Photo: Richard Petty Motorsports

Thad Moffitt Recovers From Spin to Earn First ARCA Top-10

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer

Several drivers had tire issues in Sunday’s ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway. While Thad Moffitt avoided the cut tires that plagued several of the contending drivers, he did go for a spin in his No. 46 Empire Racing Ford at the halfway point of the 200-lap race.

Moffitt would pit for fresh General Tire rubber and continued to log laps, benefiting from five drivers cutting tires in a span of three laps inside of 50 laps to go. When the checkered flag flew, Moffitt crossed the stripe in the 10th position for his first top-10 result in his sixth start in the series.

Moffitt indicated he and the team fought a tight race car in the center of the corner throughout the weekend via a post-race video.

“I hate that we spun and lost a few laps, but everyone was having issues,” said Moffitt. “I think it helped us. We were able to just race our own race and things came back to us.”

Moffitt had a previous best finish of 11th, which came last season at Lucas Oil Raceway. Moffitt looks forward to more seat time with starts on short and intermediate tracks.

“I’m 17, so I can’t run every track,” commented Moffitt.  “But, we can run Pocono and that’s going to be our first start on a big track. Today really gives us a lot of confidence as we prepare for my Pocono debut. I’m getting more and more experience in these ARCA cars.”

Empire Racing Group serves as the developmental team for Richard Petty Motorsports. Sean Corr drove the car at Daytona and Talladega with Moffitt behind the wheel at Nashville, Salem and Toledo.

Moffitt, the 2016 Southeast Limited Late Model Champion from Trinity, North Carolina, is the son of Brian and Rebecca Petty-Moffitt. He started racing a go-kart and a quarter midget before moving to a Limited Late Model and now a Late Model and the ARCA Racing Series.

A high school student, Moffitt grew up going to the track with his grandfather, “The King” Richard Petty, and also watching his uncle, Kyle Petty, race.

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