Is Cleetus McFarland’s RCR deal engagement farming, or could it be something more?
That was a slow mid-week news cycle, huh?
It kicked off in impressive fashion when Garrett Mitchell (better known as Cleetus McFarland) announced a two-year deal with Richard Childress Racing that will see him run several NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races over the course of the next few years, starting with the race at Rockingham Speedway later this season.
The knee-jerk reaction to the announcement was, as expected, mixed. While most acknowledge the benefits that Mitchell brings to the sport, some believe he was rushed into a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Daytona International Speedway and is now being rushed toward an O’Reilly start, too.
All of that may be true, but a part of this deal also caters to the crowd arguing that Mitchell hasn’t done enough asphalt racing to deserve being licensed at this level. This deal, in large part, is a developmental one, as he stated on the Dale Jr. Download this week.
That being said, the end goal here is obvious to me: RCR wants to be the team that gets McFarland into his first NASCAR Cup Series race. Does that mean it’s going to rush him into the seat? I’m not so sure. I believe that’s why this is a two-year deal.
Over the next two years, if Mitchell races as much as he can, uses every RCR connection he can and makes content along the way so that it’s all profitable, I could see a world in which he attempts the 2028 Daytona 500.
That might be scary to some, but it could be one of the best things to ever happen to grassroots racing.
A massively popular content creator, beloved by many, travelling the country trying to become a professional racecar driver and bringing viewers along for the entire ride? He could pop up at Millbridge Speedway one weekend, then race with the Harvicks at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway the next, then tango with some modified drivers in the Texas panhandle on his way home.
If NASCAR wants to engage the younger audience as a sport, there are going to have to be certain risks taken. Mitchell’s sudden elevation is exactly that, but if it’s one he’s even willing to take on, I see this as a potential point of growth for both NASCAR and the grassroots racing communities that still make up the bedrock of the sport.
Hey, Who Invited Cleetus McFarland?
What is to be expected from the 750-horsepower package at Phoenix?
One storyline that flew under the radar at Circuit of the Americas was that it was the first race in which NASCAR used its new 750-horsepower package. I found it interesting that Tyler Reddick was able to pull away from Shane van Gisbergen as the track straightened out.
This weekend, though, is the first time we’ll see it on an oval, and it’s worth discussing what that might look like given how NASCAR officiating has called the only two other oval races on the schedule thus far.
We know that with 750 hp, tire falloff will be a bigger issue if Goodyear brings the same compound to Phoenix Raceway as it usually does. That being said, the dogleg at Phoenix adds yet another intriguing angle here. At the time I’m writing this, nobody has taken a Cup car on the track at Phoenix with this package, but with substantially more under the hood, it makes me curious what the dogleg is going to race like compared to the traditional route.
In theory, if some of the drivers are lifting in the corner, it would be beneficial to cut into the dogleg and lay into the loud pedal. We got a testing session done earlier in the year, but it was on a traditional oval layout. After a few consecutive snoozefest races at Phoenix, this horsepower change might just be the magic bullet to improve the racing, given this funky layout.
What would a Monster Energy sponsorship do for Carson Hocevar?
Sports Business Journal‘s Adam Stern reported this week that Carson Hocevar and Monster Energy are in serious talks about a new endorsement deal that would likely make Hocevar an even bigger long-term prospect than he already is.
The 23-year-old Michigander is a cult of personality, to say the least, and his Chili’s sponsorship is already working small wonders for his public image. However, if he were to pair up with Monster, it would set up a classic tale of two energy drink titans duking it out for attention at the top of the sport, similar to what we saw in the early 2000s and continue to see in other motorsports.
Red Bull has made it no secret that it plans for Connor Zilisch to be the main face of its NASCAR endeavors for the foreseeable future, and if Monster were to counter that effort with Hocevar, the resulting ad spending war might make Red Bull’s early NASCAR expense sheets look like a McDonald’s dollar menu order by comparison (if that still exists).
Monster has a recent history of betting on young, unproven talent before they get to see what value they really bring to the table. Ty Gibbs and Riley Herbst aren’t exactly content factories, and while not every driver has to be, if you’re going to be a face of Monster Energy, or any energy drink brand for that matter, personality should be a top requirement.
It seems, then, that Monster has the perfect personality in mind. Now all that’s left to do is sign a few dotted lines.
FRM’s Truck Drivers Might Put Pressure on Its Cup Guys
Is the Truck Series the one with the most momentum right now?
Oddly enough, yes. At least, that’s what the numbers will tell you.
In a weekend when the Truck Series wasn’t coupled up next to the other two at COTA, NASCAR drew a little over 1 million viewers yet again, while the Cup and O’Reilly series saw a ratings dropoff from last year’s race in Austin.
Granted, there were other traffic numbers outside the sports world that probably drove those numbers down, but this is the second race this season that the Truck Series has eclipsed 1 million viewers.
That, coupled with the fact that the Truck Series continues to bring in big names week in and week out through various creative partnerships, is making the series more and more attractive to advertisers.
We talked earlier this season about how the Truck Series came away from Daytona with the most momentum per capita, so to speak, out of all of NASCAR’s touring series. While the other two have done nothing wrong after the fact, the Truck Series continues to do little things right, and it should make a difference in viewership retention as the season goes on.
Trucks put on a better show
Hocevar would be a great add for Monster. He’s a much better fit than Ty Gibbs, who I’d guess makes people actively avoid Monster drinks.
The truck race this past week was actually great, with comers and goers, arguably the hottest name in the series winning, and plenty of celebrity power adding cachet to the proceedings, thanks to sharing the weekend with IndyCar. The juxtaposition of bright, loud, angry trucks on a course with ocean views and palm trees was quite interesting.
I’m mostly in the mindset to skip the first two stages of NASCAR races, and possibly skip some cookie cutter ovals in general, until if/when they scrap scheduled cautions. But, I tuned in early to see how the trucks were faring on the St. Pete course, and enjoyed the proceedings enough I watched every lap.
Was really glad I had some leftover LJS in the fridge, as every time I see their paint schemes, I crave that greasy goodness.
Oddly enough, I think the 750hp package was the most on-point part this week. Thought the racing was interesting throughout, with different strategies (whether due to calamity or not) and a lot of hard charging for points. Is some of that the format? For sure. Is some of it also the package? Probably so. Goodyear has had plenty of time to run simulations by now, and they’ve done well thus far. On to Vegas, though, which intrigues me far less than Phoenix from a racing perspective.
Agreed about Vegas. I’m not at all interested. I skipped Phoenix as well though. Hadn’t thought about the package improving racing, but that makes sense. Increased power = increased tire wear = more control over the outcome in the teams and drivers hands.
I know I’ve beaten the thought to death, but stage cautions on ovals have worn out their welcome with me, to the point I’m not watching much. Road courses are a bit different, in that track position is hugely important, and most pit before stage end, meaning a slightly slow stop doesn’t mean tail of the field. Still miss the strategy though.
I’ll keep up via you folks at Frontstretch until if/when NASCAR chooses to stop the stage caution madness. Keep the stages, pitch the cautions. Take the commercial breaks in the middle of stages, preferably with side by side coverage.