The 23-year-old son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Burton only led one lap on Saturday night at Daytona, but it was one that mattered most. Burton entered the penultimate round of the regular season 34th — dead last in the championship standings among full-time drivers.
“As a person, I’ve just grown a lot in the hardship,” he said of the struggles. “That’s where you grow as a person, is when things are hard. I’ve just had more times than I want, (going) to the shop and look at a mistake I made on film, look at a move I missed on film, look at a wreck I couldn’t control or whatever. All these things seemed to add up and add up and add up … For me, I think I’ve grown a lot in that hardship. I found out a lot about myself.”
Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing, DEX Imaging Ford Mustang
Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images
To get there, he had to out-duel 2x NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, pulling two massive blocks in the run to the line. Speaking on that final lap, Burton said: “You can’t count out Kyle Busch, right? I was trying to put myself in his shoes of what is he thinking, what is he trying to do to pass me? Where is his help with Christopher and all that? To be honest, once I made the block and pulled across his nose, kind of took all his energy by making a late block, to where obviously I almost crashed, but that’s what I needed to do to take the energy away from him, then I thought I had kind of done it. Until then, I wasn’t feeling comfortable out there, that’s for sure.”
Not only did Burton secure himself a spot in the 2024 playoffs, but he gets credit for earning the legendary Wood Brothers their 100th NASCAR Cup victory. He joins names such as Pearson, Yarborough, Bonnett, Jarrett, and Baker as drivers who have reached Victory Lane in the red and white No. 21.
An uncertain future
The team last captured the checkered flag in 2017 with Ryan Blaney when the future Cup champion won at Pocono. Burton was candid about his situation in his emotional front-stretch interview: “Obviously got fired from this job, (but) I wanted to do everything for the Wood Brothers that I could.”
Over the last three years, he has an average finish around 24th with 2024 appearing to be the worst yet — until Daytona. He has yet to announce any plans for next year, but in this moment, he is just thankful to be behind the wheel of the iconic No. 21.
Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers…
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