Making his second-career start at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Jeb Burton, driver of the No. 13 Estes Toyota, fought an ill-handling Tundra for a majority of the Pocono Mountains 150 on Saturday. The ThorSport Racing driver ran as high as fifth and as low as 20th, but crossed the line in the 16th position following a green-white-checkered finish in the 11th race on the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule.
Starting from the inside of row nine for the 60-lap race, Burton quickly noted to his crew chief Jerriod Prince that his Estes Express Tundra was “free on entry and tight through the center of the corner and off.” Maintaining a position inside the top-20, Burton was summoned to pit road for four Goodyear tires, Sunoco fuel and a chassis adjustment under the first caution at lap 18. Restarting from the 17th position three laps later, Burton showed patience around the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” as his Tundra became better on entry but remained tight through the center of the corner and on exit.
As a series of green flag pit stops cycled through, the Estes driver advanced to the fifth position before making his its way down pit road on lap 41 for a pair of right-side tires and one can of Sunoco fuel. Rejoining the field in the 20th position, Burton worked his way up to the top-10 before the second caution flag was displayed for accident in Turn 1.
In an effort to maintain track position, Prince opted to keep the Estes-Express.com Tundra out on the speedway and Burton restarted from the 10th position with less than 10 laps remaining. Several late-race cautions determined the outcome of the event and for the fourth time in its five-race history, the Pocono Mountains 150 ended with a green-white-checkered finish. Burton would cross the stripe in the 16th position behind race winner Austin Dillon.
Notes:
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Burton ranked 16th in Average Running Position (14.719), 18th in Driver Rating (62.0), and 18th in Laps in the Top-15 (29) at Pocono in the Pocono Mountains 150
• In 11 starts this season, Burton has three top-10 finishes
• Burton is 10th in the 2014 NCWTS driver points following a 16th-place finish at Pocono
• Austin Dillon won the fifth annual Pocono Mountains 150
• Johnny Sauter, Joey Coulter, Clint Bowyer and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-five finishers
• Up next: The NCWTS will take a week off before heading to Michigan International Speedway for the Careers for Veterans 200 on Saturday, August 16
Quote – Jeb Burton:
“We struggled with a Tundra that was free-in and tight through the center and off for a majority of the race today. We got better on entry as the day progressed, but we were getting killed through the center. It was just a long day for us, but I’m proud of the effort we my team put in and we will regroup and get back at it in Michigan. Due to circumstances, we gained a position in points today, but we just need to stay positive and capitalize the second-half of the season.”
Practice: 17th (55.50 seconds/162.136mph)
Final Practice: 14th (55.42 seconds/162.382mph)
Qualifying: 18th(55.022 seconds/163.571mph)
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.