By David Morgan, Associate Editor
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It was almost déjà vu for Cleetus McFarland Friday night at Daytona International Speedway.
Coming into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener, McFarland was making his debut in NASCAR’s third-tier series after making four starts in ARCA a year ago, hoping to be able to bring home a decent finish for Niece Motorsports.
However, the fickle nature of superspeedway racing and his inexperience in a truck would lead to an early exit, just seven laps into the scheduled 100 lap event.
Running three-wide on the bottom, McFarland’s truck stepped out on him and he would overcorrect, sending him careening toward the inside wall, which he pancaked with the side of his Chevrolet and barreled through the infield grass before coming to a stop.
He would drop the window net and climb out, seemingly no worse for the wear, aside from maybe a bruised ego.
McFarland would get evaluated and released from the Infield Care Center, taking the sole blame for the incident that ended his night before it even really began.
There's trouble early for Cleetus! pic.twitter.com/82Y9t3SXt4
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) February 14, 2026
“A hundred percent my fault. Terrible mistake, man,” said McFarland. “It’s impressive those guys can run three wide for that long. When that thing stepped out, I mean you just have a couple feet on either side. I just didn’t have the ability to gather it up and so I wrecked myself.”
He added that given superspeedway experience only coming in ARCA, he didn’t expect the intensity to get ratcheted up so soon after the drop of the green flag.
“They certainly did not go three-wide. On the second lap, I was like, damn, boys we’re freaking three wide right now,” McFarland joked.
“The aerodynamics [of the truck] are stronger for certain. I mean the truck was moving around a lot and I mean maybe I was just so fired up. I was just wheeling it too hard. I was trying to hold a steady wheel and remind myself of that, but like I told the other guys, I put a lot of wheel input in coming out of [Turn] 4. I knew it because I just felt like I was rising up the track a little bit and I was trying to get ahead of it and then the back came out.
“I corrected up. I’m like, damn, I’m about to wreck everybody. I corrected it down and I over shot the down and just, man, golly, I can’t believe those guys can save it at those speeds. Pretty insane.”
Afterwards, McFarland lamented a seemingly wasted night in terms of gathering intel and learning what he needed to, noting it was eerily reminiscent of his ARCA debut last February in which he also was out of the race early.
“That was a short night, it’s tough because I just didn’t get a chance to learn anything. I was having a freaking blast. I blew it, so I just don’t get to learn anything at Daytona once again,” said McFarland
“Last time I was here I went 17 laps. This time, seven, so I’m like, damn, let’s stay in the race. So going into ARCA tomorrow, I don’t know what else I learned today besides, I just got to chill out on the steering wheel I think, and give myself a chance to learn, need more time.”
McFarland will be back in the car in Saturday’s ARCA race at Daytona where he will look for redemption, which he said he will follow up with an ARCA start at Talladega.
As far as another Truck Series start, McFarland explained that he wants to try and get something together for Talladega, but there is nothing concrete yet in that department.
“I guess hopefully I can get some more experience at Talladega in the truck if that can come together. That’s a little wider,” said McFarland. “Maybe I’ll have some more room for my Bald Eagle wings and not wreck myself.
“I’ll be at ARCA at Talladega for sure, and not sure on a truck. I would like to, but I just wrecked it, so it’s going to be tough.”
Be the first to comment