Talladega: NASCAR’s Biggest Party Weekend! | Feat. Cleetus McFarland

Welcome to Talladega: NASCAR’s Wildest Weekend Begins

 Welcome to Talladega. This is Talladega. The team is currently prepping the 2D GM racing cars. Jesse Iwuji will be making his first start in two years. I’m excited for that. He’ll be piloting the 91 car. Ryan Ellis, our bull, is still searching for a. Top 10, but we believe it’s coming. We know Talladega is a good opportunity for both DGM racing cars. Get the Talladega NASCAR Weekend Experience today.

DGM Racing Prepares for Talladega with Jesse Iwuji and Ryan Ellis

Today’s easy. All we gotta do is qualify. Hope that we get the 91 in the show and we’ll be gonna go for tomorrow. So today’s easy get through tech, qualify. But the big thing about Talladega, it’s all about the party. It’s all about the infield parties here, the fans.

Inside the Talladega Infield Party: Where NASCAR Culture Comes AliveDGM Racing Prepares for Talladega with Jesse Iwuji and Ryan Ellis

So I’m here of Jesse Iwuji and you’re back at Talladega after sitting two years off. Why Talladega? Well, Talladega’s a super fun place to be at. Um, always love this track. Super speed ways in journal. Always love him because anything can happen. Um, it’s a track you can come to and have a great day. It’s track you can come to and have a bad day.

But, um, you know, to be able to come out here with our number 91 Chevrolet Camaro Ss with DGMX, Jim, and uh, you know, be able to, you know, put together a car and, and, and. Should be pretty competitive. We’ll find out here at qualifying. Um, I, I’m excited to be able to just kind of bring everybody back together and just kind of run it back.

So, yeah, it’s, it’s gonna be exciting. It’s gonna be a good one. A lot of great cars out here. I think 41 are trying to get in the show today, so, um, yeah, it should be fun.

Exploring the Talladega Hall of Fame: Legendary Cars and Memories

We are officially at the Talladega Hall of Fame. Let’s take a look inside. I’m excited about this one. There’s so much history at this track and I feel like this Hall of fame has so much to offer compared to other tracks. So with that said, let’s take a look Inside. Standing behind me is Dale Earnhardt, senior’s RV from the 1990s.

This is the RV he basically lived in when he was winning all these championships back in the day. Let’s take a look inside.

From Earnhardt to Allison: Honoring NASCAR’s Alabama Gang

As we have Bobby Allison’s car behind me, the Talladega Hall of Fame is more than just race cars and nascar. We got dirt cars, we got airplanes. Everyone got a little bit of everything here.

We are essentially at the glory road of nascar. It’s very beach themed behind me, but as we go through the years, it is just old race car after old race car. And eventually you work up to a bit more modern, but there’s probably 30 cars in this one room alone on both sides of you. And you just walk through and get to see every single aspect of NASCAR throughout the years and see some of your favorite drivers like Daryl Waltrip.

We are now into the second building of the Talladega Hall of Fame. We got Dale Earnhardt’s car behind me. He actually picked up his final career win here and Dale Junior was so dominant. This is one of his race win cars from this very track.

You can’t even mention Talladega without talking about the Alabama gang made famous by the Allisons.

Back here behind me is the Earnhardt room. Let’s take a look inside.

Right here is what we call the Talladega Junkyard.

Life on Talladega Boulevard: Crawfish, Buses, and Brotherhood

Welcome to the Talladega Boulevard. We’re here. I’m on top of a bus right now and, uh, this is where the NASCAR party is gonna be at all weekend. So get ready, prepare. Enjoy the content we’re going for one heck of a ride. It is Talladega baby. This is the best view in the freaking house right now. Stand here, man.

Come on in the bus. What all have we got in here? This is the NASCAR bus. Looks like you had all people sign the top of this bus. Look inside here. What do we got here On everybody’s side. Oh wow. Literally everyone has signed this. All the guys that fly the planes, the rescue tees, and all this. This right here.

Sign it. Oh, this is so cool. I get to go sign it. Oh, I gotta pick a good spot. Yeah, take a, take a video or whatever you’re doing. Alright, I gotcha. Let’s say you’ve been there and done that. Gotcha. I feel like right here is a good spot.

Inside the Ultimate Talladega Boulevard Party: NASCAR’s Wildest Fan Experience

Oh, that is great. I appreciate that. We are now a part of the Talladega Boulevard for Life. So we’re here on the Talladega Boulevard. What should everyone expect here tonight? A party. A party. You guys are pretty laid back. Tell me about the Talladega experience. We gotta relax before tonight because tonight is when all fun happens.

Well, I got a whole 20 pound of crawfish. We actually mentally screwed up and got another 40 pound sack, so we gotta cook another. So in other words, everybody needs to. Come eat. Are you cooking for everyone on the boulevard? Basically? Basically. Cool deal. How crazy is it gonna get here tonight? It’s Friday night.

Veterans and Racing Brotherhood: The People Behind the Boulevard

We’re gonna break the scale out of 10 11. So we have one of the coolest parts of the Talladega Boulevard right here, and this man is responsible for it. Well, tell me about it. What’s goes on here? I tell you, we come from 12 states. It’s amazing to have this group of conglomerates we come from. From Kansas City, we come from Missouri, uh, Southeast Missouri.

We’re coming from North Carolina, South Carolina, we from all over and some of the other Arkansas. So we’re just a good group of people that met right here on the Boulevard. Lemme introduce you real quick. Our oldest member name, Don Daddy Jack Maths. Don Daddy Jack Matthews served in Desert Storm. He and I served together and, and we running together.

He’s 90 years old. And he is out here spreading the sunshine and making everybody happy. Enjoy the boulevard. Yep. How about it? Say Hi daddy, Jack. Alright, go back here. When.

We got the good old Missouri tiger cooker back there. We call it LSU. Every once in a while we got the big bus. It’s about friendships, it’s about family ship. It’s about us coming to Talladega Boulevard and having a blast. Absolutely. That’s what Talladega is about. If you’ve never been to a race, I recommend Talladega.

Touring the NASCAR Party Bus: The Best View at Talladega

How crazy is it gonna get here Today we’re gonna say Happy day to everyone. Happy day, happy day.

I’ve been told this bus behind me with the flames on it is the Clus McFarland bus, which is so cool. He’s not there right now, but who knows? Maybe we’ll run into him before the end of the night. How much sleep do you get down here? Like it’s so noisy. What time do you go to bed down here? Forever. I don’t sleep.

Yeah, about say we usually suffer for four days about. But it’s absolutely worth it. Absolutely worth it. Has the partying already began down here? Yeah, we got here Wednesday. We have a partying March week, Wednesday. Wow. How is how day going on Wednesday? Uh, tired. They still have the flag, the dread smart flag here.

No Sleep at Dega: Living the NASCAR Life 24/7

Hanging proud at Daega. Hey guys. So I’m here Clus at McFarland. Tell me about your Taega experience, brother. We’re out here at Dega. Uh, we’re making a game plan. We got practicing a little bit. . We we’re lined up. Mr. Sam’s had 50 cokes and we’re just chilling.

Absolutely. Uh, howing a boulevard tonight. How, how wild is it gonna get over here in the camp that’s up to these boys? I mean, ask squirrel. Squirrel. What’s, what’s it look like? Well, the thing is, we’re gonna turn it up to 11 now. My boy has to race tomorrow and we have to win tomorrow. That’s what we came to do.

Do we plan to do so? He’s gonna chaperone. I got a little bit of things on the schedule for tomorrow, but none of ’em start till after the beer wears off, so it’s gonna be turned up pretty good. How big of a help has this legend to be? How, how big of a help has he been? This guy here is like NASCAR Hall of Fame legend, Greg Biel.

Cletus McFarland and Crew Take Over Talladega Boulevard

We wouldn’t be here without the bit. That’s for dang shirt, that’s for sure. And I probably wouldn’t be here without the Cletus either. Team, I noticed you got, you got the T-shirt going. Good for you. Sleeveless. Sleeveless. That’s the way to go. Or you gotta be ripping some T-shirts. Tonight. Oh yeah, absolutely.

We’re gonna be riding that float on down there. Oh, that is sweet. I can’t wait for him to hot dog down into one though. That’s right. That’s right. Get that one of them t-shirts. Greg ville.com. Oh yeah. And then also, let me ask you this. Do you know who has the most wins in a single truck season? Oh, most of those season, I would imagine this guy, the truck champion pit.

The big be. That’s awesome. Well, y’all enjoy the touting of Boulevard and touting a weekend. We are doing it big time down here on the Dega Boulevard baby.

Qualifying Day Drama: Can Ryan Ellis and Jesse Iwuji Make the Cut?

We are about to set the grid here at Talladega. It is time to go qualify now there’s rain in the area. Hopefully it holds off and we can get both cars qualified.

Here’s Ryan Ellis, driver 71. Still looking for the top 10. It could happen this weekend. I know. It’s a good weekend. This is a good one. Literally, if you just keep the wheels on it, you have a chance at a top 10 at this racetrack, and I think probably one of the better shots for Ryan Ellis on his quest to get that first top 10.

Strategy, Speed, and Survival: What Makes Talladega So Unpredictable?

Yeah, I mean, last weekend was. Was a good weekend. Also, we saw some, some unique names, you know, at the, at the top of the scoring pile on at Rockingham because of the, the fuel and some of the, the wrecks that we had from guys running outta fuel at the end. But you’re right, I mean, this weekend it’s, it’s an opportunity for everybody and, and I would say much like we were talking about Jeff Earnhardt wanting to see him get to Victory Lane, wanting to see Ryan Ellis get that first top 10.

This would be great weekend. Got a good little one right there. Pretty, pretty, yeah, for sure. Now us the eighth driver to take time and as you guys said, the tracker pretty friendly to him right now. See him finish and then we will head downstairs.

Jesse Iwuji Makes His First Start of 2025 at Talladega

The one thing so far around here he is. Finish takes a while. I’m like, here he comes and it’s like, ah, it took, took a minute, but he finally got there. Line so far down past the triable, uh, I’m, I’m really good at my job. Just over 53 seconds for LSE is second Dylan.

91 on track. Jesse Iwuji behind the wheel this weekend, making his first start of 2025. Jesse finishes up and he goes 53 54. As we go back to Dylan. That’s a wrap for qualifying. It looks like we got two fast hot rods for tomorrow’s race at Talladega, so that’s super exciting. If haven’t checked out, drive Smart Auto, go down below, check it out, and when you use code at DLB 10 off, you can save $10 off.

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Oh, we’re going this way now. Okay. That’s different. I don’t, I think that’s a good thing. We should do that more often. I’m superstitious, so

starting night today and I am about how you feeling? Very full. I just shut down. Quesadilla in the parking lot. Okay, if I don’t throw up on the first lap, I can start. Welcome to Talladega. This is my favorite track to go to. Ryan Ellis, qualified in the ninth position. That’s exciting. I’m hoping he can pull off a win in this one.

We got Jesse Iwuji here as well. It’s gonna be a heck of a show. It’s gonna be a heck of a ride. Strap that TV down because it’s almost race time from Talladega.

Pre-Race Hustle: Just in Time for Driver Intros

How’s your NASCAR experience? Oh, just like everyone else. Pretty excited. Oh yeah. It’s gonna be a fun day. Happy have ya. Uh, lemme check. Lemme check. I got you. Just keep running. I got two 18. What time we gotta be there? Driver intros, hustle. See, Jesse likes me better,

almost late for driver intros, but me and Jesse here hustled. This is the concept we came here for. Pretty warm up right now. Oh yeah. We getting, we got a pretty good roll run here, Jesse. Ha.

I feel like he could become a sitting duck. When anytime you give up that much space to the guys running second, this is a big run. They can get a huge run and here comes Austin Hill. Yeah, Christian Kins was able to give a massive shove to Austin Hill. You see now he’s given a push to Jesse Love on the outside.

Huge Momentum Swings as Austin Hill and Jesse Battle

Austin Hill’s not gonna have the momentum. The 16 has really been able to get to those bumpers to give them a big shove when they need it the most. A lot of rookie presence at the front. Right now. Christian Eckes the best of the bunch in that category, driving the 16 for team colleagues. He’s in the outside lane.

The inside lane belongs to Jesse . He’s trying to lead every lap from the pole and win the opening stage. And driver two does just that.

It’s a little bit like the end of the race at Atlanta. You have the 21 of Austin Hill there, the 19 of Eric Amar. Jesse love wins the opening stage driving for RCR. And stage two gonna go to his teammate. Austin Hill delivers in the 21.

White flag is out one lap to go sponsored by Credit One Bank if the. Caution comes out now this race is official. Here’s Jeff Burton inside Lane 27 trying to take the lead. He tried to cover Jeff there, but he was too late. Jeff Burton put him inside him, is now controlling that middle and bottom lane.

Final Thoughts from Talladega: What’s Next for DGM Racing?

Yeah, and we’re gonna see Jesse . Can he make it four three laps in a row as they get down to turns three and four? Austin Hill gives him a big push. Oh, there goes the 88 O’Connor sale. It’s three wide out front. We stay green for now. There’s the caution. And who was leading? When the caution came out, they were free wide.

This will take a while to sort out.

It’s been updated. We got 16th and 19th on the board. 16th and 20th on the board for Daygo. How about it? On in to Texas? Yeah. Wish we could have brace the last mile. Mile and a quarter. But everybody probably thinks they would’ve gained spots in that last mile. So who knows? Um, not a bad day. Could have. It could’ve been better.

Car was phenomenal. We can use it again at each one without having to rebuild it. So that helps a lot too. But definitely want more. Absolutely. Let’s get it at Texas.

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