It was an eventful day for Cleetus McFarland in his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut. But wasn’t that pretty much expected?

What many might not have expected was that McFarland would finish the race. He did so, notching a P32 finish despite ending the race down six laps.

It was an adventure, but it got people talking. Very Cleetus McFarland-like.

“We saw some great performances,” broadcaster Kyle Petty said after the race. “Obviously from William (Sawalich). We saw Corey Day win those first two segments. We saw some guys do some things that I don’t think we expected. And listen, if you’re going to criticize, you’ve got to give credit.

“I have to say, Cleetus did what he needed to do. He ran every lap. A lot of them were on the apron, I’m going to give him that. He got down on the apron a few times. But at the same time he didn’t tear anything up. He didn’t really get in anybody’s way, and that’s what he needed to do to shut up guys like me, to make me quit talking about him. So I’ve got to give him props too. It was a good, good day at the Rock.”

That’s a big step for Cleetus McFarland. Simply finishing the race will be considered a monumental win.

He has already admitted how hard racing at this level is. It’s not just get in a car and go. And it wasn’t like McFarland ran without issues.

He spun a few times, once completely to bring out a caution. He also got caught speeding and NASCAR issued a penalty to him. Still, expectations for him ran the gamut coming in.

That Cleetus McFarland finished the race? Well, that had analysts like Petty pretty impressed.

“It was so much fun, so many memories flash through your head when you’re sitting down here in Turn 1 and you remember seeing Mark Martin, you remember seeing my dad when I was on his pit crew, watching these cars roll through 1 and 2,” Petty said. “So reminiscent of that. Guys looking for a place, looking for a place with grip no matter what was going on.

“We saw some great racing out here today. Not only at the front of the pack but all the way through. You guys were screaming in my ear when they were three-wide, and that’s what Rockingham is. I said it before, my dad said, ‘I forgot how race-y that racetrack is.’”

Cleetus McFarland will get another chance in NOAPS. He signed a three-race deal this year. Now he’s got a little bit more know-how and probably a lot more confidence after making it through Rockingham unscathed.