NASCAR reporter shares crystal-clear thoughts on ‘Cleetus McFarland effect’ citing 5.8M views on post-race spot as example 

NASCAR reporter Kaitlyn Vincie shared the influx of viewership following Cleetus McFarland's debut in the ARCA Menards Series. Vincie said Fox Sports' post-race spot with McFarland already reached about 5.8 million views.

Lawrence Garrett Michell, known as Cleetus McFarland, is a 29-year-old racing driver who made a name for himself creating fun automotive content and modifying racecars, particularly US-made models. He entered the Daytona race with a huge social media following (four million on YouTube), which resulted in a significant viewer count.

In an X (formerly Twitter) post, Kaitlyn Vincie put into perspective the effect of making an entertaining interview with a notable personality such as McFarland.

"The Cleetus McFarland effect cannot be denied, nor the art of a really entertaining interview. Our @NASCARONFOX post-race spot has 5.8 million views already. @ARCA_Racing," Vincie wrote.

Cleetus McFarland debuted in the ARCA Menards Series in the Ride the 'Dente 200 at Daytona International Speedway. The part-time driver piloted the flagship No. 30 Ford Mustang for Rette Jones Racing.

McFarland may be an avid car enthusiast but was considered inexperienced in driving stock racecars. Regardless, the 29-year-old put down the 15th fastest lap during the two-day test session last month.

During the race, the Ford pilot was caught in multiple wrecks, including the race-ending crash on lap 15. Amber Balcaen got loose off turn two and collected the No. 30, bringing the third caution of the 80-lap event.

Brenden 'Butterbean' Queen took victory in the season-opening race ahead of pole sitter William Sawalich and Jason Kitzmiller, respectively.

In a post-race interview with Kaitlyn Vincie, Cleetus McFarland shared his experience racing in the series. The Florida native said driving around the 2.5-mile track was the greatest day of his life until he had to settle with a DNF.

"Well, I was having the best day of my life ripping around Daytona like a bald eagle. I was flat out... avoided a wreck, which was awesome. I thought I was the best driver to ever exist in that moment," McFarland stated.

McFarland is scheduled to race with Rette Jones Racing again at Talladega Superspeedway, though the team stated in a press release that additional races were in the works.

---

Cleetus McFarland set to join Dale Earnhardt Jr. in new podcast episode

Cleetus McFarland was teased to appear on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dale Jr. Download podcast. While not a lot of information was disclosed, the episode is expected to take a deeper dive into the disappointing end at Daytona.

Dirty Mo Media, an original content company owned by Earnhardt Jr., wrote on X:

"If you know Cleetus McFarland, get excited. If you don't, buckle up. 🦅 🇺🇸 Coming to the @DaleJr Download tomorrow. 🎙️"

Dale Earnhardt Jr., meanwhile, had a satisfactory race at Daytona. He debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in the Daytona 500 as a team owner. His No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro unchartered entry driven by Justin Allgaier finished ninth on Sunday.

William Byron was crowned the back-to-back race champion following a last-lap wreck that took out the race leaders.