XFINITY: Tifft cleared to resume racing

Part-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Matt Tifft has received medical clearance to return to competition following his July 1 brain surgery and will test a Late Model before announcing the next step of his recovery.

Tifft, who was diagnosed with a low-grade glioma in June, is expected to make a full recovery. The 20-year-old was scheduled to run 13 Xfinity races for Joe Gibbs Racing but has been sidelined since the discovery of the tumor.

He will turn some laps in a Super Late Model on Sunday at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina and hopes to return to NASCAR before the end of the season.

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"Doctors told me I am at a point now where I can actually begin to work back toward racing," Tifft said on Friday morning during a news conference at Bristol Motor Speedway. "This weekend I'm going to test a Late Model and get back in the seat. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that.

"It's been a couple months since I've been in a car. I'm curious as to what my level of stamina will be. I don't know what the exact steps are going to be [after that]. I think the biggest thing is just to first get back in a race car."

Tifft has been driving a passenger car for a few weeks and turning laps on a simulator, but knows there is no substitute for the real thing.

"For myself, what I want to see is short run speed and how well I'm able to adapt to tire fall-off," Tifft said. "You know, the normal stuff you go through but with how quickly I can adapt and feel the car – the handling characteristics. I want to make sure I'm totally ready to go with long runs and make sure I can endure the fatigue of a race day.

"We're looking at doing some races too but I want to get through the test and get through the heat since it's been so hot lately."

Tifft has been told the surgery was considered a success and that doctors removed as much of the tumor as possible. He will not require any additional treatment but will undergo MRIs every eight months to make sure it doesn't grow back. He also underwent baseline concussion testing and that is not expected to be an issue.

"Honestly, if you look back at the video updates that I did, the reason I was able to stay so positive and so driven during this whole time was that one goal of getting back in the car," he said. "I had a really great support group with my family and my girlfriend. The great news was that it was something we caught very early.

"The whole time I was realizing that it could be a whole lot worse. I just need to keep that in the back of my mind."

Tifft won a pole and posted two eighth-places finishes in three races before his diagnosis in June.