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Brett Moffitt looking to cap "surreal" Truck season with title

Brett Moffitt didn’t have a job a year ago but now finds himself on the verge of winning his first NASCAR national series championship.

Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra KOBE celebrates his win with a burnout

Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra KOBE celebrates his win with a burnout

Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images

Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra KOBE celebrates his win with a burnout
Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra KOBE celebrates his win in Victory Lane
Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra KOBE celebrates his win with a burnout
Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra AISIN GROUP
Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra ADVICS /AISIN GROUP
Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra celebrates after winning
Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra celebrates his win with a burnout
Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, AISIN Atlanta Toyota Tundra celebrates
Brett Moffitt, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Toyota Tundra Destiny Homes celebrates

Moffitt has not had a steady ride in NASCAR since 2015 and things looked no different heading into the 2018 season.

But at the last minute Moffitt was asked to take the helm of Hattori Racing Enterprises’ No. 16 Toyota this year. Even though a full season in the Camping World Truck Series wasn’t guaranteed at the time, Moffitt’s performance helped keep the team moving forward.

Following a season that has included five wins and 12 top-five finishes in 22 races. Moffitt now joins Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley and Noah Gragson in Friday night’s season finale at Homesteada-Miami Speedway with the opportunity to walk away a champion.

“A year ago, I honestly had no idea whether I’d have a job this year or not, and I was pretty damned close to moving back to Iowa and starting to build houses to be honest with you,” Moffitt said Tuesday.

“That’s just based off a financial decision where I was fortunate to make some money early in my career when I was Cup racing, and eventually that money runs out and you need a job. I wasn't certain what the future would hold.

“To get paired up with (team owner) Shigeaki (Hattori) and the team he’s built throughout the last couple years and to take it to Victory Lane not once but five times and be competing for a championship this weekend, it is pretty surreal.”

Mofitt, 26, began the year with a wreck in the season opener at Daytona but quickly atoned for that the following week with a victory at Atlanta. By the time the playoffs started, Moffitt began as the second-seed, five points behind Sauter.

“Homestead is a track I’ve really liked in the past. I’ve got a couple Cup starts there,” Moffitt said. “I’ve never ran a truck there, though, so I’ll have a little bit of a learning curve when we get there.

“I think you’ve just got to relax and enjoy the moment we’re in right now, and everything we’ve done up to this point, but we’ve got to work our tails off and go try to win this race and win this championship.”

With nothing solid lined up for next year as yet, Moffitt hopes he won’t find himself in a similar position in the off-season as last year.

One thing will be different, however – Moffitt has a season of success on his resume with which to help move into another ride.

“We’ve had a hell of a year, and I think we’ve proven that even with a small team we can go to Victory Lane multiple times and compete with the biggest teams in the Truck Series,” he said. “That’s just speaks for how hard everyone at HRE works and how well we work together. 

“I don’t know what the future will hold, but I’m just trying to do everything I can do – and that’s part of me putting the pressure on myself to go win a championship – is that at least I can say I did it.

“Not knowing what the future could hold, that would mean a lot to me.”

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