22-year-old Matt Tifft will leap to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season next season and drive Front Row Motorsports’ third car, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.
Tifft, a current student at the UNC Charlotte majoring in business management will drive the team’s No. 36 Ford Mustang next year as a teammate to returning drivers Michael McDowell (No. 34) and David Ragan (No. 38).
It’s been a memorable week for Tifft. Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Tifft proposed to girlfriend Jordan Holt and now will compete in his first Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, 2019.
“Today is a huge moment in my career, announcing my move to the Cup series,” said Tifft. “This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and I can’t believe it’s finally coming true.
“I’m so thankful to Front Row Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to drive the No. 36 next season. I’m looking forward to guidance from veterans Michael McDowell and David Ragan and am ready to take on the challenge of driving with 39 of the best drivers in the world.”
Tifft joins the Statesville, N.C.-based team after competing the last two years full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving for Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing respectively.
Tifft, a native of Hinckley, Ohio made it to the penultimate round of the Xfinity Series Playoffs this year but was eliminated at ISM Raceway (Phoenix) despite a third-place finish in the race.
He finished sixth overall in the championship standings following the season finale at Homestead after earning his 19th top-10 finish of the year.
Overall in 77 career Xfinity starts, Tifft earned two poles, six top-five and 38 top-10 finishes. He earned a career-best second place run at Road America (Wisc.) in August after winning the pole.
He also has competed in select NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races from 2014 – 2016 with a best of fifth at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2016 driving for the now defunct Red Horse Racing. He earned an eighth-place finish in his series’ debut in 2014 driving for B.J. McLeod Motorsports at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
In June 2014, Tifft was sidelined from NASCAR competition following a recommendation from his doctor because of a disc condition in his back. Further evaluation determined that Tifft would have to undergo a Jul. 1 surgery to remove a low-grade, benign brain tumor discovered during a scan while receiving treatment for his back.
To expedite his NASCAR return, Tifft had been taking part in various on-track testing with Late Models and in simulators. He was officially cleared to return at Chicagoland Speedway, seven weeks after surgery.
Today, the likable driver has scheduled scans to monitor any potential relapse.
Bob Jenkins’ Front Row Motorsports debuted in the Cup Series in 2005 running a limited schedule. The team shifted to a full-time focus in 2011 with driver David Gilliland. The organization has two Cup wins with David Ragan at Talladega Superspeedway in 2012 and Chris Buescher at Pocono Raceway in 2016. The team hasn’t fielded three full-time Cup teams since 2013.
In August, Front Row purchased the assets of BK Racing including its charter in bankruptcy court.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
