NASCAR: Brett Moffitt announcement has title implications

Brett Moffitt is set to run full-time in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Truck Series next year, but he is slated to run for points in the latter, not the former.

Brett Moffitt announced Wednesday that he is set to drive full-time for Niece Motorsports behind the wheel of the #45 Chevrolet throughout the 2021 NASCAR Truck Series season following a two-year stint with GMS Racing.

Moffitt had already confirmed that he would be competing full-time for Our Motorsports in the Xfinity Series next year after running nearly the full schedule for the team in their inaugural season this past year.

However, it was not announced at the time that he would not be running for points, despite the fact that he had nothing else lined up and would not be returning for another year at GMS Racing.

That is because he won’t.

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The 28-year-old Grimes, Iowa native has confirmed that he will compete for points in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports, not in the Xfinity Series for Our Motorsports next year, marking four consecutive seasons of full-time competition for the Truck Series title.

Moffitt has been to the Truck Series Championship 4 in each of the last three seasons. He won the 2018 championship for Hattori Racing Enterprises and finished in third place in 2019 in his first season with GMS Racing. He saw a potential second title slip away and become another third place finish in 2020 after a late caution flag came out when he had a dominant lead at Phoenix Raceway in the championship-deciding season finale.

This announcement effectively makes him an instant title contender.

While Niece Motorsports struggled in the 2020 season after a 2019 season that saw Ross Chastain land them in the Championship 4 with a second place finish, this was Moffitt’s best move in terms of positioning himself to win a title.

He did perform well with Our Motorsports in 2020 and may have had a shot to contend for a playoff spot in 2021 had he opted to run for points, but they still aren’t on the level of being able to contend to win races.

In 29 starts in 2020, his best finish was a fifth place finish at Talladega Superspeedway, and he recorded six other top 10 results. The #02 Chevrolet finished in 15th in the owner standings.

But in the Truck Series, Moffitt has found victory lane for every team he has ever driven for in more than one race, and adding his experience to a full-time lineup that already includes Ryan Truex and rookie Carson Hocevar is a solid move for all parties involved.

Meanwhile, on the Xfinity side, Moffitt can still continue to help in Our Motorsports’ progression in terms of becoming a more competitive team in year two to get ready for year three, but without the pressure of competing for his own title.

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The 2021 NASCAR Truck Series season is scheduled to get underway on Friday, February 12 with the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway, and the 2021 Xfinity Series season is scheduled to get underway on Saturday, February 13 with the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at the same venue.

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