Thad was born bleeding Petty Blue.  Growing up in racing royalty, Thaddeus (Thad) Moffitt was born to race.  As soon as his feet could reach a pedal, be assured that Thad was going fast.  The grandson of “The King” Richard Petty, Thad Moffitt is poised to carry on the Petty legacy.

“I may not have the last name ‘Petty,’ but I’m as Petty as they come,” says the wise 23-year-old Moffitt.

Born to Brian and Rebecca Petty-Moffitt (the youngest daughter of Richard), Thad has always been attracted to vehicles with a motor that go fast- on land or water.  It was never uncommon to see Moffitt pushing the limits on a jet ski, dirt bike, snowmobile or even the family lawnmower.  As he grew older, Thad, like most pre-teen boys, began to play organized sports.  It was football where the young Moffitt shined for his local pop warner and then for his school.  But, once Thad started racing a quarter-midget and then a go-kart, he knew that’s what he wanted to focus on.

“I still love football, baseball, basketball and all sports, but nothing is as much fun as racing,” says a smiling Moffitt.  “I just started racing at the local tracks and I loved it. It was natural and now it’s my profession.”

Never being pushed into the sport, Thad became serious about racing when competing in karts.  He raced in different divisions at Ace Speedway, Liberty Raceway Park, Stateline Speedway and Colridge Raceway, all with that familiar Petty Blue paint scheme.  Thad began winning races and running up front. Knowing that many of today’s successful drivers are groomed in late models, Thad moved to Limited Late Model in 2016.  He quickly made himself a champion in the Southeast Limited Late Model Series.  Moffitt quickly advanced to Late Model competition and scored top finishes across the southeast and its historic tracks.

“It was a quick progression to Late Models, but we had success,” commented Moffitt.  “We didn’t want to stay in one series too long, so it was time to move to ARCA.”

And that’s what Moffitt did in 2017, making three starts on the short tracks.  He finished 11th in his third career ARCA start and in only his sixth start scored a Top-10 finish.  To start the 2019 season, Moffitt made his Daytona International Speedway debut in style.  He started his first superspeedway race on the front row.  He raced in the Top-Five before a tire issue ended his race.

The next two seasons, Moffitt honed his skills in the ARCA Series. He raced for David Gilliland Racing (DGR) in 2021 and finished fourth in the national championship after four Top-Five and 12 Top-10 finishes. It was those results that propelled Moffitt to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

At the age of 21, Moffitt debuted in the truck series at the track his family helped make famous- Daytona International Speedway. Moffitt raced up front in the event and finished 18th at the end. It made Moffitt more determined to return to the truck series and find more success. In 2024, Moffitt will complete all but one race in the truck series and has tied his best of 18th at the tough Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Prior to his return to NASCAR, Moffitt found success in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s TA2 class for TeamSLR. Moffitt had numerous Top-Five finishes in one of the toughest forms of road racing in America. He finished the year second in the rookie standings.

Moffitt is always mindful of his family history.  He carries the number “46” on to carry on the family legacy.  He also has worked hard to secure his own sponsorship from companies such as Clean Harbors, Safety-Kleen, Customers Bank, Pristine Auction, Joe Jurgielewicz and Son – America’s Tastiest Duck, Induction Innovations, and others.