As the Petty family steps into their 75th year of racing in 2024, the youngest and freshest driver of the clan – Thad Moffitt – will step in the truck of the newly formed Craftsman Truck Series team Faction46. After weeks of speculation, it came to light a few days back that the 23-year-old, who was running successfully in the Trans Am Series and the ARCA Menards these last couple of years, would run his debut full-time season in NASCAR.

With the occasion demanding a special face-to-face with the young driver, EssentiallySports sat down with him for an exclusive interview. Talking about his joy after signing for Faction46, he made one bold comparison with one of NASCAR’s premier franchises, Trackhouse Racing.

Thad Moffitt is excited to join a team that is not traditional like Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing

Talking in the press release after the announcement about his association with Faction46, Thad Moffitt said, “I always wanted to have the opportunity to race full-time in NASCAR and begin in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. I’m pretty pumped up about this opportunity.” As it appears, he is as pumped about the name of his new team as much as he is about the idea of a NASCAR debut.

Talking exclusively to EssentiallySports about his emotions on signing for Faction46, he said, “Joining the Faction46 team is really ‘need’ opportunity for me because it is just so different. Traditionally in motorsports, your name brand teams and you think of like, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, like, it’s first-last name and racing or motorsports. With this, it’s more like a Trackhouse model. It’s something totally different.”

Since Trackhouse Racing entered the NASCAR ring back in 2021, it has grown at a monstrous rate. Justin Marks has been shaping the team with meticulous precision and led the entirety of the sport with initiatives like Project91. Moffitt’s views that long-standing teams like Joe Gibbs Racing are traditional is evident from the fact that Trackhouse has involved itself in groundbreaking initiatives in just 3 years since inception, while the former has been more inclined towards the ways of the old. Trackhouse’s forward-lying thoughts have benefitted the sport a lot and are certainly a nice scale to put yourself up against.

Hopefully, Faction46’s parallelism with Trackhouse Racing will be with more than just its name. As Moffitt prepares for life under his new team’s owner, Lane Moore, he believes that is possible.

Watch Story: NASCAR’s Short Track Dilemma: A Veteran Reporter’s Bold Call to Action

Thad Moffitt can’t wait for the 2024 season to begin as he hails Lane Moore

Trending

$193 Billion Worth Behemoth Sponsoring Michael Jordan’s Drivers Leaves NASCAR Fans Divided

May 10, 2024 04:06 PM EDT

Dale Earnhardt Jr Breaks Down Dodge’s Entry as NASCAR Prepares the Community Once Again

May 10, 2024 07:52 AM EDT

“Don’t Even Bother”: Fans Brutally Bash NASCAR Over Historic Speedway’s Unwelcome Revamp

May 10, 2024 05:56 PM EDT

NASCAR Rumor: Trackhouse Racing Reportedly Execute Hushed Charter Deal Amidst Tony Stewart’s Rampant Sale Speculation

May 10, 2024 04:28 AM EDT

Hailie Deegan’s Racing Talent Under Fans Scrutiny After Goodyear Betrayal Tarnishes Dale Earnhardt Tribute

May 11, 2024 09:11 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest NASCAR stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Continuing in the exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Moffitt detailed what it was like to work with Lane Moore. Moore is the owner of Venture Food Stores and is crafting a retail setup by which brands can reach hundreds of stores in NASCAR markets through Faction46. The driver said, “Working with Lane is really, really fun so far. Lane is an awesome guy and he is a fortunate racing grocer and I am a fortunate racing race car driver, so it fits really well. Everything about working with Faction, so far, has been phenomenal. Really excited for us to hit the race track because it will only go up from there.”

Moffitt will have the best of racing equipment and guidance in his maiden full-time season. Truck Series veteran Doug George will be his crew chief as he pilots the No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado. In his run in the Trans Am Series, he raced for TeamSLR and finished 7th in the championship standings. In his ARCA Menards run in 2021, he finished fourth. The question of whether he will be able to better himself and live up to the name of “The King”, will be answered beginning at the Fresh From Florida 250 on February 16.

ECR Executive Claims They Are Prepared for Higher Horse Power but NASCAR “Don’t Really Want to Talk About It”