Matt Tifft Provides an Update on His NASCAR Future

“So the question that keeps getting asked is when am I coming back to NASCAR,” Tifft said in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter). “If you don’t follow me on socials, I’ll give you an update. I’ve been racing in Dirt Late Models, Asphalt Super Late Models, some Stock Car Road Course racing, and some Trans-Am here and there.

“I’ve been busy the past two years racing,” Tifft continued. “I want to start with that because I would not be able to if it wasn’t for my medical team clearing me. I’ve spent a lot of time, effort, and money travelling around the country to get cleared by the top neurologists, upper cervical physicians, all this kind of stuff just to be sure that I was safe out there [on track], and obviously it’s not just me but other competitors. I wanted to make sure I did that first before I ever got on the racetrack.”

After two successful years of racing to date, Tifft has had conversations with NASCAR about a pathway to return to competition on a national stage. The Hinckley, OH native has had calls from teams interested in putting him in a car or truck in the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and NASCAR Xfinity Series. However, for the time being, the answer from NASCAR is a “no.”

“With that being said, I have talked to NASCAR, not only recently, but in previous years about what that path may look like to come back,” Tifft said. “Ultimately, they have said ‘that it is a no for right now.’ Where that comes from is they have their own panel neurologists and physicians. I do think that from insurance and liability that NASCAR has to think about as a whole it is a bit different here. That is why other sanctioning bodies can clear me, and they cannot.

“I understand it and I respect that side of it,” Tifft continued. “But I have had ARCA teams, Truck teams, and Xfinity teams call me to want to go run races. That side frustrates me a little bit because I don’t see why an ARCA car at Salem Speedway, Winchester Speedway, Toledo Speedway, why I couldn’t go hop in that. That is an option that has been presented to me for this season.

Tifft is hopeful that an option would allow him to compete on slower tracks, similar to one that allows 17-year-olds to compete in the Truck Series on road courses and short tracks. Until then, NASCAR has stated to the 28-year-old that a review is possible in 2031.

“I hope that there is a way to figure out a middle ground for me to be able to go do races at slower speeds, almost like the 17-year-old rule,” Tifft said. “From my side of things, I’m not looking to run the Daytona 500 or anything like that right now. I would love to go hop in for some short track racing. We’ll see where this all leads, but as of right now, to answer the question, 2031 is what NASCAR has told to me tentatively as long as everything goes well that we’ll review at that point.”

Tifft had one top-10 finish in his Cup Series career in the 2019 summer race at Daytona Int’l Speedway.