Less than a month after a seizure sidelined Matt Tifft from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition with his Front Row Motorsports team, the two announced on Wednesday that they have mutually agreed to part ways so Tifft can focus on his health.
Tifft, a rookie in the Cup Series said that while he still hopes to resume his racing career he is not in a position to commit to a full season next year.
The 23-year-old has been absent from racing since suffering the seizure at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Oct. 26 – shortly before the start of the first Cup practice session of the weekend.
“I’ve made the decision to focus on my health and there is no rush or timetable to get back behind the wheel,” said Tifft in a statement. “Because of that, I can’t commit to racing full-time in 2020. I can’t say when I’ll be ready to race again, but I believe I will come back. I love this sport, the people, and I would like to be a part of it next year in some capacity.
“I want to thank Bob Jenkins, Jerry Freeze and the entire Front Row Motorsports organization for allowing me to live my dream of racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. They are great people and it’s been awesome to race there. I look forward to what’s next in racing when the time is right.”
When John Hunter Nemechek was announced as Tifft’s replacement for the final three Cup Series races of the season at Texas Motor Speedway, Jeff Dennison, senior director of sales and marketing for Front Row Motorsports said then that Tifft had a two-year agreement with the organization and it planned to honor that.
“Matt has always shown us a lot of determination and courage,” team owner Bob Jenkins said in a statement. “He’s a fighter and I believe, like him, that he’ll return to driving. For now, we support Matt and his need to focus on his health and his family. Racing will be there when it’s time.
“We want to thank Matt and his family for being a part of Front Row Motorsports and helping us continue to grow.”
Tifft attended the AAA Texas 500 on Nov. 3 with his Front Row team and said that scans of the area where he had a brain tumor removed in July 2016 looked good.
The Hinckley Ohio native has shared updates on his progression since the seizure on social media. He competed in 32 races this season and earned a career-best ninth place effort at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in July.
Truck Series Championship 4 contender Matt Crafton subbed for Tifft at Martinsville, finishing 25th.
In his two races for Front Row, Nemechek has a best finish of 21st in his debut at Texas. He was involved in a late-race accident last Sunday at ISM (Ariz.) Raceway and finished 27th.
The Mooresville, N.C. team will announce its replacement for Tifft at a later date.
Wanted to thank everyone for all their support in these last few weeks. Life is crazy, and it is easy to look at the negative side. However, I’m not gonna take it the negative way. I’m just going to keep on pushing, everything will work out how it’s supposed to👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/Q0a4LiMOi7
— Matt Tifft (@matt_tifft) November 13, 2019
Thank you to Bob, all of @Team_FRM and especially you the fans for your support. https://t.co/HtQUjjN5Ag
— Matt Tifft (@matt_tifft) November 13, 2019
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
