Matt Tifft won't return to Front Row in 2020 after Martinsville seizure
Matt Tifft and Front Row Motorsports announced Wednesday that they would be parting ways, effective immediately.
Tifft has been sidelined since Martinsville after he suffered a seizure in the team hauler. He said in a statement that he can’t commit to racing full-time in 2020.
"I've made the decision to focus on my health and there is no rush or timetable to get back behind the wheel,” Tifft said. “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 [team owner] Bob Jenkins, [general manager] 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."
Tifft moved up to the Cup Series ahead of the 2019 season and drove the No. 36 car for Front Row for the entire season until he missed the Martinsville race. He was replaced there by Matt Crafton, and John Hunter Nemechek has driven the No. 36 in each of the last two races.
Tifft finished ninth at Daytona in July for his only top-10 finish of the season. He had an average finish of 26th in the 32 Cup Series races he competed in.
Tifft, 23, has 38 top-10 finishes in 77 Xfinity Series starts. He also has nine top 10s in 25 career Truck Series starts. He moved to the Cup Series after contesting the 2018 Xfinity Series season for Richard Childress Racing.
He drove full-time in 2017 and 2018 in the Xfinity Series after treatment for a brain tumor that was discovered in the summer of 2016.
"Matt has always shown us a lot of determination and courage,” Freeze said. “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."
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports
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