Toyota Racing – Brett Moffitt
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes
SONOMA, Calif. (June 14, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brett Moffitt was made available to the media prior to practice on Friday for this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway.
Brett Moffitt No. 19 Destiny Homes Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
What does it mean to race at your home track this weekend?
“Yeah, it means a lot. You know, obviously, it being Father’s Day weekend is the most special part of it. Getting to come back here and spend time with my family and then get to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday. Hopefully the race goes well. (I) got two trophies from here on Father’s Day, so hopefully we can add another one.”
Can you explain how your upbringing here in Iowa played a role in your career?
“Yeah, I think the biggest part of it is my father’s work ethic, he instilled that in me at a very early age. When we started racing go karts. It literally just started as a hobby, as he worked all the time and my mom told him he needed something to do. We got to doing that, I started karts and hated it, but a year later, I wanted to do it again. I think just the quality of people around here, good people, very family-oriented, hard workers. That has gotten me a lot through my racing career. If I didn’t have that backbone, not sure I’d be here today.”
Did you ever think the Cup Series would come to Iowa Speedway?
“No. Well, originally when it opened, yes, I thought they would’ve gotten a Cup date sooner. But 2006 was actually the year I started racing go karts, so it’s kind of a coincidence as we came here, got tickets and Rusty Wallace was here for the grand opening and I got to come see it. I was a ten-year-old, as a go-kart racer and to see a place like this was kind of insane and overwhelming. That was really cool and definitely helped spark my interest in motorsports and try to get to the top NASCAR level. Had no idea we’d be where we are today.”
What would a win this weekend mean for you?
“It’d be huge! Not going to lie, that’d be very difficult. Obviously, we’re in a very good race team with JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing), but to run a part-time schedule, you have get caught up to speed quick. You have to execute all the small details and be there at the end of the race. It’d mean the world to me, one of the biggest wins of my career, personally. Just given the circumstances with the lack of racing this year. Getting this opportunity in the Xfinity Series, I’ve wanted the chance to win Xfinity Series races for a long time and you know, it never aligned. So, to be with one of the best teams in the garage is huge and gives me a lot of confidence.”
How much of a different feeling is this weekend compared to when you’ve been here before?
“Visually, just driving in, it’s much different. It’s like what I’ve seen on TV with the IndyCar events. So that’s huge. Makes me very happy to see this place flourishing. Just hearing rumors of what the attendance will be and how people are trying to get tickets, people I know are trying to get tickets, is inspiring for Iowa Speedway. And being from Iowa, that makes me happy to hear. It’s different. From my perspective, it hasn’t changed a whole lot other than the visuals, but once we get out there on the race track and tomorrow for race day, it’ll be a little overwhelming to see how far this place has come.”
What are your thoughts on the repave?
“It’ll be interesting. Yeah, the repave, obviously, NASCAR had their reasons to do it the way they did it. But it’s definitely going to be (pause), we’ll have to go into it very open-minded and see how it plays out and how the second groove comes in. Obviously, once we get to racing two-wide on restarts, it’ll have to be there. Biggest question mark for me is the restart zone. The outside lane has a very big advantage with how they repaved this, old pavement vs new pavement, that’ll definitely play in the race tomorrow.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
