RELATED: Full race results
LONG POND, Pa. — Brett Moffitt finished the 2015 season as the Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
He started the 2016 season without a ride — in any national series.
After completing his rookie campaign behind the wheel of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports ride currently inhabited by reigning XFINITY Series champion Chris Buescher, Moffitt found himself seatless heading into this season with more questions than answers regarding his career trajectory.
Fill-in duty came calling earlier this month as Red Horse Racing needed a driver for its No. 11 Toyota at Kentucky, with Matt Tifft sidelined following surgery to remove a low-grade brain tumor. After starting second, an engine failure while running in the top five relegated Moffitt to a 31st-place finish.
RELATED: Tifft tweets upbeat video post-surgery
The 23-year-old was again behind the wheel at Pocono Raceway for Saturday’s Pocono Mountains 150, carving his way through the field — and a wreck-heavy, race-record nine cautions — to finish third after starting 15th.
Despite the lack of seat time this season, it appears Moffitt hasn’t forgotten what to do when his team gives him a machine capable of competing.
“We didn’t make a single adjustment on it during the race; we really had a good truck. (Crew chief) Scott (Zipadelli) called a great race; great strategy. Got us up front when it mattered,” Moffitt said. ” … We were actually really lucky (to stay out of the wrecks). It seemed like when it happened, it would happen right in front of us, so we were able to duck to the bottom and avoid before cars get stacked up three and four-wide trying to avoid it and you get forced into a lane.
“It worked out alright for us, we just saw a lot of attrition right in front of us. Part of qualifying getting rained out was that we started mid-pack and we had to do what the leaders didn’t. So that’s why we went with that strategy and it ended up working out, but it was a little bit nerve-wracking through the middle section of the race there.”
With the finish — his best across all NASCAR national series in 43 starts — Moffitt is hoping it results in keeping his name fresh in people’s minds, as he has no other opportunities lined up at the current moment.
Regardless, he’ll be ready at the drop of a hat should any team, Red Horse Racing included, call him up for a spot start or more.
“(Red Horse) like to keep it last minute, so I found out about a week ago Friday,” he said. “It’s a little stressful during that week to get everything ready and it’s hard on the guys at the shop, but they do a great job adjusting to multiple drivers this year and they continue to prove that.
“I don’t think I’ve had a clear path my whole career. I’ve kind of been riding each opportunity I get, you know? Last year it was in the 55 car when Brian (Vickers) was out and this year it’s in the 11 truck with Matt Tifft being out. Not the way I want to get opportunities, by someone else’s hard fortune, but it’s good to make the most of them.
“Hopefully this opens the door for some more races.”