MATTHEW KENNETH "MATT" TIFFT - 06/26/1996
In the fall of 2007, Tifft had his first opportunity to race in a go-kart at Barberton Speedway in Norton, Ohio. In 2009, he made his first divisional and national level go kart schedule. During this season, Tifft would win two national-level victories. In 2010, Tifft transitioned from karts to asphalt and dirt super late models. 2011 marked Tifft's first full year in stock cars, as he compiled two super late model victories and had multiple top-5 finishes. Tifft also raced a significant number of races with BJ McLeod Motorsports. In 2012, Tifft won the Rookie of the Year title in the ARCA Midwest Tour. In 2013, Tifft joined the Win-Tron Racing team to race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, as well as select ARCA Series races. On November 14, 2014, it was announced that Tifft would be running a 6-race schedule with Kyle Busch Motorsports for the 2015 NASCAR Truck Series. Tifft made his Xfinity
series debut in 2015 with Joe Gibbs Racing, finishing 10th. The following year, Tifft was then signed by JGR to drive the #18 in 13 races. Tifft drove 3 races with JGL Racing driving the #24 in the Xfinity Series, before driving for JGR. Tifft also joined Red Horse Racing to drive the #11 in the Truck Series. Tifft sustained a disc condition in his back in 2016, and on recommendation of his doctor, sat out American Ethanol E15 250. Sam Hornish Jr. subbed for him and ended up winning the race. During the surgery it was discovered Tifft had a brain tumor. Tifft eventually underwent surgery for a
2013 K&N Series
2014 ARCA Series
low-grade glioma in his brain. On September 12, NASCAR officials cleared Tifft to return to racing. In November, 2016, it was announced that Tifft would drive full-time in JGR's #19 entry in 2017, competing for the Rookie of the Year. Tifft had not scored a top five in 2017, but at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August 2017, he finished a career best third place. On August 27, 2017, Tifft came within two laps of his first Xfinity Series victory at the season's annual trip to Road America. Tifft was leading on
the penultimate lap when a fast-closing Jeremy Clements hooked Tifft in Turn 14, spinning both cars out within sight of the finish line. Tifft would ultimately finish 3rd behind Clements and Michael Annett, tying his Mid-Ohio finish. In October, it was announced that Tifft had signed a multi-year deal to drive the #2 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing starting in 2018. In November 2018, it was announced that Tifft would drive the Front Row Motorsports #36 Ford Mustang GT in the NASCAR Cup Series and compete for 2019 Rookie of the Year honors.
2016 Truck series
2018 Xfinity Series
Tifft selected 36 as his racing number to honor his mentor Ken Schrader, who raced with that number in the Cup Series from 2000 to 2002. In Tifft posted a best finish of 20th through the first half of the season. Like any rookie he spent the first part of the season getting accustomed to the more powerful race vehicles. In the July race at Daytona he ran an impressive race and finished ninth; his season best to that point. He continued to improve as the season progressed bringing his average finish lower and lower. He had a 16th place at Talladega and followed that
with a 17th at Kansas. Right before practice was to begin for race #33 at Martinsville Tifft passed out. Later on he would state that all he remembered was "one minute standing in the hauler and the next he was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital". Tifft was rushed to the hospital after suffering a seizure in the team hauler, forcing Matt Crafton to take over the #36 car for the weekend. Crafton was there racing in the NASCAR Truck race that weekend. As a result of the seizure, he missed the rest of the 2019 season as John Hunter Nemechek substituted in the #36 for the final three races. On November 13, he and FRM parted ways as Tifft intended to focus on his health and could not commit to a full-time 2020 schedule. Tifft is still currently taking a break
2019 Sup series
from racing due to health issues he suffered at the end of the 2019 season. Then, while on his honeymoon on Dec. 12, 2019; Tifft had a second seizure. His body convulsed, he couldn’t breathe or speak, and his tongue and eyes rolled back. This summer of 2020, Tifft visited University Hospitals in Cleveland so doctors could study what was happening inside his brain. But even after being seizure-free since the previous December, he says experts are still puzzled. Tifft said his seizures were a “protective mechanism” for his body’s electrical activity, akin to how a surge protector prevents electrical fires in a home. “If you think of a computer, when it trips the surge protector it’s doing it so your house doesn’t burn down, so it doesn’t blow the electrical fuses in there,” he said. Tifft said doctors told him he needs to be seizure-free for two years before there is a low chance of them returning. In 2020, with his racing career in question, he became a part owner of a NASCAR team with B. J. McLeod. On October 23, 2020, Tifft and B. J. McLeod purchased Archie St. Hilare's half of Go Fas Racing's charter. Tifft, McLeod, and Joe Falk will use the charter full-time in 2021. Archie St Hilare and his Go Fas Racing team will scale down to a part-time schedule. When the team was formed as Live Fast Motorsports, Tifft would later say in an interview that part of the reason he decided to move to team ownership was because of the uncertainty over continuing his racing career due to his health issues, and his desire to continue his involvement in the sport. Tifft became the youngest NASCAR team owner at the age of 24. Live Fast Motorsports will fielded the #78 Ford Mustang; and will have a "strategic partnership" with prominent Cup Series team Stewart-Haas Racing, “to assist the team in competition and navigating the difficulties of developing a successful NASCAR Cup team. The teams first season in 2021 experienced growing pains. With their Charter in hand, they were able to run all 36 Cup events. They only had one Top 10 finish. It came when BJ McLeod finished ninth at Daytona in August. In 2022 the next NextGen cars will come out and it will be interesting to see if they level the playing field somewhat and the little team can be more competitive.
All Photos copyright and are property of their respective owners