Niece Motorsports Making a Splash in Season-Opener at Daytona

Travis Pastrana will be teammates with Cleetus McFarland at Niece Motorsports for the season-opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Niece Motorsports will be making a splash in the season-opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Daytona International Speedway, pending the results of a scheduled NASCAR test at Rockingham Speedway on Tuesday, February 10. On Thursday morning, the team announced that it will field entries for action sports superstar Travis Pastrana, who is approved to compete in the race, and Garrett Mitchell, a YouTube racing sensation also known as Cleetus McFarland, who is seeking approval through the Rockingham test.

Pastrana will pilot the No. 42 BRUNT Workwear Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports, while McFarland is slated to pilot the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado with primary sponsorship backing from Black Rifle Coffee Company.

The 42-year-old Pastrana is excited to tackle the high banks of Daytona International Speedway once again.

“I’m pumped to get back on track at Daytona,” Pastrana said. “This will be my first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race since 2023, so jumping back into the Niece Chevrolet is going to be a blast. Daytona is one of those places where anything can happen, and lining up with Cleetus and Ricky just adds to the fun. BRUNT and Black Rifle Coffee Company have been awesome partners, from everything we’re doing at Pastranaland to Channel 199, so it’s pretty cool to take on this next challenge together and see how it plays out.”

While this will be Pastrana's first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event since 2023, the driver does have success at Daytona, as he finished 11th in the 2023 Daytona 500, driving the No. 67 entry for 23XI Racing.

McFarland, who was being mentored by the late Greg Biffle, who perished in an offseason plane crash, is proud of the opportunity to compete in a NASCAR Truck Series entry at Daytona International Speedway.

“I’ve been lucky to drive a lot of really cool stuff, but Daytona in a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck is a whole new level,” McFarland said. “This is my first time in the series, so I know it’s going to push me way outside my comfort zone, and that’s what makes it so exciting. I’m incredibly grateful to have partners like Black Rifle Coffee Company, BRUNT, and Niece Motorsports backing us every step of the way. We’re going to go have some fun and see what this thing can do.”

McFarland has made it known that his goal is to make his fallen friend, Biffle, proud by making it to the Daytona 500 someday.

The experience for Pastrana and McFarland will be chronicled in a multi-episode video series to air on Pastrana's YouTube platform Channel 199. Additionally, a partnership between Daytona International Speedway, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Pastrana, McFarland, BRUNT, and Niece Motorsports will send a combined $100,000 contribution to Boot Campaign, a nonprofit organization benefitting veterans and military families through individualized, life-improving care.