With 4.26 million subscribers on YouTube and multiple videos exceeding ten million views, Cleetus McFarland's presence in NASCAR can only be a good thing for the sport. His ARCA debut at Daytona brought new eyeballs and his in-car camera was streamed live on YouTube. Cleetus' infectious personality and animated interview at the infield care center after being wrecked out of the race only gained him more fans among NASCAR regulars.
Naturally, he's now coming back for more. But please don't look for 'Cleetus McFarland' in the running order as that is only a stage name in the end. His actual name is Garrett Mitchell and he will be driving the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford at Talladega.
And what better way to get ready for his first-ever race at the infamous superspeedway than to prepare with the man who has won there six times -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (the only driver with more Cup wins at the track is his own father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.).
How to make the perfect lap
In an entertaining 26-minute video, Dale Jr. gives Mitchell insight into what it takes to run well and even win at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Riding shotgun with Earnhardt in a passenger vehicle, they took a ride around the monstrous oval.
He was told the basics in making a solid qualifying lap at 'Dega from a good launch to winding it up by keeping it against the outside wall for the warm-up lap. Earnhardt noted little tricks and variations in ways to build speed while coming to the green flag as well.
Mitchell was audibly surprised to learn where the finish line is at Talladega as it is much further down the fonrtstretch than at its sister track, Daytona, where he raced in February. In a humorous moment, Mitchell then informed Earnhardt about the fact that ARCA still does group qualifying, which may complicate his plans for a clean, straightforward lap . Dale Jr. was stunned as NASCAR scrapped group qualifying at superspeedways in its national divisions several years ago.
"Really, they don't do single-car runs?" asked Earnhardt. "Oh my gosh." While Mitchell thought leading his pack might be a good idea, Earnhardt quickly corrected him, stating how the last car in line could lay back and get a run in order to post the best lap time. "Be selfish," urged Earnhardt.
The tricky tri-oval
Earnhardt continued to feed Mitchell valuable information as they rode around the track before taking him to perhaps the trickiest part of the track, stopping the vehicle in the tro-oval. He pointed out how the bottom lane along the frontstretch isn't as banked as the grooves directly above it, making for an awkward transition over a seam that has caused several drivers to get sideways and spin out.
He also took him through the process of pitting under green-flag conditions as well. Everything from having enough time to get to the bottom lane in the pack, keeping the car straight under braking, and how to avoid a wheel-hop while going through the downshifts.
"My goal is to finish the race, number one," said Mitchell as he looked ahead to the event. "And two, if I can work my way up, obviously I want to win."
Earnhardt liked his outlook and warned him against taking unnecessary risks while also taking opportunities as they come. "Your fans are probably going to want to see you give it hell, right?" commented Earnhardt. "You got to manage giving it hell and being smart and that's a tough balance."
After all that, Mitchell -- aka Cleetus -- visited the Talladega museum with Dale Jr. transitioning from driver coach to tour guide.
You can watch the entire video HERE and you can see Cleetus competing in the ARCA race at Talladega this Saturday at 12:30pm EST on FOX Sports 1.
