Martin sides with McFarland\u2019s debut but it didn\u2019t exceed his expectations.<\/p>\n
McFarland is seeking NASCAR\u2019s approval to race on superspeedway.<\/p>\n
Freddie Kraft says McFarland surprised him in ARCA.<\/p>\n
Cleetus McFarland may not have the backing of the NASCAR garage, where drivers and insiders have questioned NASCAR\u2019s driver approval process, given his limited experience in stock cars. Yet, he appears to have earned the approval of veteran Mark Martin.<\/p>\n
During the ARCA race at Rockingham on Sunday, McFarland secured his first top-five finish in NASCAR, crossing the line in P4. On the same day, he made his debut in the NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Racing Series with Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham. Despite hiccups, penalties, and a spin, he kept his nose clean, avoided taking out others, and finished P32, six laps down, after starting P33.<\/p>\n
McFarland is seeking approval to race at Talladega<\/p>\n
For now, the YouTuber turned NASCAR driver has set his sights on securing approval for the Talladega race. Danny Lawrence, vice president of O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series operations at Richard Childress Racing, said NASCAR will weigh the full picture<\/a> before taking a call. The absence of live pit stops during the race could factor into that call, along with other boxes the sanctioning body had hoped to see ticked.<\/p>\n Lawrence added he would not be surprised if NASCAR asks for another outing before giving McFarland the green light for Daytona and Talladega, where races can get dangerous for someone as inexperienced as McFarland.<\/p>\n Some within the garage believe NASCAR may want McFarland to take the green at Kansas before clearing him for a superspeedway run at Talladega. The call for approval is expected on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Martin said McFarland delivered what was expected<\/p>\n A supporter of McFarland\u2019s entry into NASCAR despite noise from the garage and beyond, Martin pointed to the YouTuber\u2019s fanbase as a draw that could pull more eyes to the sport and boost viewership and attendance. From what he has seen in ARCA, Martin also believes McFarland can handle a car.<\/p>\n After Rockingham, Martin stood by that view. He noted that McFarland did not go beyond expectations but ran a clean race, which was enough for a driver with limited experience. Speaking to the Door Bumper Clear crew, Martin said<\/a>,<\/p>\n \u201cThe best thing about Cletus is his interviews. I mean, at least he\u2019s coming out and saying, \u2018Oh, this is way harder than I thought.\u2019 I mean, he\u2019s fantastic. That\u2019s all fantastic. As far as the race goes, he didn\u2019t exceed my expectations. I expected him to run about like he ran.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said on social media yesterday, this place is a lot harder than Daytona. And it is. You don\u2019t have any idea what it takes to run in the middle or the latter part of the pack at Rockingham. So he still got over his skis multiple times, but his driving talent saved it. Many other drivers would have wiped that car out.\u201d<\/p>\n The run had its share of moments. On Lap 4, a move put his car at the bottom of a three-wide run into Turn 1. The car stepped out, he gathered it, but lost several positions. Then on Lap 49, Blake Lothian spun in Turn 2 ahead of him. As the car drifted down the track, McFarland slipped to the apron and missed the No. 55 Chevrolet by inches.<\/p>\n On Lap 206, his No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet broke loose in Turn 3, slid to the bottom, and spun back into traffic, bringing out the seventh caution of the day.<\/p>\n Freddie Kraft said McFarland must learn how to race<\/p>\n