Back in 2011, Richard Childress Racing had a clear example of how its driver development program could work. Ty Dillon won the ARCA Menards Series championship that year, picking up seven wins and 16 top-10 finishes. Alongside Tim George Jr., he helped RCR’s drivers rack up eight victories. Now, 15 years later, RCR is bringing that pathway back. But if you’re expecting the usual up-and-coming racer to lead the charge, think again. This time, the team has an unconventional prospect in mind.

Garrett Mitchell, better known as Cleetus McFarland, is preparing for the biggest commitment of his stock car racing career. The YouTube star will compete full-time in the 2027 ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.

The rumor mill was already circulating earlier in the week after McFarland teased a major announcement at Talladega last weekend. But now, it has been confirmed.

RCR president Mike Verlander for once thinks that he deserves this chance.

“Cleetus is a perfect fit for RCR. He’s earned this opportunity, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish over the course of a full season. Pairing Cleetus with Robert Strmiska gives him the support of a talented leader who is equally passionate about racing.”

He’s just as clear about what the opportunity means to him.

“This is a dream come true. Ever since I got behind the wheel with RCR, I’ve wanted more. The goal has always been to become the best race car driver I can be, and running the full ARCA Menards Series schedule gives me that opportunity,” McFarland said.

“Richard Childress and everyone at RCR believes in me, and having the support of a legendary team gives me a ton of confidence to focus on learning everything I can about stock car racing. I’m ready to get after it every week.”

The program marks the next stage of his two-year partnership with RCR, which began in 2026 with a part-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series deal.

McFarland is also expected to continue competing part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. This gives him opportunities to gain experience across multiple levels while working toward his long-term goal of reaching the Cup Series.

McFarland has a full season to prove himself

The full ARCA schedule will give McFarland something he has not had before: an entire season to develop his racecraft and chase a championship. The ARCA Menards Series schedule features 20 races, starting at Daytona on February 20 and wrapping up at Kansas on October 1.

For sure, it won’t be an easy ride. The series takes drivers to superspeedways, intermediate ovals, short tracks, road courses, and dirt tracks. That means McFarland will need to learn how to handle very different racing conditions throughout the season. McFarland has already shown flashes of speed, finishing second at Talladega in 2026 and earning his first ARCA pole at Michigan.

There’s another change, too. His previous ARCA starts came with Rette Jones Racing, while his new full-time program will put him behind the wheel for RCR. In fact, it turns out that a conversation with Ty Dillon himself helped convince McFarland that RCR was the right place to make that leap.

“I got a text from Ty Dillon and a phone call. He explained, he’s like, you’re just going to love it when you come to RCR. There’s like 400 guys here who are just, you know, the same type of people that you guys are. You like race cars and just having fun, and everybody is just our type of people, and we fit in really fast. So when I got this opportunity to do the ARCA thing, I jumped on it,” McFarland said.

That sense of belonging mattered to a driver arriving from a very different background. McFarland built his audience through automotive projects, racing videos, and his Freedom Factory short track in Florida. Yet he has made clear that his ambitions behind the wheel are serious.

He has committed to putting in the work through testing, simulator sessions, and every opportunity to improve, rather than treating racing as an extension of his online content.

An experienced crew chief in his corner

Robert Strmiska will oversee that development as crew chief of the No. 33 Chevrolet. A longtime RCR employee, he joined the organization in 2010 and has contributed to championship-winning campaigns across NASCAR’s national series. His experience gives McFarland a seasoned guide as he takes on his first full national stock car season.

Strmiska began working with McFarland earlier in 2026, serving as crew chief for his O’Reilly Series starts at Rockingham Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway. He initially admitted he was unsure what to expect, but meeting McFarland changed his outlook. After watching him test at Rockingham, Strmiska saw the driving ability needed to make the partnership work.

McFarland also recalled sensing some skepticism from the crew during that first test, particularly from Danny Stockman. He said it took only a few hours for the team to warm to him, adding that he had initially expected Strmiska, nicknamed “Bug,” to be too quiet for the cameras. Their relationship has since grown more comfortable, both at the track and in front of the camera.

The full-time ARCA program adds a new dimension to RCR’s relationship with McFarland. His existing deal provides a route into the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, while the Truck Series offers another opportunity to gain experience at the national level.

Those starts will complement the ARCA campaign, exposing him to different competition and helping him learn how to manage races across a wider range of tracks.

McFarland’s audience already knows him for his love of cars, but the 2027 season will give him a different challenge: proving himself across a full championship campaign.