NASCAR Driver Matt Tiftt Considering Legal Action After Kick To Face By Rival Crew Member

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Matt Tifft, a 28-year-old NASCAR driver who finished sixth in the Xfinity Series points in 2018, is considering pressing charges after he was kicked in the face by a rival crewman on Saturday.

Tiftt, who ran full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports in 2019, competed in Saturday’s ASA STARS National Tour event at Toledo Speedway.

Following the race, he approached fellow driver Billy VanMeter to discuss an on-track incident. That’s when things got out of hand.

Before the two could even speak, VanMeter’s crew members wrestled Tiff to the ground. In a video of the incident, another crew member can be seen kicking Tiftt in the face as he’s restrained on the ground.

“Had a great race until getting wrecked by someone who went on to take out 3 more cars. Can’t stand people with no respect for others’ equipment,” Tifft said on a Twitter post including the video. Always a good sign when several teams thank you after confronting them. Hopefully the last time getting ‘VanMetered.’”

Ex-NASCAR Driver Matt Tiftt Reconsidering Charges After Ugly Incident

Tiff initially told people at the track he did not plan on pressing charges. But in a new video on social media, he claims that he’s now reconsidering his options.

“Looking back on it, I don’t think I would press charges for myself,” he said. “But, what I don’t like is that series of Late Model racing, a lot of 13, 14, 15-year-old kids come up through there, and we don’t need somebody like that in the pit lane who is dangerous and obviously something’s wrong with him.”

Tiftt then asked people what they believe he should do and stated he hopes to return to the series. But he said he feels that a driver like VanMeter has “no place in our sport.”

Tiftt, notably, missed significant time earlier in his career after undergoing surgery to remove a benign brain tumor.