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  • The journey of Brett Moffitt

    The journey of Brett Moffitt

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was a gala evening in the Charlotte Convention Center, for the NASCAR world. Everyone dressed in their best formal wear, the spirits were flowing and the atmosphere was joyous. Inside the Crown Ball Room, the championship truck of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series laid under banners of the Championship 4 in the series. The party commenced.

    For Moffitt, it was the culmination of his journey from rising prospect in the K&N Series that was thrust into a forgettable rookie season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, to Truck Series champion.

    During his time in the K&N Pro Series East, he won nine races and finished Top-three in points each season.

    This turned into a test driver gig with Michael Waltrip Racing, who called him up to fill in for the injured Brian Vickers in 2015 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He led one lap and finished eighth.

    Unfortunately, that was the height of his rookie season. In his 30 other starts in the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing and the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, he amassed an average finish of 30.5, and finished no higher than 17th.

    And as happens too often with talented drivers thrust into the Cup Series too soon, he became damaged goods. For the next two years, he ran two one-off races in the XFINITY Grand National Series and the Cup Series.

    It was his limited starts in the Truck Series in 2017 where he demonstrated that he was still a talented driver, deserving of a full-time ride, with a win at Michigan International Speedway.

    While he wasn’t offered a full-time ride, a four-race opportunity came in the form of Hattori Racing Enterprises, for whom he raced for in K&N in 2013. It eventually turned into more.

    “At the beginning of 2018 when Ryan (Truex) left, it was just kind of a surprise to us,” Scott Zippadeli, crew chief of the No. 16 Toyota, said. “Obviously the first person I thought of was Brett. There was a short list and it had one person on it, and it was him. I felt like with our chemistry and our history in the past, if he could get in our truck, we could go a 10 for wins. We have a chemistry that’s we’ve been able to just make it happen. Even when we have a pit road penalty or a bad pit stop, we’re able to execute the rest of the race and recover for it. Once we decided to do the first four races, it was then just keep kicking the ball a little bit farther down the road to the next race and the next race and the next race.”

    The season started with a wreck at Daytona, but Moffitt rebounded with a win the following week at Atlanta.

    He was third in points after nine races, and earned his second victory at Iowa Speedway. But he shocked everyone post race when he said that the team might not enter the race at Chicagoland Speedway, due to lack of sponsorship.

    “We literally had times that we didn’t know if we were gonna go to the race track or not, and I think it stressed everyone out to the max on the race team, including Scott and myself and my family and Shige (Hattori, team owner) and everyone else, ’cause we all knew that we had something special,” Moffitt said. “If we were a mediocre race team without being locked into the chase, and without being what we thought was a chance to win a championship, if we would’ve missed a race it would’ve been nothing. But the fact that we knew we had something special, and to be faced with adversity, and the thought of missing a race was hard for all of us.”

    Luckily, FR8Auctions.com stepped in and sponsored him for Chicago, and he took advantage of John Hunter Nemechek running out of gas on the final lap to win.

    He clinched a spot in the Championship 4, with a victory at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, and won the series title the following week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    The reality of being champion didn’t hit him, until the banquet.

    “Homestead, it was just another race win, and the way we had to work this year, it was accomplish one mission and go after the next, and we proved that at Phoenix,” he said. “When we could have been celebrating, we went straight back to work. Then again, at Homestead, it’s still the mission of if you’re a competitor you focus on the next thing, and for us that was next year, but we have trouble switching to that off switch of, okay, sit back and relax and enjoy this now. I think Scott and I both just as competitors were always focused on what’s next, and that’s all we’re concerned about.”

    The awards banquet provided a temporary distraction from the uncertainty that Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt faces in 2019.

    Earlier this week, Hattori Racing Enterprises announced that Moffitt wouldn’t return to the No. 16 Toyota Tundra in the Truck Series, in favor of an undisclosed driver that’s bringing sponsorship.

    And is it frustrating to him that this is the reality of the sport, more often than not?

    “Hell yeah. It’s extremely frustrating,” Moffitt said. “It’s the climate that we’re at right now, though.”

    Moffitt didn’t let it bother him during the banquet, or did an excellent job of hiding it. He smiled, conversed, drank and joined team owner, Shigeaki Hattori and Zippadeli at the head table on stage.

    “Regardless of my job situation or anything else, it was all about celebrating what we accomplished,” Moffitt said. “And it was this group of guys who I not only worked with, but I’m really good friends with. Scott and I have been friends for a lot of years, and a lot of the guys on the crew I’ve been friends with off and on throughout the years. There’s nothing that’s going to distract me from having a good time with these guys and celebrating with these guys, ’cause I know what all they gave into having this year.”

    What the future holds for Moffitt is unknown. He thinks the championship might make him a hot commodity, but “it doesn’t solve all the issues (sponsorship) and I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

    “As far as next year, I would hope being a champion is gonna add value to my name, but I just don’t know,” he added. “So, really all I can touch on after this whole week is how hard these guys worked and how much they mean to me as not only companions of the sport but as friends and family.”

  • Brett Moffitt Heads to Bristol with Former Mentor and New Race Team

    Brett Moffitt Heads to Bristol with Former Mentor and New Race Team

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: hometracks.nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Young up and coming racer Brett Moffitt has had an interesting journey, from his racing start under the tutelage of four-time K&N Pro Series champion Andy Santerre to racing for some of the biggest teams in the sport, including Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing.

    But as he kicks off his 2012 K&N Pro Series East season in Bristol, Moffitt is back where he belongs, under the familiar wing of Santerre and with a whole new race team Hattori Racing Enterprises. Moffitt will pilot the No. 11 Toyota Camry and will join teammate Sergio Pena in the Shigeaki Hattori stable.

    “Ever since I drove for Andy (Santerre) in 2009, Andy and my dad have been in constant communication,” Moffitt said. “Andy’s been a big help to my career over the past three years.”

    “So, when this opportunity came up, Andy told Shigeaki Hattori that he knew should drive his second car and luckily that was me.”

    While Moffitt may seem a bit devoted to his old mentor, he knows that Santerre not only has the experience behind him but also has the strength of the new HRE race team with him as well.

    “Working for Andy Santerre is just really great,” Moffitt said. “He’s been there. He’s driven race cars, he’s won races and he’s won championships.”

    “So, he knows what it takes,” Moffitt continued. “Being able to work for him is really great for a driver because he understands everything you say. He’s always looking out for your best interests as a driver.”

    Moffitt has had an eventful three years since debuting as a 16 year old with Andy Santerre in the K&N East Series. Since then, he has had seven wins, four pole positions, 20 top-5 and 25 top-10 finishes and has never finished worse than 3rd in the championship standings.

    “After I left Andy last time, I went to Joe Gibbs Racing for a year,” Moffitt said. “I ran in the K&N East Series for them. We were really competitive for them and ended up second in the points.”

    “After that, I went to Michael Waltrip Racing,” Moffitt continued. “That was a huge step for my career.”

    “MWR made me feel important as a driver,” Moffitt said. “I came in every day and worked on the cars and in the shop.”

    “They put a big emphasis on my physical training and I’m still associated with them,” Moffitt continued. “I still have a trainer with them so I go there every day and still work out. That’s always a good connection to still maintain.”

    With his return to his mentor Andy Santerre, as well as his new assignment with Hattori Racing Enterprises, Moffitt is excited to get his 2012 race season underway. He just recently finished up testing at Bristol, the first race of the season for the K&N Pro Series East.

    “The test went really well,” Moffitt said. “From the first time we unloaded, we had to work on them a little bit but by the end of the day, we were pretty comfortable.”

    “We have a couple things we are working with back at the shop and hopefully when we come back to the track, we will be ready to have a good race,” Moffitt continued. “The car was real fast and I’m really looking forward to the race.”

    Moffitt has been only been guaranteed eight races with HRE Racing. The remainder of the season’s racing will be dependent on sponsorship, as is so often the case.

    “This year Hattori approached me as a driver,” Moffitt said. “They weren’t looking for a driver with a lot of money, just one that they could win races and win championships with.”

    “Right now, I’m only guaranteed eight races, with the first race at Bristol on March 17th,” Moffitt said.” That’s where the sponsorship comes into play.”

    “We’re still out there searching so hopefully we’re able to find something by then,” Moffitt continued. “But we’re just going to take the first eight and try to be the best we can. Hopefully we’ll find a sponsor and be able to finish it out.”

    Moffitt is also looking forward to working with his new teammate at Hattori Racing Enterprises. He will be paired with fellow Santerre protégé Sergio Pena.

    “Me and Sergio have always gotten along real well,” Moffitt said. “So, it’s going to be a really fun year.  We’re both obviously proven race winners so I think it will be a good year for the team this year.”

    In addition to mentor Santerre and teammate Pena, Moffitt is also looking forward to working with Dave McCarty, his new crew chief. McCarty has over 20 years experience in all kinds of racing, from the Nationwide Series to Trucks, ARCA, ASA and the K&N Pro Series East.

    “Me and my new crew chief Dave McCarty have spent time getting to know each other,” Moffitt said. “Dave was Darrell Wallace’s crew chief last year at Revolution Racing. Andy felt like he would be a good match up for me so he brought him over.”

    Moffitt has been working intensely on establishing that all important chemistry with his new crew chief, as well as their bond on and off the track.

    “We’ve just been working together in the shop,” Moffitt said of his new crew chief. “He’s been bossing me around telling me what to do. I say ‘yes sir’ and do it. We have a lot of fun but when it’s time to get things done, we get things done.”

    Owner Shigeaki Hattori, as well as HRE General Manager Andy Santerre are equally as excited about having Moffitt with their team as he is to race with them.

    “People in an organization are the key to the organization’s success,” Hattori said. “If you hire the right people with knowledge and experience, success will follow.”

    “I am excited to have Brett at HRE,” Santerre said. “He is an incredible driving talent and has matured behind the wheel in the last few years. He is more than capable of winning the championship.”

    With the confidence of his owner and manager firmly in his corner, Moffitt simply cannot wait to get back to the race track, beginning at Bristol

    “I feel like I’ve proven myself as being able to win races and be up front,” Moffitt said. “I’m just looking forward to racing. I love racing and being competitive.”

    “That’s what drives me.”

  • Sergio Pena Looks Forward to Freshman Year On and Off the Track

    Sergio Pena Looks Forward to Freshman Year On and Off the Track

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit hometracks.nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”262″][/media-credit]Sergio Pena, one of the graduates of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program, is looking forward to his freshman year of learning on and off the track. The young up and comer will soon enjoy his freshman run with a new race team on the track, as well as his freshman year off the track as a student at Radford University.

    For his freshman year on the track, Pena will pilot the No. 1 Toyota Camry in the K&N Pro Series East with Hattori Racing Enterprises. The 18 year old from Winchester, Virginia had previously raced in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program with Revolution Racing.

    “I’m really excited for this season,” Pena said. “I actually did not re-sign with Revolution Racing this year, who I was with for two years, but signed with a new team, Hattori Racing Enterprises.”

    “My crew chief and Andy Santerre all left Revolution Racing and merged with Shigeaki Hattori and created a team for me to race in the K&N East Series.”

    Santerre, a four-time champion in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, will manage Pena’s race team. He will be assisted by Matt Goslant, who will continue as crew chief for Pena, having worked with him last season, winning three of 12 races and finishing 5th in the East Series point standings.

    “I am excited to be working with Sergio again this season,” Goslant said. “He has the talent to be a champion and we are a good team together.”

    “He gives me 100% and I could not ask for anything more in a driver.”

    Although a freshman with Hattori Racing Enterprises, Pena actually will be entering his third year in the K&N Series. And with that experience, he has his eyes set on one goal for 2012.

    “My main goal is to win a championship,” Pena said simply. “The first year I struggled learning all the tracks and how to drive the cars because they were a lot different than anything I had ever driven before.”

    “Last year, I learned a lot and I caught on quicker than I thought I would,” Pena continued. “So this year, the way things are looking, I think we have a great chance to win it.”

    “My goal is to win as many races as possible and just learn a lot,” Pena said. “I want to be able to get more comfortable at the bigger tracks like Dover and New Hampshire and Rockingham.”

    “I want to gain experience and learn as much as I can from these guys.”

    Pena, like so many racers, comes by it genetically.  His father, who came to the United States from Bogota, Columbia when he was 19 years old raced go karts and dirt bikes in his home country.

    “He was a two-time champion in national dirt bike racing down there,” Pena said proudly of his father. “So, that’s pretty cool. That’s where I get my racing blood from.”

    Pena himself initially followed in his father’s dirt bike footsteps as he launched his racing career.

    “I actually started racing dirt bikes when I was five years old,” Pena said. “I got into jumping them and one time I hit a jump and my dad said, “No more, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

    “So, he got rid of the bike and got me a go kart instead,” Pena continued. “At the time, I was really upset but now I’m really happy about it.”

    “I did go karts from when I was eight years old until thirteen,” Pena said. “Then I moved to a championship series out west and ran road courses in formula cars.”

    “Then I had to switch to the ovals, where there was more of a future,” Pena continued. “When we heard about the Drive to Diversity Revolution Racing program, we thought that would be a great opportunity. And that’s how we got into this kind of racing.”

    Pena has definitely put his go kart and dirt bike racing behind him, growing fonder for stock cars and oval racing. But the young driver has never forgotten his road racing roots.

    “At this point, I like the ovals more,” Pena said. “But there still are some things I like about the road courses, like out-braking people and downshifting and all the switch-back turns.”

    “The ovals just bring more excitement,” Pena continued. “You can beat and bang and everything’s really close. It’s a lot harder to win on an oval and so that just makes for more competitive and exciting racing.”

    In addition to his on-track career, Pena’s other freshman activity includes starting his college career at Radford University in southern Virginia, where he is majoring in communications. As a freshman, Pena is facing that difficult task of balancing his studies with his new endeavors on the race track.

    “It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be with racing,” Pena said. “Missing classes in high school wasn’t too bad but here it’s a little bit tougher to get them to understand that what I’m doing is not just a hobby anymore.”

    “Some of them understand but some of them don’t,” Pena continued. “It’s the ones that want you to focus on school and nothing else that are a little tricky. But overall I’ve been able to manage it and I’ll continue to do both until it gets too hard.”

    “I really think the communications degree is going to help, like with the media and doing interviews,” Pena said. “I’m also doing media production and I’ve gotten into making videos recently.”

    “We have been making videos of the race weekend for promotions and sponsors,” Pena continued. “But being able to speak to the sponsors and the media fluently and well will help me a lot.”

    Now that he has his first freshman semester under his belt at college, Pena is looking forward to kicking off his freshman year with Hattori Racing at a storied NASCAR track, Bristol Motor Speedway, on March 17th.

    “We actually start off at Bristol this year and that will be pretty cool,” Pena said. “I’ve never even been to Bristol before but I’ve heard a lot of great things about it and watched a lot of races on TV from there.”

    “I’m really excited to get started there,” Pena continued. “I think that will be a pretty cool race.”

    “I know we will definitely be one of the teams to beat this year.”