Tifft Injured, needs back and brain surgery (3rd Update)

UPDATE Later this was tweeted: "Matt is out of surgery and in recovery. We will update you with more information tomorrow morning. Thank you all for your thoughts." Later Tifft tweeted this and posted a video "Video update! Thanks so much to everyone for all the positive thoughts and prayers"

07/01/16 Tifft tweeted before the NXS race on Friday, July 1st: "Getting ready to go for the surgery! Craniotomy starts soon to get the tumor out of there. Update later!!"

06/28/16 Joe Gibbs Racing announced a medical update on driver Matt Tifft, who will undergo surgery for removal of a low-grade glioma in the brain. The slow-growing tumor was found during treatment and evaluation for a recent disc condition in his back. Tifft is expected to undergo surgery and rehabilitation soon and once cleared by physicians is expected to return to racing. The JGR rookie is anxious to return to the race track as soon as possible. David Ragan has been enlisted to drive the #18 Surface Sunscreen/Rugged Maniac Toyota Camry XFINITY series entry for Joe Gibbs Racing on Friday at Daytona International Speedway. Joe Gibbs Racing

Hornish Jr.

06/14/16

A back injury will prevent 19-year-old Matt Tifft from competing in the NASCAR events at Iowa Speedway this weekend.

Tifft, who is suffering from a disc condition in his back, was scheduled to drive the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in Sunday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race and the No. 11 Toyota for Red Horse Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday.

JGR announced Tuesday afternoon that former Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. will drive the No. 18 Toyota Sunday at Iowa Speedway. A replacement for Tifft in Red Horse Racing’s No. 11 Toyota for Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race has not been announced.