Jeb Burton scored his second top-10 finish at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) with an eighth-place result in the Careers for Veterans 200 on Saturday. Burton and the Estes Express Toyota team showed speed through the course of the event and overcame a pit road miscue to post their fourth top-10 finish of the 2014 campaign. As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) heads into the final 10 events of the season, Burton remains 10th in the championship point standings.
After an unusual turn of events in the final round of Saturday’s knockout pole qualifying, Burton took the green flag from the seventh position. In the early stages, Burton anchored his position well inside the top 10, running seventh at lap nine when the race’s first and only caution flag was displayed. Knowing that MIS is famous for its fuel mileage strategies, crew chief Jeriod Prince called Burton down pit road for fuel only under the caution on lap 11. The pit call would put Burton in position to capitalize on pit strategy in the final laps.
Following the restart on lap 14, Burton ran inside the top-10 in the opening laps and broke into the top-five on lap 26. During the second run, Burton informed his team that he “couldn’t stand for the truck to be any more free into the turns or tighter on corner exit,” and opted for a small adjustment during the only four-tire pit stop of the race, just past the halfway point. A slower-than-usual stop on pit road cycled Burton to 10th after the green flag stops.
Rebounding from the issues on the previous trip to pit road, the Estes Express Toyota team made a quick gas-and-go stop for Sunoco race fuel with less than 10 laps remaining. By taking fuel only, Burton spent less time on pit road, and gaining positions through the cycle of pit stops. The 22-year-old chased down positions right to the checkered flag, earning his fourth top-10 of the season with an eighth place showing
Notes:
• Burton’s eighth-place finish is his second top-10 finish in two career starts at MIS
• With an average starting position of 6.8 on intermediate tracks, Burton and the Estes Express team continued their strong performances in qualifying by advancing to round three and earning a seventh-place starting position. It was his sixth top-10 starting position of 2014
• Burton was one of four drivers, along with ThorSport Racing teammates Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton, to run all 100 laps inside the top 15
• MIS is one of only two tracks on the NCWTS schedule in which Burton has made multiple starts, and scored top-10 finishes in every start. (MIS and Daytona International Speedway)
• In 12 starts this season, Burton has amassed four top-10 finishes
• Burton remains 10th in the NCWTS driver point standings, 88 points behind leader, and ThorSport teammate, Johnny Sauter
Quote – Jeb Burton:
“I felt like we had an Estes Express Toyota that had a shot to win the race today. We get so stretched out under green and it’s hard to regain the track position. The hang-up on pit road is frustrating but we’ll work on that and improve. It’s nice to have speed, a good strategy, and run good all race long.”
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.