Matt Tifft Remembers Family Roots with Darlington Throwback

No. 36 Ford to Recreate Family-Owned Dirt Late Model

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 26, 2019) – When Matt Tifft was growing up, his dad owned a Dirt Late Model car, driven by Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer David Hilliker. On weekends and school breaks, the Tifft family would travel to Michigan to see Hilliker’s No. 21 race.
According to Tifft, “You could say David Hilliker was my childhood dirt track hero.”

For the “Bojangles’ Southern 500” NASCAR Throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway, Tifft’s No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang will run a special paint scheme honoring that part of his family’s history. The paint scheme, which was unveiled today, is a replica of Hilliker’s car from that era.

“I’m really excited to recreate this paint scheme for Darlington,” said Tifft. “When I was little, my dad would bring home this car in the offseason and we’d tear it down together. That was where I first learned how to work on a racecar.”

“My dad has been such a huge influence throughout my career, and I couldn’t have gotten to this point without him,” Tifft continued. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to give him this kind of recognition and can’t wait to see his face when he sees the car in person for the first time.”

The No. 36 “Tifft Family Throwback” Ford Mustang will make its debut at Darlington Raceway on Friday, August 30 for practice. The “Bojanges’ Southern 500” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race airs Sunday, September 1 at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN and MRN.

About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields three full-time entries – the No. 34 of Michael McDowell, the No. 36 of Matt Tifft and the No. 38 of David Ragan – from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. The team’s partnership base includes CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Ford Performance, Love’s Travel Stops, Select Blinds, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Tunity, Surface and Speedco. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Are you a die-hard NASCAR fan? Follow every lap, every pit stop, every storyline? We're looking for fellow enthusiasts to share insights, race recaps, hot takes, or behind-the-scenes knowledge with our readers. Click Here to apply!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest articles

NASCAR at Texas Weekend Schedule

This weekend, NASCAR travels to Texas Motor Speedway for a full schedule of racing action. All three national series will compete on the 1.5...

Connor Zilisch Ready For Double Duty Texas Debut

Zilisch was originally scheduled to race at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race last year, but sat out due to the late-race Talladega crash, which resulted in a back injury.

Rookie Collet Tows to Top on Final Day of Indy 500 Open Test

One day after veterans dominated the speed chart, rookie Caio Collet rode the aerodynamic wave to the fastest overall speed of the Indianapolis 500 Open Test on Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Front Row Motorsports: Texas Motor Speedway NCTS Race Advance (Layne Riggs / Chandler Smith)

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is back in action this Friday with the series heading to the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.

Best New Zealand Online Casinos