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Kenny Wallace predicted that Cleetus McFarland will win three ARCA Menards Series races next season, his first full year in the series with Richard Childress Racing.
Wallace: ‘Mark my words’
“Everybody’s gonna watch the rise of Cleetus. Mark my words, I’m gonna put it right here. Cleetus is gonna win three ARCA races next year,” Wallace said in a video posted on X. “Oh yeah, I think so. And I think he’s gonna learn a lot. Cleetus is now gonna run consistently, and that’s what he’s been missing.”
https://x.com/KWallaceShow/status/2115943334388903939
Wallace, a former Cup and Xfinity Series driver, posted the prediction on his show’s X account.
RCR’s ARCA program
RCR announced the program on October 28, after Pit This Time reported that McFarland was set to run the full ARCA schedule. McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet, with Robert Strmiska as crew chief.
The program marks RCR’s return to full-time ARCA competition. The team won the 2011 ARCA championship with Ty Dillon, who won seven of the 19 races that season.
McFarland’s racing so far
McFarland built his following on YouTube with car and racing videos, and he owns the Freedom Factory, a racetrack in Bradenton, Florida.
He made his ARCA debut at Daytona in 2025 with Rette Jones Racing and ran four races that season. He ran a partial ARCA schedule again in 2026 and came closest to a win at Talladega, where he led 19 laps and finished second. He also won the pole at Michigan.
He made two O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts for RCR in 2026, at Rockingham and Nashville, and three Truck Series starts for Niece Motorsports.
The 2027 ARCA season
The 2027 ARCA season has 20 races, starting at Daytona International Speedway on February 20 and ending at Kansas Speedway on October 1. The schedule includes superspeedways, short tracks, intermediate tracks, road courses and dirt.
Wallace’s point is that running every week, with the same team and crew chief, should help McFarland carry what he learns from one race to the next.
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