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Matt Tifft to drive full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in Xfinity in 2017

Nick Bromberg
·College football and motorsports writer
Matt Tifft was diagnosed with a brain tumor in June. (Getty)
Matt Tifft was diagnosed with a brain tumor in June and had surgery to remove it. (Getty)

Matt Tifft will compete in a full Xfinity Series season in 2017.

Tifft, 20, has driven a partial schedule for the team the past two seasons and will step up to full-time as Erik Jones makes the move to the Sprint Cup Series.

“It has been an incredible year and I am honored to have the opportunity to continue working with Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2017 season,” Tifft said in a team statement. “I’ve always wanted the chance to contend for a championship with the Chase for the Championship program, I am thrilled to be with JGR and know they will be instrumental in my career. Through my health challenges this year and while I have continued to learn and improve my driving skills, [team owner Joe] Gibbs, the staff, and veteran drivers here have mentored me and I look forward to the opportunity to be around them now for a full season.”

Tifft missed races in 2016 after he was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor over the summer. Tifft, who had driven six of the first 10 Xfinity Series races in 2016, had the tumor removed and returned to the track at Kentucky in September. He finished fifth in that race and then finished eighth at Charlotte in October.

The brain tumor was found as Tifft was being checked out for a back injury that forced him to miss a race at Iowa.

Jones has driven the No. 20 for JGR in the Xfinity Series full-time in 2016 but he’s moving to a new second team for Furniture Row Racing in 2017. His crew chief will be Chris Gayle, who is currently the crew chief for the No. 18 in the Xfinity Series. Tifft’s crew chief will be Matt Beckman, who is currently an engineer for Denny Hamlin in the Cup Series.

JGR said a number and sponsor for Tifft’s team would be announced later. Tifft has five top-10 finishes in nine career Xfinity Series starts and eight top 10s in 22 Camping World Truck Series starts.

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!