Brett Moffitt – Speaking of dream seasons, it sure has been one for Hattori Racing who has faced tons of adversity this year but persevered in the end. The team was uncertain if they would make it this year due to sponsorship woes. At one point, the team came close to shutting down in the summer due to a lack of funding. Even throughout the Playoffs, Hattori was still seeking sponsorship. So much so, that they showed up unsponsored at Talladega, but eventually a sponsor showed up before race day. They were the Cinderella story for most of the year until becoming favorites to win races. Moffitt is known to the Truck Series, but this is his first full time season and you wouldn’t know it with the kind of numbers he has put up.
How Moffitt Got Here – A win at Atlanta solidified him a spot in the playoffs, but that looked gloomy throughout most of the year, as you never know when the team could shut down. A thrilling victory in his home state of Iowa gave him win number two of the season. Just two races later, he followed up at Chicagoland after John Hunter Nemechek ran out of fuel. Moffitt even passed Johnny Sauter at the finish line in Michigan to win the race. The Playoffs began at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with a finish of third for Moffitt. He had a forgettable finish at Las Vegas and Talladega. However, Hattori Racing came back and finished second at Martinsville and third at Texas. Coming into ISM, Moffitt was 22 points comfortably above the cut line. All he had to do was finish well and avoid anything catastrophic. Moffitt did more than just finish well, he went on to win the race after a late race restart for his fifth win of the season. This gave him an automatic berth for the Championship 4. He was in, regardless, but typically drivers want to win when the opportunity is presented to them and to make a statement to the field.
Moffitt’s Chances – He has never competed at Homestead in a Truck, but has in a Cup car. In his first two starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, Moffitt has finishes of 36th and 31st. The last time he competed at Homestead was in 2015. However, at 1.5-mile tracks, Moffitt has finishes of first, third, 16th, fourth, 18th, first, first, first, 11th, and third.
Final Analysis – The road to the Championship race has not been easy for the Grimes, Iowa native. Moffitt’s career started in the Cup Series driving for team owners such as Jay Robinson, Michael Waltrip, Bob Jenkins, and BK Racing. Moffitt’s best finish in a Cup car was eighth in Atlanta in 2015. He has made two Xfinity starts in his career, one in 2012 for Robby Benton Racing and the other for Maury Gallagher in 2017. He’s enjoyed success in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East with 10 career wins, 34 top fives, 45 top 10 finishes and 10 poles. Moffitt’s first ever win came a long time ago back in 2009. He made a total of 11 starts for the now defunct Red Horse Racing including a win back in 2016 at Michigan, before the team shut down in mid-2017. It would be only sweeter after all the adversity Moffitt has faced in his career if he could cap it off with a championship in Southern Florida. He has no 2019 plans, but one would think that winning a championship might just help those plans come together, whether it’s a return with Hattori or driving somewhere else. He would be the series 24th champion and the 15th first time champion in the Truck Series.
