Student Matt Tifft scores top 10 finish in XFINITY Series debut

Driving the No. 20 UNC Charlotte Toyota Camry, 19-year-old student Matt Tifft raced to a top 10 finish in the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway Saturday, Sept. 26. The car was decked out in UNC Charlotte colors and logos, and the driver and crew wore UNC Charlotte-branded suits, too.

“I think tonight went really well for my very first XFINITY race. Wheels (Mike Wheeler, crew chief) made some really good calls to make our UNC Charlotte Camry even better, and we were really good on long runs,” said Tifft. “We made it up to as high as second at one point and thought we had a car capable of staying up there. Unfortunately, I just got shuffled on those last two restarts. I’m really proud of the guys and all of the hard work they put in to come out with a top-10 finish. Thanks to everyone at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) and UNC Charlotte for this opportunity.”

A business management major from Hinckley, Ohio, Tifft currently runs a part-time schedule in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He also competes in a limited amount of ARCA Series events throughout the year.