Front Row Motorsports driver Matt Tifft missed the fall Monster Energy Cup Series race at Martinsville due to what was termed a “medical issue” after Tifft was taken to the hospital.
On Tuesday, Front Row Motorsports revealed that Tifft will not be returning to the number 36 car for the last three races of the 2019 racing season.
Via social media, Tifft revealed that prior to Monster Cup practice Saturday morming he “blacked out”and had a seizure in the team’s hauler. Tifft will be consulting with medical personnel in the near future with the hopes of returning to racing next season.
Tifft continued, “Hate that I have to miss out the rest of my rookie season, but the most important thing right now is my health and figuring out what is going on and hopefully get to the bottom of this here soon.”
Three years ago Tifft missed 10 weeks due to surgery for a brain tumor. Tifft indicated that the current testing shows no sign of a return of the tumor.
Xfinity Series driver John Hunter Nemechek will be substituting for Tifft the remainder of the season. The Monster Cup Series race at Texas will be Nemechek’s Monster Cup debut.
Speaking on his debut Monster Cup race Nemechek said via a statement, “this isn’t the way any driver wants to make their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut. I am hoping that Matt feels better and can get back in his car as soon as possible. That is what is important.”