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Cleetus McFarland and Squirrel McNutt are set to race at Talladega Superspeedway in the ARCA series. Squirrel is making his superspeedway debut and feels prepared to compete alongside his teammate.
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Now thereâs two of them, and of course âCleetus McFarlandâ and âSquirrel McNuttâ are planning to âShake and Bakeâ on Saturday in the ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway.
The two YouTubers turned racers frequently recited the lines made famous in the 2006 Will Ferrell comedy -- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. And of course they did because itâs the entire genesis to Garrett Mitchell and George Sicilianoâs Stock Car racing gimmick.
Squirrel, who is making his superspeedway debut after starts in ARCA at Hickory, Rockingham and Kansas, says he immediately feels ready to contend alongside his Rette Jones Racing teammate after three clean races.
âThis isnât too crazy,â the artist also known as LS George said. âWe were out here in Crown Vics so Iâm really used to the speeds; got those up to 160 (mph) so that was pretty great. Rockingham and Kansas were pretty fast and they wouldnât let me do Daytona until then but now we got it.
âIâm feeling really good. Iâm going to be driving much more aggressively now because I was on the road to âDega, but now Iâm here to win. Weâre going to be shaking and baking.â
There it is.
âHe texted me last night and he said, âI'm letting the cat outta the cage at Dega,â so heâs been on probation until this moment,â Cleetus said.
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Their participation highlights the crossover between YouTube personalities and professional racing, bringing more attention to the ARCA series.
Squirrel McNutt has previously competed in ARCA races at Hickory, Rockingham, and Kansas before making his superspeedway debut at Talladega.
'Shake and Bake' is a catchphrase from the movie 'Talladega Nights' that Cleetus McFarland and Squirrel McNutt are using to promote their racing collaboration.
Squirrel McNutt is racing for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA series at Talladega.
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The implication is that, again, all the other races they enter are all about maximizing the chances to contend at full-throttle superspeedway races. Thatâs certainly the case for âCleetus,â who was just denied by NASCAR to run this weekendâs OâReilly Auto Parts Series race at Talladega as he continues to pursue an eventual start in the Daytona 500.
âWay to rub it in,â Cleetus said about the denial. âJust kidding.â
The denial came after he made his series debut at Rockingham on Easter weekend, where he finished the race six laps down in 32nd, spun once and nearly spun two other times. NASCAR also wanted to see him mix it up with other drivers more so until then, heâs still eligible to race ARCA and Truck superspeedways and will make his next NOAPS start at Nashville Superspeedway.
âWell, (Richard Childress Racing), when we first got the news back from NASCAR, which we kind of expected based on a hectic drive at Rockingham, that we were only approved for short tracks, we just looked at Nashville because itâs probably a safer bet,â Cleetus said. âThe slower turns allow me to learn the car and horsepower, and it aligned with my schedule.
âTommyâs Express Car Wash, it aligned with them. It kind of just worked out. We didnât pick Nashville with any other intention other than working my way up and if it goes well, working my way up to bigger tracks and make it to Daytona in the spring.â
As in the spring OâReilly Series race, and then targeting the Daytona 500 by 2028. For now, âCleetusâ and âSquirrelâ are just going to take their real time reality show to the Talladega infield.
âTalladega is the most lawless place I have ever been,â Cleetus said. âItâs almost its own country and I just canât believe how incredible it is inside the race track here. Like, itâs like entering a new country and I canât believe they donât ask you for a passport. Iâm surprised the donât rip your sleeves off.
âThe lore of Talladega is like nothing else and itâs better than any other race track as far as having a good time goes. Itâs incredible.â
To his point, the Talladega infield and parking lots are known for their almost lawless parties and itâs a crowd that really supports âCleetusâ and âSquirrelâ too.
âThere are a lot of great Americans,â Squirrel said. âThey ride or die with us and thatâs the best feeling in the world.â
âCleetusâ echoed that sentiment.
âThey have their sleeves cut off and theyâre great Americans that are excited to watch us turn left.â
They also addressed the Alabama vs Auburn thing before they left too.
Squirrel: âYouâre not going to get me to say Auburn. Roll Tide.â
Cleetus: âIâll second that. Roll Tide. Thatâs what everyone says to us when weâre out and about.â
And of course, one last thing before leaving:
Cleetus: âSamâs Spray Wax, BaldEagle.com, 10 percent off. Use code: Dega.
Squirrel:Â âHeatwave.com, code McNutt. Also, Shake and Bake.â
Shake and Bake.
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