Brian Scott will no longer be a NASCAR driver after 2016.
The driver, who is in the midst of his rookie season in the Sprint Cup Series with Richard Petty Motorsports, announced Thursday (Nov. 10) he will retire at the end of the season.
“This was a difficult decision, but one that I made myself for my family,” Scott said in a press release. “Racing and specifically NASCAR has been and will always be in my heart, but right now, I want to turn all my attention to my family and to be able to spend more time with them. Racing has blessed me with great opportunities, and I’m very grateful for everything that it has allowed me to do, but for me, it’s time to move on.
“I can’t thank everyone enough who helped me in my career. I would not have made it to where I am at today without their trust and commitment.”
Scott’s team, for which he drives the No. 44, also made its own statement.
“Brian made it to and competed at a level that very few do in NASCAR,” Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer of Richard Petty Motorsports, said. “Brian became part of the Petty family this year, and he committed himself to making our organization better. We feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know Brian and wish him nothing but the best for him and his family.”
On the heels of Scott’s announcement, Albertsons, a longtime sponsor of Scott in NASCAR, announced it will shutter its own NASCAR involvement at the end of 2016.
Scott, 28, is coming off his best Cup finish of his career last month at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing second. He sits 32nd in points entering Phoenix International Raceway with just one top 5 and top 10 to show for his season.
Before entering the Cup Series full-time this year, the Idaho native drove in 17 Cup races and had been a regular competitor in the XFINITY Series from 2010 to 2015, with 20 top 5s and 77 top 10s, finishing fourth in points in 2014. He also drove 62 Camping World Truck Series races, winning twice.
Richard Petty Motorsports has not announced a replacement for its No. 44. Aric Almirola is the team’s other driver, competing in the No. 43. The organization had one XFINITY team, driven by Jeb Burton, at the beginning of 2016, but it was shuttered due to lack of sponsorship.
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