Thad Moffitt Bio
Thaddeus Drake Moffitt, known professionally as Thad Moffitt, is an American professional stock car racing driver born on September 12, 2000. He last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 46 and No. 70 Toyota entries for Nitro Motorsports, after previous stints in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. A member of the legendary Petty racing family through his mother, Moffitt has built a career in stock car racing’s development ranks while carrying one of the most famous surnames in motorsports history.
Early Life and Background
Thaddeus Drake Moffitt was born on September 12, 2000, in Trinity, North Carolina, to Brian Moffitt and Rebecca Petty-Moffitt. His mother, Rebecca, is the youngest daughter of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty, making the legendary “King” of NASCAR his grandfather. Growing up surrounded by racing heritage, Moffitt spent his childhood in a family that lived and breathed the sport, though he has noted that older relatives encouraged him to develop his own skills rather than rely on family connections.
Throughout his childhood, Moffitt played football and participated in other organized sports, balancing his early athletic interests with the rhythms of life in small-town North Carolina. He attended Wheatmore High School before eventually switching to online schooling midway through his high school career to better accommodate his racing schedule. In his mid-teens, he began competing in kart racing, learning the basics of race craft and car control on smaller tracks before stepping into larger machinery.
Path to NASCAR
Moffitt cut his teeth in go-karts at age fourteen and later progressed through quarter midgets and limited late models, racing at short tracks like Caraway Speedway and Ace Speedway. In 2016, he captured the Southeast Limited Late Model Series Challenger Division championship and won his first late model race earlier that same year, establishing himself as a promising talent in the Southeast regional scene.
His family’s deep ties to NASCAR opened the door to bigger opportunities, and Moffitt made his ARCA Racing Series debut in April 2017 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, driving a car reminiscent of one driven by his grandfather Richard Petty. The debut was made with Empire Racing, a satellite team of Richard Petty Motorsports, and Moffitt ran a total of three races that season, posting a best finish of eleventh at Lucas Oil Raceway. These early ARCA starts laid the groundwork for his move into NASCAR’s national series.
Thad Moffitt Career
Early Career (2016-2018)
Moffitt’s early career was defined by steady progression through the Southeast short-track ranks, where he earned the 2016 Southeast Limited Late Model Series Challenger Division title. The championship gave him credibility as a developing talent and helped him secure the ride with Empire Racing for his 2017 ARCA debut. He balanced late model racing with limited ARCA starts, using each appearance to gain experience on larger tracks.
In 2018, Moffitt tested at Daytona International Speedway and announced a partial ARCA slate that included Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Lucas Oil Raceway, with the potential for additional races later in the year. During his second start of the season at Salem Speedway, he was involved in two on-track incidents, one with Natalie Decker and another with Jack Dossey III. He rebounded from a mid-race spin in his next outing to claim his first ARCA top ten, finishing tenth at Toledo.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2017-2024)
Moffitt’s ARCA career took a significant step forward on January 9, 2020, when it was announced that he would join DGR-Crosley for the season-opening race at Daytona, with plans to run most of the schedule. He delivered three top-five finishes across thirteen races that year, including a career-best fourth-place result at Memphis. In January 2021, he returned to ARCA with the renamed David Gilliland Racing team for at least eleven races, competing in nearly the full season and only being replaced for the dirt races and the final two events. His 2021 campaign included a controversial retaliation attempt against Drew Dollar at Michigan that resulted in a crash which injured Tim Richmond.
On January 7, 2025, it was announced that Moffitt would return to running ARCA full time with Nitro Motorsports, signaling a fresh start with a new organization. However, on June 10, 2025, it was revealed that he would scale back to a part-time role with Nitro so the team could make room for Treyten Lapcevich and the No. 70 entry, allowing Moffitt to split time between the No. 46 and No. 70 Toyota machines.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Debut (2022-2024)
On February 10, 2022, it was announced that Moffitt would make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Daytona for Reaume Brothers Racing in collaboration with GMS Racing, running a paint scheme that paid tribute to his grandfather Richard Petty’s 1992 retirement season. The throwback livery connected his national-series debut to one of the most iconic looks in NASCAR history.
On December 9, 2023, Moffitt was announced as the full-time driver for the new NASCAR team Faction46, piloting the No. 46 Chevrolet for the 2024 season. On June 28, 2024, prior to the race at Nashville Superspeedway, Moffitt experienced a medical emergency and was replaced by Dawson Cram in the No. 46 truck. On July 8, 2024, Faction46 team owner Lane Moore officially shut down the team due to financial constraints. Young’s Motorsports then announced on July 10, 2024, that Moffitt would drive the No. 46 at Pocono Raceway and the remainder of the 2024 season, the same team he had driven for during part of 2022. On September 19, 2024, Moffitt announced via X that, due to lack of funding, he would not race as much of the remainder of the 2024 season, though he returned to the No. 46 at Phoenix and finished the year 32nd in points, last among the Rookie of the Year Contenders.
Trans Am Series (2023)
In 2023, Moffitt ran the full Trans Am Series schedule in the TA2 class, driving the No. 43 Chevrolet for TeamSLR with support from Petty’s Garage. He posted six top-ten finishes, highlighted by a best result of second place at the second Detroit Street Circuit race, and finished seventh in the class standings.
Notable Races and Milestones
Moffitt’s career has been punctuated by connections to his family’s legacy, most notably his Truck Series debut at Daytona in a Richard Petty throwback scheme and his 2019 trip to England, where he drove a 1981 edition of his grandfather’s racecar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. His first ARCA top ten at Toledo in 2018 and his career-best fourth at Memphis in 2020 stand as key competitive milestones, while his full-season ride with Faction46 in 2024 marked his most extensive NASCAR national-series campaign to date.
Thad Moffitt Career Wins
Thad Moffitt’s career wins are anchored in his Southeast regional accomplishments, headlined by the 2016 Southeast Limited Late Model Series Challenger Division championship. He has notched consistent top-ten finishes across ARCA, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the Trans Am Series, though verified national-series victories have remained elusive as of the most recent available information.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Moffitt has recorded multiple top-five and top-ten finishes in the ARCA Menards Series, with his career-best result of fourth place coming at Memphis in 2020. His first ARCA top ten was a tenth-place run at Toledo in 2018, and he has continued to add solid results across partial and near-full seasons with DGR-Crosley, David Gilliland Racing, and Nitro Motorsports.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond ARCA, Moffitt’s standout results include a runner-up finish at the second Detroit Street Circuit race in the 2023 Trans Am Series TA2 class, where he helped TeamSLR and Petty’s Garage to a seventh-place ranking in the class standings. His 2016 Southeast Limited Late Model title remains his most prominent championship to date, while his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series tenure has been highlighted more by perseverance through team changes than by victory lane appearances.
Thad Moffitt Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Moffitt comes from one of the most storied families in American motorsports. His mother, Rebecca Petty-Moffitt, is the youngest daughter of Richard Petty, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and Pro Football Hall of Fame-level icon known as “The King.” His father, Brian Moffitt, has also been part of his racing journey, supporting his son’s development from karting through the national NASCAR ranks. Despite sharing the same last name, Thad Moffitt is not related to fellow NASCAR competitor Brett Moffitt.
Personal Life
Born and raised in Trinity, North Carolina, Moffitt has balanced his racing career with his education, completing his high school studies at Wheatmore High School before switching to online schooling to accommodate his busy racing schedule. His trip to England in 2019 to drive his grandfather’s 1981 racecar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed remains one of the most memorable personal highlights of his career, reflecting the deep pride he takes in carrying the Petty family name forward.
2025 Season Performance
Moffitt entered 2025 with renewed optimism after being announced on January 7 as a full-time ARCA Menards Series driver with Nitro Motorsports in the No. 46 Toyota, marking his most extensive ARCA campaign in several years. The arrangement gave him a chance to chase consistent finishes and contend for race wins with a competitive team.
On June 10, 2025, the plan shifted when Nitro Motorsports announced that Moffitt would scale back to a part-time role, allowing the organization to make room for rising driver Treyten Lapcevich and field the No. 70 entry. As a result, Moffitt has split time between the No. 46 and No. 70 Toyotas for the remainder of the season, focusing on select events rather than a full slate.
Looking ahead, Moffitt’s 2025 outlook centers on maximizing his part-time opportunities with Nitro Motorsports while keeping the door open for additional NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series or ARCA appearances should sponsorship materialize. His combination of regional pedigree, family legacy, and perseverance through team transitions continues to make him a noteworthy presence in NASCAR’s development ladder.
