Top Dog: Harrison Burton
“Jeff, your little boy has done it!”
That was the instant classic call by Leigh Diffey, NASCAR on NBC’s new lead announcer on Saturday night (Aug. 24). It was directed at colleague Jeff Burton, who swung his fist through the air as he watched his 23-year-old son, Harrison Burton, cross the start/finish line in first place for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career by winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
But instead of the sincere joy and appreciation Harrison Burton should have received from the NASCAR garage, there was a bit of saltiness in the air — and no, it wasn’t from the waters of Daytona Beach.
While there was jubilation and an awe-struck reaction across the industry for arguably the upset of the decade, the looming shadow of the playoffs clouded the spectacle a little bit.
Harrison Burton entered the race 34th in points out of 34 full-time drivers. For a month and a half, it has been known that he is out of a job for 2025, with Wood Brothers Racing opting to move forward with Josh Berry. That decision came after very little has gone right for NASCAR’s oldest team since Burton took the reins of the famed No. 21 in 2022.
In his 97 starts with WBR entering Daytona, Harrison Burton had recorded just one top five and five top 10s, with a best points finish of 27th in his rookie season. In nearly half of those starts, he was not running on the lead lap.
Following start number 98, Harrison Burton vaulted from 34th to 13th by virtue of his win, and he guaranteed a points finish of at least 16th by making the playoffs.
Unless fortunes turn in his favor, he isn’t favored to go far in the playoffs, summoning the question: Is this the peak example of how controversial this playoff format can be?
Let’s set that aside for now, as the focus should be a feel good story for the ages.
After Ryan Blaney won for the Wood Brothers in 2017 to earn the organization’s 99th victory, it has been equal parts oh-so-close or so far away from its 100th win. Now, instead of asking when it will come, that milestone has finally been sealed.
The Wood Brothers’ last four wins have all been career firsts, with Burton joining Blaney, Trevor Bayne and Elliott Sadler in that group. He also became the first driver born in the 2000s to win a Cup race.
And despite the struggles, think of the names he joins as a winner in the No. 21. That elite group includes David Pearson, Cale…
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