News of Cleetus McFarland entering the NASCAR Xfinity Series has not sat well with many in the NASCAR community. Some have voiced support, calling his inclusion a positive sign for the sport’s growth, but many others have criticized the driver approval process. McFarland’s teammate Kyle Busch, however, has an interesting perspective on the situation.
Mark Martin spoke in favor of the YouTuber, noting the audience he attracts through his online following and suggesting those viewers could tune in to watch races. McFarland will represent Richard Childress Racing in an agreement that will see him compete in three races across two seasons in the series.
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When Busch was asked about the decision and his team’s role in bringing McFarland into the fold, he kept his response short and direct.“Good for him.”
The No. 8 RCRdriver also acknowledged that money and backing often open doors in NASCAR, even as critics continue to raise questions about experience and the approval process.
When Busch came in, he was 17 or 18 years old, and it was time to go run some of these places for the first time. They had five tests available to us as rookies, and he used all of them. “So I don’t know. It’s a different time, man,” acknowledging the pathway into NASCAR has changed.
“I feel like when you’ve got drivers that have funding that are able to come up here and do this sort of stuff, then by all means, there’s going to be the critics that where’s the approval process, and I’m probably one of those to some, and this might be one of those cases, but we haven’t stopped letting people race yet, so why now?”
When asked for advice on how McFarland can prepare for the jump, Buschdirectly stated that, with on-track testing no longer part of the routine, simulation now serves as the main tool for learning tracks. Even while wishing McFarland well, Busch hinted at the gap in racing mileage.
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“I don’t know how many races he’s run. Denny Hamlin ran 10,000 before he got here, right? So I don’t know if Cleetus has run 10 or not,” he said.
Busch also pointed to the value of time behind the wheel, noting that his son, Brexton Busch, has already logged a large number of starts in youth racing despite being 10 years old.
But experience still stands as the bread and butter of stock car racing. While the door remains open for newcomers, the garage knows that laps, more than fame, usually write the ultimate success on the track.
The post “It’s a Different Time”: Kyle Busch Gets Candid About Cleetus McFarland’s NASCAR O’Reilly Debut appeared first on The SportsRush.
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