NASCAR has denied Cleetus McFarland approval to race at Talladega, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. agrees with the call. The decision comes after a series of tests and races that showed both potential and clear signs that more development is needed before stepping onto a superspeedway.
Earnhardt Jr. broke it down on his podcast, pointing to multiple moments where McFarland lost control during recent runs. While he praised the progress, he made it clear that Talladega is not the right next step.
“I saw enough to not approve him for Daytona or Talladega in the O’Reilly series. Was not present and in person for any of this, but I watched the YouTube video from the truck test with Niece. I watched the YouTube video of his O’Reilly test with RCR. And then I watched the race. And in all three of those, he busted his ass.”
NASCAR Wants More Short-Track Experience
The stance from NASCAR lines up with Earnhardt Jr.’s view. NASCAR’s John Probst confirmed McFarland is approved for short tracks but not yet for superspeedways like Talladega.
“We’re all huge Cleetus fans. He is approved right now for O’Reilly Series short tracks, which means he’s good for all of ARCA, all of Truck, and then O’Reilly up through the short tracks. We’d like to see more out of Cleetus in the short tracks. So we’re not saying no, but there is more that we would like to see.”
Earnhardt Jr. highlighted three key outings: a Niece truck test, an RCR test, and the Rockingham race, where McFarland struggled to keep the car under control.
“He did wall a truck off in all three of those instances and was, uh, you know, lost control of the car or the truck.”
He also explained why Rockingham was especially tricky.
“It’s a hard tire, it’s a relatively repaved surface, so it’s got a very small window before you bust your ass. And it’s easy to bust your ass.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sees Talent but Urges Patience
Even with the mistakes, Earnhardt Jr. gave McFarland credit for how quickly he has adapted.
“To do what he did was really, really phenomenal for a guy who has no racing background. Didn’t grow up in a race family, didn’t grow up around racetracks.”
He pointed out that McFarland has shown a strong feel for vehicles and an ability to push them to their limits. Still, he stressed that jumping into a superspeedway race now would be too soon.
“If they throw his ass into the ARCA series at Talladega… that is definitely not the next step for him. His next step is another race somewhere else. He should be racing Bristol. He should be racing ARCA and more truck races… from a mile and under.”
What This Means Going Forward
The decision has sparked debate across the racing community. Some support NASCAR’s safety-first approach, while others believe McFarland’s presence is helping bring new fans into the sport.
McFarland has since acknowledged the setback and plans to focus on gaining more experience through additional races.
For now, the path is clear. More laps and short tracks. More time behind the wheel.
Both NASCAR and Earnhardt Jr. are sending the same message: talent is there, but Talladega requires experience, and that still has to be earned.
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