Ty Dillon Reveals Key Phone Call That Led to Cleetus McFarland's RCR Deal

Dillon played a crucial role in bringing the popular YouTuber-turned-driver to Richard Childress Racing.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Cleetus McFarland's upcoming temporary partnership with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has been a major talking point, and now Ty Dillon has revealed details about a pivotal phone call that helped iron out the alliance. Dillon, who drives for Kaulig Racing, spoke to McFarland directly and conveyed RCR's requirements before the deal was finalized, including the need for McFarland to stay true to his original persona and fanbase.

Why it matters

The partnership between McFarland and RCR is seen as a way to tap into a new audience and fanbase for the storied NASCAR team. Dillon's involvement shows the close relationship between RCR and Kaulig Racing, even after their competitive alliance ended, and highlights the Dillon family's desire to modernize the team's approach.

The details

Ahead of the 2026 season, Kaulig Racing became an independent team after ending its alliance with RCR. However, the ending of the alliance did not sever the relationship between the two teams, with Kaulig driver Ty Dillon playing a key role in bringing McFarland to RCR. Dillon revealed that he called McFarland directly and conveyed RCR's requirements, including the need for McFarland to stay true to his original persona and fanbase in order for the partnership to move forward.

  • Ahead of the 2026 NASCAR season

The players

Ty Dillon

A NASCAR driver who currently competes for Kaulig Racing. He is also the grandson of Richard Childress, the owner of Richard Childress Racing.

Cleetus McFarland

A popular YouTuber-turned-driver who is set to make his NASCAR debut in three O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races this season through a partnership with Richard Childress Racing.

Richard Childress Racing

A NASCAR team owned by Richard Childress, which has a storied history in the sport and is now looking to tap into a new audience through its partnership with Cleetus McFarland.

Kaulig Racing

An independent NASCAR team that previously had an alliance with Richard Childress Racing, but has now become a standalone organization.

Chris Rice

The CEO of Kaulig Racing, who has stated that the ending of the competitive alliance with RCR would not have any ill effects on the overall relationship between the two teams.

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What they’re saying

“I called him. I was like. Hey man, what do you think about this idea like I know you're wanting to, you know, race and NASCAR and ask him like, What is your goal? He's like I love the superspeedways and I would love to one day race in the Cup Series, Daytona 500 would be awesome.”

— Ty Dillon, NASCAR Driver (GluckCast presented by Dirty Mo Media)

“We would only want to do this if you can stay original to who you are. We wouldn't want this to take you off of who Cletus is, what your channel is and what makes you fun. And you have fun. And if we're not having fun doing this whole project, we're failing.”

— Ty Dillon, NASCAR Driver (GluckCast presented by Dirty Mo Media)

What’s next

McFarland is set to make his NASCAR debut at the Rockingham Speedway in April, where he will compete in one of the three O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races he is scheduled to run this season as part of his partnership with Richard Childress Racing.

The takeaway

The partnership between Cleetus McFarland and Richard Childress Racing represents an innovative approach to expanding the sport's fanbase, with Ty Dillon playing a crucial role in bringing the popular YouTuber-turned-driver into the fold. This move highlights the Dillon family's desire to modernize RCR's operations and tap into new audiences, while also showcasing the close relationship between the two NASCAR teams despite the end of their competitive alliance.