Cleetus McFarland, Richard Childress Racing announce plans for full ARCA Menards Series schedule in 2027
Cleetus McFarland, Richard Childress Racing announce plans for full ARCA Menards Series schedule in 2027
Richard Childress Racing has announced the formation of an ARCA Menards Series program, with Cleetus McFarland returning to the team to chase the 2027 championship.
McFarland, real name Garrett Mitchell, will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing during his first full ARCA Menards Series campaign. McFarland joined the team earlier this season, competing in two NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events.
The 31-year-old made his ARCA platform debut during the opening race of the 2025 season at Daytona International Speedway. Since then, he has competed in nine ARCA platform races.
He earned a career-best finish of second this season at Talladega Superspeedway while also earning his first Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole Award at Michigan International Speedway.
In addition to competing in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, McFarland has also made three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts.
McFarland’s 2027 program also marks the return to the ARCA Menards Series for Richard Childress Racing.
Richard Childress Racing celebrated a championship with team owner Richard Childress’ grandson Ty Dillon in 2011. Dillon won seven of 19 races en route to the title and had two victories more in a partial season in 2010.
Richard Childress Racing’s history in the ARCA Menards Series can be traced back to the early 1990s when the organization supplied team owner Floyd Garrett with its familiar black-and-silver Chevrolets and a Cecil Gordon-led team for Charlie Glotzbach, who notched a trio of victories at Talladega Superspeedway and another at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Tim George Jr. also scored a win in a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Pocono in 2011.
Other drivers that have started ARCA Menards Series races for Richard Childress Racing include former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Mike Skinner and NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, current Cup Series spotter Burney Lamar, Craftsman Truck Series crew chief Alex Yontz, and former Truck Series winner Timothy Peters.
