Cleetus McFarland’s 2026 NASCAR Debut and Who’s Driving Next

Who Is Cleetus McFarland?

The 2026 NASCAR season has seen the debut (first appearance) of Cleetus McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell. He has raced in two different types of NASCAR competitions this year:

• Craftsman Truck Series – a type of race where drivers use pickup-truck-style cars.
• O’Reilly Auto Parts Series – another NASCAR racing division with smaller cars.

How Has He Done So Far?

His most recent race was in the Truck Series at Michigan International Speedway in early June.

• At the very first race of the season in Daytona, he crashed and stopped racing after just a few laps.
• At Michigan, he did a pretty good job and finished in 25th place.

Important Point: Both of his Truck Series starts this season were in the No. 4 Chevrolet for a team called Niece Motorsports. That specific truck is not entered in every weekend’s race. In fact, it hasn’t been used in any race since his 25th-place finish at Michigan — and that finish is better than either of his two O’Reilly Series results this year.

Cleetus McFarland Replacement Confirmed for North Wilkesboro

This weekend, at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Niece Motorsports is bringing the No. 4 truck back to race alongside their three full-time cars.

• Just like Cleetus did at Daytona, a different driver will make his very first NASCAR national series start this weekend.

Meet the New Driver: Donovan Strauss

Donovan Strauss is a 20-year-old from Mooresville, North Carolina. Here is what you should know:

• He will drive the No. 4 Chevrolet in Saturday’s FaithFest 250.
• That race is 250 laps long around a track that has four turns and is 0.625 miles (about 1 kilometer) around.
• His racing started on iRacing (a video game where you race cars online).
• He has raced in the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour for three years.
  • In 2025, he was a full-time driver and got as high as 7th place at Caraway Speedway.
  • In 2026 so far, his best finish is 8th at Langley Speedway.

What’s Next for Cleetus?

Cleetus still has plans to race more in 2026:

1. He has one more Truck Series race scheduled — the October playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.
2. As of now, he is the only driver confirmed to use the No. 4 truck after this weekend’s North Wilkesboro race.
3. On the O’Reilly Series side, his remaining 2026 schedule is still "TBD" (to be decided).
   • He finished 32nd at Rockingham Speedway.
   • He finished 35th at Nashville Superspeedway.
   • He was ruled not allowed to race at Talladega in that series.

How to Watch the Race

Want to see Donovan Strauss drive the No. 4 truck?

• When: This Saturday, July 18, at 12:30 p.m. ET.
• Where to watch: Fox Sports 1 (FS1) will broadcast the FaithFest 250 live from North Wilkesboro Speedway.
• You can start a free trial of FuboTV to stream it and not miss any of the action!

Summary

In 2026, Garrett Mitchell (known as Cleetus McFarland) debuted in both the Truck Series and O’Reilly Series. After a crash at Daytona, he placed 25th at Michigan in the part-time No. 4 Niece Motorsports truck. This weekend at North Wilkesboro, 20-year-old Donovan Strauss will make his NASCAR debut in that same truck. Cleetus will return for a Talladega Truck race in October, but his O’Reilly plans are undecided. Tune in Saturday on FS1 to watch the FaithFest 250.

FAQ

Q: Who is Cleetus McFarland in real life?
A: His real name is Garrett Mitchell, and he is a NASCAR driver who debuted in 2026.

Q: Why isn’t Cleetus driving the No. 4 truck at North Wilkesboro?
A: The truck is only entered some weekends, and this time another driver, Donovan Strauss, is making his debut in it.

Q: What is iRacing and why does it matter for Donovan Strauss?
A: iRacing is an online racing video game. Strauss began his racing journey there before moving to real-life competitions.

Q: Where can I watch the FaithFest 250?
A: You can watch it live on Fox Sports 1 at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 18, or stream it with a free trial of FuboTV.