Matt Tifft out for season, Nemechek named replacement
First-year competitor and Front Row Motorsports driver Matt Tifft will be sidelined for the remaining three races of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the driver announced Tuesday (Oct. 29).
Tifft said in a video posted to social media Tuesday he suffered a seizure at Martinsville Speedway Saturday morning.
After feeling his tongue cramp up, Tifft said in the video the “Next thing I knew, I blacked out, and my crew guys helped me down, and had EMTs and next thing, I woke up there in the ambulance there, getting transported to a local hospital.”
Tifft shared that he had an MRI done and “there’s nothing there” in reference to a recurrence of a brain tumor.
Tifft did not compete in the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway Sunday.
In 32 starts this season, Tifft is ranked 31st in points with a season-high of ninth-place at Daytona International Speedway in July.
Matt Crafton substituted for Tifft, placing the No. 36 Ford in 25-th place, five laps down.
“I hate that I have to miss out the rest of my rookie season, but the most important thing right now is my health,” Tifft said.
SUBSTITUTE
NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor John Hunter Nemechek will make his MENCS debut this weekend, piloting the No. 36 Ford for the remaining three races (Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami).
Front Row Motorsports made the announcement Tuesday.
“Excited for this opportunity to gain some valuable experience,” Nemechek said.
“Hate that Matt Tifft is goign through everything as I wish him a speedy recovery. Prayers out!
SOURCES
Racing-Reference.info
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.