Niece Motorsports gears up for 2026 with Pastrana coming to Daytona, along with Cleetus McFarland part-time, and a mix of young talent in its Truck Series entries. Let’s take a look at what this mash-up looks like.
Pastrana and Cleetus Set for Headline-Making Daytona Truck Debut
When Travis Pastrana and Cleetus McFarland line up alongside each other in the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season-opening Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway, it won’t just be another entry list. It’ll be a collision of motorsports subcultures converging on NASCAR’s biggest superspeedway stage.
Both drivers bring very different paths to stock-car racing, but together under the Niece Motorsports banner, they could turn one of Speedweeks’ most unpredictable races into must-watch TV. Pastrana, the X Games and rally legend, is no stranger to NASCAR’s national series. He’s competed in the Truck Series and made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Daytona 500 in 2023, finishing 11th, evidence of both adaptability and grit on racing’s grandest stages.
The Return To Daytona
Now, he returns to Daytona with Niece in the No. 42 BRUNT Workwear Chevrolet Silverado, a ride powered by a partnership that blends motorsports heritage with fresh sponsor energy. For Cleetus McFarland, real name Garrett Mitchell, this event represents a different kind of milestone. Best known as a digital content creator with millions of followers and a grassroots racing background that stretches from Stadium Super Trucks to ARCA Menards Series starts.
Cleetus is poised to make his first national NASCAR start in the No. 4 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Silverado. His story isn’t just about a jump to a new series. It’s emblematic of how motorsports personalities can parlay online influence and on-track passion into opportunities at the sport’s highest levels.
Ahead To Rockingham
Both drivers’ Niece Daytona entries are contingent on NASCAR approval following a scheduled test at Rockingham Speedway, a procedural step with plenty of theater attached. Cleetus, in particular, will lean on his ARCA experience, including superspeedway starts at Daytona and Talladega, as he seeks approval.
The visual alone of Pastrana and Cleetus rolling through Daytona’s pack racing hints at a broader evolution in stock car racing: a landscape where crossover talent and fan personalities intersect with tradition. Niece Motorsports isn’t just fielding trucks; it’s curating a narrative that blends action-sports cool, digital culture, and pure oval unpredictability into a single frame.
What’s Next
Expect Daytona to be chaotic, thrilling, and unpredictable, much like both Pastrana’s career and Cleetus’s rise, and for fans of all stripes, that’s exactly what makes NASCAR’s season opener a spectacle worth following. Thanks a bunch for reading!
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