The high banks of Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn offer Jeb Burton and the No. 13 Estes Express team a prime chance for redemption after a dismal 16th-place finish at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Burton’s lone visit to the Irish Hills in 2013 was one of the most impressive showings of his young NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) career by capturing the Keystone Light Pole Award and leading the most laps. His bid for checkers was foiled by struggles on pit road around the halfway mark of the race and robbed Burton of a chance to capture his second career win. One year later, Burton returns to southern Michigan with the support of ThorSport Racing looking to build on his performance from last year’s event.
Fuel and track position are almost always keys to victory when the NCWTS visits MIS, two things that Jeriod Prince and the Estes Express Toyota team will try to supply Burton throughout the course of the 100-lap event. With qualifying being the most efficient way to acquire track position, Burton’s average qualifying position of 6.8 in the five races at intermediate tracks in 2014 bode well for the ThorSport Racing driver to start Saturday afternoon’s event towards the front. Burton led a total of 41 laps at MIS a year ago, the second time he has led the most laps in a NCWTS race. That statistic is one that Burton has the ability to replicate after a solid sixth-place performance at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (May), a similar venue to MIS. With Burton’s quick acclimation to MIS, the Careers for Veterans 200 has all the makings for a “career” performance for the Estes Express Toyota team.
Sounding Off – Jeb Burton:
“It was great to be fast and lead laps at Michigan last year. This year with ThorSport, I think we have the ability to definitely duplicate that performance. We keep working every week to improve our intermediate program and after last year’s race at MIS I’m excited to go back and put the Estes Express Toyota Tundra up front. Michigan is very similar to Kansas since the repave and we had a solid effort there. I look at this weekend as a great opportunity for us to keep climbing in points. To be in contention to win, we’re going to need track position after the last pit stop, so we’ll need to make sure we have the right strategy on pit road all race long.”
Burton’s Michigan Stats
• Has one start at Michigan International Speedway (2013)
• Started on the pole
• Finished: 10th
• 41 laps led
• 100 of 100 laps completed
Fast & Fun Facts:
Burton will visit the Toledo, Ohio Estes terminal on Wednesday, August 13 prior to the 15th annual NCWTS race at Michigan on Saturday
Jeb Burton 2014:
• Following a 16th-place finish in the Pocono Mountains 150 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, sits 10th in the 2014 NCWTS driver point standings
• Recorded a season-best sixth-place finish at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (5/9/2014)
• Recorded a season-best second-place start at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (7/23/2014)
• In 11 starts, Burton has three top-10 finishes
• Has completed 96.0% of laps attempted (1678/1748)
• Led seven laps (Eldora Speedway)
• Second full-time season in the NCWTS
Burton’s Career Truck Series Stats:
• 38 starts
• One win (Texas, June, 2013)
• Five top-five finishes
• 15 top-10 finishes
• Seven poles
• 5781 laps completed
• 296 laps led
• Average start: 9.1
• Average finish: 13.1
Estes Delivers:
Estes Express Lines offers direct freight transportation service to all fifty states, the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. With a network of more than 200 terminals located from coast to coast, including six locations in Ohio – Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Mansfield and Toledo – the strength of this regional network ensures that no matter where your shipment needs to go or when it needs to get there, Estes delivers. For more information, please visit www.Estes-Express.com.
ABOUT ESTES EXRESS LINES:
Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Estes is a leading, full-service freight transportation provider offering a complete range of shipping solutions including LTL, time critical, volume & truckload, global and custom solutions. Founded in 1931 by W.W. Estes and still owned by the Estes family, today’s Estes is the largest, privately-held LTL carrier in the nation. With more than 210 terminals across the country and a global service footprint, Estes has grown into one of the most respected total-solutions providers in the industry.
ABOUT THE CAROLINA NUT CO.:
Using unique handcrafted family recipes, The Carolina Nut Co. creates gourmet snacks and flavored nuts that are sure to please every nut lover. The Carolina Nut Co. is family-owned and located in Henderson, N.C. We have been creating delicious gourmet nuts and flavored nuts for more than 60 years. Our unique flavors and high-quality products are making their way across the country. Please keep an eye out for us at your local retailer and ask them about our nuts! For information go to www.carolinanut.com.
ABOUT THORSPORT RACING:
ThorSport Racing, based in a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport, which has run in the Truck Series since 1996, in 2014 will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by 2013 drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 98 Nextant Aerospace/Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff/Carolina Nut Co./Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 Carolina Nut Co. Toyota Tundra driven by Jeb Burton in the Truck Series and the No. 13 Toyota Camry in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.