Matt Tifft is no stranger to the highs and lows of racing. With his experience in both the Cup and Xfinity Series, he’s seen it all—or so he thought. However, at the ASA STARS National Tour event, he found himself in the middle of a surprising turn of events.

After getting caught up in a heated brawl during the race, Tifft faced a penalty and quickly took to social media to address the situation. In his public message, he expressed regret for the incident and extended a direct apology to both the ASA STARS and his opponent.

Matt Tifft’s graceful act

After the brawl in Toledo, which left the internet in shock, Matt Tifft, the driver of the No. 36 Chevrolet SS for Dan Fredrickson Racing, received a penalty for his part in the fight.

• Tifft received a fine of $250.
• Loss of 25 ASA STARS National Tour and ASA/CRA Super Series Championship driver points
• Probation for the rest of the year.

Matt Tifft, to his credit, took it better than what most fans expected. The fine is not a worrying issue, especially for a driver who once owned a team, Live Fast Motorsports, with B. J. McLeod and Joe Falk in the NASCAR Cup series. Similarly, the loss of 25 points will not be a big difference since Tifft is already in the 70th position in the standings after the 7th race. All he has to do to face the punishment is stay away from situations such as this one since he is on probation.

Replying to Matt Weaver’s post on X Tifft voiced his response, writing, “I accept these fines and understand my penalty for my involvement. But I’m very glad to see @racewithstars [ASA STARS National Tour] taking the right steps and kicking out someone who doesn’t need to be in the pits. Well done.” This is about the punishment his attacker received, with serious consequences for their team as well. 

The root of the brawl takes us back to lap 47 of the race. Billy VanMeter’s #23 Chevrolet drove into the back of Tifft, taking out Evan Shotko in the process. Intending to confront VanMeter, Tifft went to talk to his rival, which subsequently escalated into a full brawl, a brawl that concluded with Matt Tifft getting kicked in the face by VanMeter’s crew member Bryan Glaze.

Bryan Glaze is already on probation for a fight that took place at the Owosso Speedway. While he received probation for the last offense, this time it escalated to being indefinitely suspended from the tour. VanMeter and his team weren’t spared either.

• Both are on probation for the remainder of the year.
• $2000 fine and 25 points docked from the tally.

Glaze’s exit serves as a reminder for all parties involved in the tour’s stance on fighting, but the suspension will be the extent of Bryan Glaze’s punishment.

The former Cup team owner explains his reasons for not pursuing legal action

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Considering Tifft had a bruise on his face and nearly damaged his eye, fans expected to see some legal repercussions for Glaze. However, any sign of charges being pressed was firmly ended when Matt Tifft denied doing so, uploading his statement on Instagram. The real kicker for Tifft is knowing there might be a young driver coming up through the ranks who may have to navigate a similar scenario.

As fans may know, the ASA STARS National Tour is the early stage through which future NASCAR drivers go through. If the proving grounds for the premier motorsport league in America face such an issue, it becomes discouraging for the young talent.

Matt Tifft went on to explain, “I initially said no, but looking back on it, honestly, I don’t think I would press charges for myself. But what I don’t like is the fact that in that series of late model racing, a lot of 13, 14, and 15-year-old kids come up through there, and we don’t need somebody like that in the pit area who’s dangerous and obviously something’s wrong with them.”

Tifft’s words are a true reminder of how much sportsmanship is part of motorsports. This is the time when young drivers learn for the big stage, like Tier 1 or 2. Stay tuned for more updates on the incident.