Lack of Sponsorship Could Derail Moffit’s Championship Hopes

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer

MADISON, Ill. — Nine races in to the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season and Brett Moffitt has gone to victory lane twice and sits third in the championship standings. Moffitt won the second race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway and earned the victory last weekend at Iowa Speedway, his home track.

The win at Iowa was an emotional victory for the 25-year-old Moffitt, as he grew up less than 50 miles from “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet” and his win came on Father’s Day.

“I still get really excited just because of everything my father’s done for me in my life and my career,” Moffitt said on Friday at Gateway Motorsports Park.

“For that to be our home race track and on Father’s Day weekend, it was a perfect storm to be the biggest win of my career.”

Moffitt is ready to tackle the newly repaved 1.25-mile track outside of St. Louis for Saturday’s Villa Lighting delivers the Eaton 200 presented by CK Power. He will be behind the wheel of the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota with sponsorship from AISIN Group to continue the battle for the championship.

With two wins, Moffitt is locked in to the Playoffs and is a clear championship favorite along with four-time 2018 winner Johnny Sauter and Las Vegas native Noah Gragson, who visited victory lane at Kansas Speedway.

“Momentum is everything in such a competitive sport. I feel like we had given it (a win) up a few times in a couple of races earlier and to finally get that second win was big and to do it at my home track on Father’s Day was huge.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty still on our race team and a win goes a long ways.”

That uncertainty comes in the form of sponsorship dollars and despite Moffit’s on-track performance; he’s at risk of not being able to run the full schedule and being eliminated from championship contention. Hattori Racing Enterprises doesn’t have sponsorship confirmed for next weekend at Chicagoland Speedway and even with last week’s emotional victory; the team may not make it to the Joliet, Illinois track.

“I think it definitely opened doors and brought light to the situation with a lot of positive feedback,“ Moffitt said of the Iowa win.

“Many people have been kicking in trying to help find those connections and those sponsorship partners, but we’re still very uncertain. I think our deadline is the end of this weekend basically whether we can make it happen or not. We’re definitely talking to some people but not sure if it’s going to come through or not.”