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Matt Tifft to miss final 3 races of NASCAR season after seizure

In this July 4, 2019 photo, Matt Tifft stands outside his garage during a NASCAR auto race practice at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Tifft will miss the final three races of the NASCAR season after suffering a seizure at Martinsville Speedway. Tifft was at Martinsville preparing for the Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, rookie meeting when he fell ill. He said in a social media post that tests Monday showed a brain tumor he had removed three years ago has not returned. (Terry Renna / Associated Press)
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Matt Tifft will miss the final three races of the NASCAR season after suffering a seizure at Martinsville Speedway.

Tifft was at Martinsville preparing for the Saturday rookie meeting when he fell ill. He said in a social media post that tests Monday showed a brain tumor he had removed three years ago has not returned.

“Luckily my test results … showed there is nothing there as far as my brain tumor,” Tifft said Tuesday in a video.

Tifft was replaced in the No. 36 Ford for Front Row Motorsports by Matt Crafton at Martinsville. John Hunter Nemechek will make his Cup debut this weekend at Texas in the car and finish the season for Tifft.

“This isn’t the way any driver wants to make their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut,” Nemechek said. “I am hoping that Matt feels better and can get back in his car as soon as possible. That is what is important. Hopefully I can learn a lot and make Matt, the Front Row Motorsports team and its partners proud.”

Tifft had a brain tumor removed in 2016 but returned to race the next year. He said in January he had been stabilized to the point he needed only annual checkups.