“Just Finish the Race!” Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe Got the Perfect Advice for Cleetus McFarland Ahead of NOAPS Debut

This weekend’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Rockingham will mark the debut of YouTuber turned racer Cleetus McFarland. He is set to driver Richard Childress Racing chevy and there is a significant group in the community that dislike the racer getting an opportunity despite very limited experience.

Now Cup drivers Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe have shared their opinion on the racer, while talking to The Athletics’ Jeff Gluck. The RFK Racing veteran told the racer to just finish the race, and prove the haters wrong. He highlighted how the now RCR driver is passionate driver, who isn’t afraid to take the necessary risks.

Finish the race. Just finish the race… Listen, he’s a wheelman. Don’t let him fool you by any means. I was watching TX2K, he’s ripping a car 200-plus miles per hour down a quarter mile. I wouldn’t do that. I don’t want to do that. I admire it. So, going to Rockingham, this is a totally different discipline. I think for him, as a driver and as a fan of motorsports, he’s not afraid to come out and do this.

Ryan Preece said recently.

Sharing a similar feeling as Ryan Preece, Joe Gibbs Raving driver Chase Briscoe pointed out that Cleetus McFarland needs to finish the race not more than two laps down in the Richard Childress Racing car to prove he deserves a seat to drive in the division. He also acknowledged that The Rick is going to be serious challenge to overcome for all the drivers, let along McFarland.

Just run on laps. First off, you have to run on the laps. In a perfect world, you need to not be more than a lap or two down. You can’t go there and run on lap speed, 10 laps down. I think you have to be at least in the mix from a speed standpoint, especially in an RCR (Richard Childress Racing) car. The biggest thing for him is just running all the laps. Rockingham is a hard place to go and not get torn up, and he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know yet.

Chase Briscoe added via Glukcast.

Cleetus McFarland responds to Mark Martin supporting him amidst criticism

Talking to the media recently, Cleetus McFarland shared his feelings about getting the support from the likes of Hall of Famer Mark Martin, amidst the controversies. He is thankful for the support and highlighted how Martin and Kenny Wallace has always been two of his best supporters.

I love Mark Martin. That guy has been so gracious to me. Honestly, him and Kenny Wallace have kind of been some of the few guys who have had my back. So, I love those guys.

Cleetus McFarland said.

Further talking about the point, the veteran highlighted that unlike what the critics says, he is a confident and good enough driver. But that doesn’t mean he is ready, as he knows there are a lot left for him to learn to become competitive.

I definitely feel like I am not a bad driver, you know? Especially in a car that has symmetrical grip, feel like I’m very confident. It feels good to have their opinions sway that way, but I also know I have to learn to hopefully make those guys proud.

Cleetus McFarland added

The comments from the racer are on point and shows how much he respects the skill that is required to be professional driver. It is one side of Cleetus McFarland that may of his critics ignore, while questioning his progression in the sport. It would be interesting to see how the debut race is going to playout for him.

Also Read: 6’6” Michael Jordan Has an Honest Admission About Why He Probably Will Never Drive in NASCAR

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