A busy schedule for NASCAR driver Matt Tifft just got busier.
Tifft will drive the No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra in the next three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races at Kansas Speedway, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, the team confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
Tifft, 19, competed in 12 NCWTS races last season for Kyle Busch Motorsports, earning a best finish of eighth three times, including his most recent race at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway last November.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to join Red Horse Racing,” said Tifft in a team press release. “I’m looking forward to working with (teammate) Timothy (Peters) and (crew chief) Scott Zipadelli on our No. 11 Toyota Tundra team. We’re going to some tracks I really enjoy and I’m confident we’re going to have some speed and we’ll go and try to get some really good runs.”
This season, the University of North Carolina-Charlotte student has three starts in the No. 24 JGL Racing Toyota in the NASCAR XFINITY Series finishing a season-best 20th at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month.
This weekend at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, Tifft will make the first of 14 races for Joe Gibbs Racing aboard the No. 18 Toyota Camry. NOS which returned to the organization with reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Busch will sponsor Tifft in his fifth career NXS start in Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250.
Tifft will pair with JGR for the next three XFINITY races at Richmond, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and Dover before returning to JGL Racing at Charlotte on May 28. He’ll venture into double-duty status at Dover, a track where he has two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts.
Overall, the Hinckley, Ohio native has 15 starts in the truck series with six top 10s overall. He finished eighth in his NCWTS debut at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in 2014 in a truck fielded by XFINITY Series regular B.J. McLeod.
According to Motorsport.com, Scott Zipadelli will continue to serve as crew chief of the No. 11 Toyota Tundra. Zipadelli recently worked with Ben Kennedy, who parted ways with the team last Friday.
“I”m excited to work with Matt,” Zipadelli told Motorsport.com. “I like to work with young drivers — new talent. It allows you no to have any preconceived notions and try a lot of different things. Young drivers aren’t set in their ways and don’t have a particular style you have to cater to.
“I think some of these newer setups and the way the races play out, I think it will be exciting if we can get Matt comfortable in our trucks and hopefully, he’ll bring a little excitement to the team, too. A little personality, a little energy is always exciting. I think a change is good. I think it will be good for the team and we’re looking forward to going to Kansas.”
The NCWTS season resumes at Kansas Speedway on Friday night, May 6.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
