Front Row Motorsports will keep 22-year old Brett Moffitt behind the wheel of its No. 34 Ford Fusion. The team has named the Grimes, Iowa, native as the primary driver of its No. 34 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry, including multiple races with primary sponsorship from CSX and its "Play It Safe" initiative.
The arrangement will provide consistency behind the wheel of the No. 34, whose seat was filled by multiple drivers this season. Moffitt has already driven the No. 34 for three races, including a 32nd-place finish Saturday night at Kansas Speedway.
Front Row Motorsports had initially filled the seat vacated by David Ragan on a week-to-week basis while the Sprint Cup veteran filled in for an injured Kyle Busch in the No. 18 car. Now that Ragan has moved to the No. 55 of Michael Waltrip Racing for the remainder of the 2015 season, Front Row is grateful to have the full-time availability of the up-and-comer Moffitt.
"I am excited for the opportunity to be in a Sprint Cup car on a weekly basis," Moffitt said. "The most important thing for me at this point of my career is seat time, going to some of these tracks that are new to me, and racing around 42 other drivers in race conditions. And the more time I spend in the 34 car and with this team, the more competitive we'll get. And I think that consistency will lead to some good finishes."
"We're glad to be able to move forward knowing who is going to be in the car on a consistent basis," said team owner Bob Jenkins. "Brett's already got some great experience under his belt, and I think having the same driver-crew chief team working together regularly will bring some stability to our No. 34 team and help Brett with his development as well."
The arrangement provides CSX another young driver to help deliver its railroad safety message to the targeted audience of 18- to 34-year-old males. Moffitt and the No. 34 team will promote the familiar "Play It Safe" message at multiple Sprint Cup races, including the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on May 24.
"We're excited to have such a promising new driver who, at 22, fits squarely in the demographic of drivers and pedestrians we're trying to reach with our important safety message," said John Claybrooks, CSX Director of Brand, Digital Media & Marketing Communications. "Brett brings renewed dynamism and competitive energy to the program."
Moffitt, a 2015 Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate, has 16 Sprint Cup career starts with a top finish of eighth earlier this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
