ARCA

Cleetus McFarland involved in ARCA championship affecting crash

A Ryan Vargas title was unlikely, but he needed to maximize every race

Matt Weaver

Edited: Jun 6, 2026, 3:08 AM

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Cleetus McFarland

Photo by: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Shortly before the ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway was called just halfway to its scheduled distance for rain, an incident involving Cleetus McFarland had an impact on a fringe championship contender.

On lap 49 of 100, second in points Ryan Vargas dived under the YouTuber also known legally as Garrett Mitchell. He was held tight and broke traction when he lost the nose.

They both washed up the track and into the path of an oncoming Andy Jankowiak, the winner of the April race at Talladega before ultimately collecting Jason Kitzmiller as well.

They were all racing for ninth.

In real time, spotter Kevin Hamlin had told Cleetus that he needed to hold a car below him tighter but in this case, he was also told after the crash that 'no one gave anyone room' by the veteran spotter.

“I haven't looked yet, but I mean, give up the position and let him clear you, it’s probably not going to happen,” Cleetus said. “But it's like we're in a race, so I don't know. There's a balance to it. And I'm still learning.”

Vargas was looking for Cleetus in the garage after the race to talk it over but also ask him for a little bit more space when someone has position under him like he felt like he did.

“I mean just tight three-wide racing (and) got a little snug on the bottom inside there,” Vargas said. “I just washed up a little and I just had no room to the top side. But I mean at the end of the day I slid up. So, I guess you could say that is on me but nobody was cutting anybody any breaks out there, which I don't get.

“I mean, I was getting my doors tight by lapped cars out there. It was just disappointing racing, for sure. … I think we were up to what, seventh (to) eighth for a little bit there racing, dicing it up with the Nitro (Motorsports) cars. So I mean that just goes to show how much we've improved.”

Was there any consideration of lifting off the throttle knowing the inexperience from the driver the longtime O'Reilly Series racer was trying to overtake?

“In that instance, I entered the corner with him on my right rear corner, so you would expect somebody to give some room,” Vargas said. “Again, Garrett's learning, so I'm not mad at him at all. He's racing and honestly he's been doing a phenomenal job. So I just feel gutted for this team and everybody and all the force involved. So we live to fight another day.”

Ultimately, Vargas was left disappointed because he feels even a 12th place finish all but ends his longshot bid to win the championship racing for underfunded Maples Motorsports against Nitro drivers Jake Bollman and Thomas Annunziatta.

He entered the race 23 points back and is now 28 points back.

“It’s gutting,” Vargas said. “I mean that effectively kind of takes us out of it right there. I hate to say it, maybe that's just me being morbid, but I think we're still in the hunt. But regardless, the fact that we've made it this far and we've kind of been a thorn in so many people's side this year with a fifth of what some of these teams have, I think that just goes to show what our team has done.

“We have a small group of, I think we got five or six people at the shop that works there, and that's not all crew guys. So I mean, it means a lot to have people, teams that believe in me and just that's what makes nights like this suck.”

Even Jankowiak had his longshot championship chances affected by the crash as he entered the race fourth and 40 points back.

“I can't see that,” Jankowiak said of how much he knew about what was happened under his car. “I was trying to run in a way that gave him enough room. I knew I was outside three wide and I seen someone's fender coming up into my door, so I moved up and there's just this weird spot off Turn 2 over there where it gets flat. I've done it, I saved it the first time and the second time I just couldn't save it.”

In addition to all of this, Bollman increased his championship lead, now over teammate Annuziatta, with a second place finish.

“Yeah, I'm not really looking at it,” Bollman said. “I'm just looking at my finishes. If they're closing in, they're closing in. If I'm pulling away, I'm pulling away. It's just really about me. I'm focused on points by keeping my finishes solid, not putting myself in situations that I don't want to be in, but still trying to get after the win. And I feel like this weekend was really going to be our day just until that last restart.”

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Previous article Gio Ruggiero wins rain-shortened ARCA race, pole-sitter Cleetus McFarland wrecks

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