Matt Tifft, known for his comeback story after some scary health setbacks, was making his first pavement Super Late Model start since his NASCAR days in 2019 on Saturday.
He hadn’t raced since that year due to a past brain tumor and a diagnosis of epilepsy.
The ASA STARS National Tour event at Toledo Speedway was supposed to be about his return, about the thrill of speed, and the camaraderie of competition.
However, it quickly turned into a spectacle of a different kind when post-race tensions boiled over.
Tifft was involved in a collision on Lap 47 that ended his race prematurely. The incident involved eventual seventh-place finisher Billy VanMeter and Evan Shotko. Tifft, who finished 20th out of 21 racers, was none too pleased.
Post-race, as tensions simmered, Tifft confronted VanMeter’s team, whom he clearly felt were responsible for his early exit. What should have been resolved with words escalated into physical aggression almost immediately.
RELATED: Ricky Stenhouse Jr Throws Punch At Kyle Busch Following Incident At NASCAR All-Star Race
Tifft’s Attempt To Confront Opponent Didn’t Go Well
Whatever he may have felt he was accomplishing by going into VanMeter’s territory, Tifft didn’t get the better of the exchange.
Instead, Tifft was quickly corraled into a headlock and taken to the ground. Video shows how the dramatic scene unfolded.
“Get out of here,” one of the crew members yells as he wrestles Tifft down. “You came to the wrong place!”
Tifft, on his knees, seems to be letting up. He repeatedly says “alright” as a sign of “I got the message.”
But another member of VanMeter’s crew steps in at that point and delivers a pretty brutal kick to Tifft’s face.
“That was very uncalled for,” an unidentified individual yells before someone calls the kicker’s actions “disgusting”.
Tifft seems to be okay. He later posted video of the altercation on social media, claiming that other racers came over and thanked him for confronting VanMeter over the in-race matter.
There is nothing in the video of the dustup that shows him taking any level of physicality to warrant the violent response.
Had a great race until getting wrecked by someone who went on to take out 3 more cars. Can’t stand people with no respect for others' equipment. Always a good sign when several teams thank you after confronting them. Hopefully the last time getting 'VanMetered.’ pic.twitter.com/qIIudnKto1
— Matt Tifft (@matt_tifft) September 15, 2024
RELATED: NASCAR Owner Dares Ricky Stenhouse Jr To Wreck Kyle Busch: ‘He’ll Carry A Rough Beating’
Tifft Says Others Thanked Him
While one can question why Tifft would go into enemy territory like that, everything about the VanMeter team’s response is over the top.
You have every right to tell him to beat it, but before he even says a word you’ve got him wrapped in a headlock, and delivering a better tackle than anybody on the Dallas Cowboys this past weekend is a bit excessive.
Needless to say, kicking someone in the face while they’re wrapped up and defenseless on the ground is pathetic.
“Had a great race until getting wrecked by someone who went on to take out three more cars. Can’t stand people with no respect for others’ equipment,” Tifft wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Always a good sign when several teams thank you after confronting them. Hopefully, the last time getting ‘VanMetered.'”
The crew member has been identified in various media reports as Bryan Glaze.
Any ASA penalties stemming from the incident will be announced later in the week.
More about:Motorsports