NASCAR Update: Brain Tumor Survivor Matt Tifft Announces Massive 30-Race Itinerary Amidst Racing Return

Matt Tifft is up and running for the 2024 racing season. The former Live Fast Motorsports co-owner had announced his return to racing after a four-year sabbatical last year. Having spent those years watching races on the pit box, Tifft couldn’t help but give in to the urge to race again. Continuing the revival of his racing career after battling a tumor in his right frontal lobe of the brain, Tifft announced his plans for the 2024 season.

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Unfolding the suspense on Twitter, Matt Tifft had given out some hints through his tweets to tease the fans. Following the clues, Tifft tweeted that he would be racing this year in the dirt late model and Trans-Am TA2 Sports Car circuits. He’ll participate in about 30 races in these two disciplines and even revealed his primary sponsor for the full schedule. An exciting season lies ahead for the 27-year-old.

Matt Tifft is all excited and shares details on his sponsor and racing scheduleADVERTISEMENT

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When Matt Tifft and BJ McLeod decided to sell the Live Fast Motorsports charter to Spire Motorsports, it was clear to the NASCAR community that both owners had different plans going into the future. While McLeod shifted his focus to the team’s Xfinity Series program and announced a part-time schedule in the Cup Series, Tifft relieved himself of ownership completely.

The reason for Matt Tifft to take a drastic step down from ownership was his team’s need for more competitiveness. Live Fast Motorsports had to endure a tough few seasons in the Cup Series but couldn’t improve in that brief period either. Owing to that, people believed that an exit from ownership meant a return to racing for Matt Tifft, which did happen.

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Last year, Tifft came out of his four-year hiatus with Super Late Model circuit races. Fast forward to 2024, and he has announced his decision to try his hand at something different. Disclosing more details about the same, Matt Tifft tweeted, “I am back for 2024! Racing over 30 events between dirt late model racing and Trans-Am TA2 sports car series races! @blasterproducts will be the primary sponsor all year. So thankful for this opportunity to be back on track. Schedule release soon”

🚨 Big News! 🚨 I am back for 2024! Racing over 30 events between dirt late model racing and Trans-Am TA2 sports car series races! @blasterproducts will be the primary sponsor all year. So thankful for this opportunity to be back on track. Schedule release soon 🏁 pic.twitter.com/1hdMywUpZR

— Matt Tifft (@matt_tifft) January 24, 2024

In 2019, when Matt Tifft revealed his struggle with a brain tumor, fans believed that it might be his last days of racing. However, the 27-year-old’s determination to race again has never taken a hit. Having seen the ups and downs of life in NASCAR as an owner and a driver, Tifft divulged his battle with the tumor and his comeback to racing in a conversation with Racing America last year.

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Persistence was crucial for Tifft’s comeback in 2023Returning to the pilot seat of a race car for the first time in four years, Matt Tifft arrived at the iconic Hickory Motor Speedway. Following a prolonged medical battle with a brain tumor and an awkward dynamic with Live Fast in the Cup Series, Tifft had decided that his desire to enjoy racing was paramount. During his extended break from racing, he spent his days recovering at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Revealing the build-up to his much-anticipated return, the Forbes 30 under 30 personality revealed, “I worked with my doctors on a lot of neurological exams and tons of MRIs, EEGs, to be honest, not too different from when I got back in the car after my brain tumor. I’d say very, very similar, but maybe a bit more involved this time because of what happened in 2019.”

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The test session at Hickory proved to be a confidence booster for Matt Tifft. It not only catalyzed his burning desire to return to racing against the country’s best, he wanted to do it as soon as possible. Speaking about the effect the Hickory test session had on him, Tifft said, “The big thing out of that test was that I realized I may want to do this a bit sooner than later. I didn’t want to second-guess anything.”

“I talked to Dan Frederickson up in Wisconsin, and I wanted to do a weekend where I could go race a couple of times. I didn’t want to go up there and run 30 laps and be done.”

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With the hindrances past him, Matt Tifft wants to set the tracks alight with his much-awaited presence on the race tracks. While he has shifted attention from the Super Late Model to the intense dirt tracks of America, he is looking for new challenges and experiences before returning to NASCAR in full strength.

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