chief debut with McFarland earlier this season at Rockingham Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.

“This is a dream come true,” said Mitchell. “Ever since I got behind the wheel with RCR, I’ve wanted more. The goal has always been to become the best race car driver I can be, and running the full ARCA Menards Series schedule gives me that opportunity. Richard Childress and everyone at RCR believes in me, and having the support of a legendary team gives me a ton of confidence to focus on learning everything I can about stock car racing. I’m ready to get after it every week.”