Harrison Burton departs from Wooden Brothers Racing feeling each fulfilled from having gained a race for one of many sport’s most beloved households, but in addition conflicted about his tenure.
“Clearly, I needed to do extra and needed to do extra sooner,” Burton mentioned. “I actually assume if I run the way in which I [did] the final half of this season earlier, I preserve my job. That’s part of racing. It’s performing when it issues and performing earlier than foolish season begins.”
Burton future’s with the No. 21 staff was within the rumor mill earlier than the summer time started. Then, simply forward of the Fourth of July, the announcement was made that Josh Berry will take over the automobile starting in 2025.
“I can go away realizing that my foremost objective once I received employed was to win a Cup race with the Wooden Brothers,” Burton mentioned. “So, to examine that off the field is actually cool. To do it at Daytona, to do it with the group that I’ve talked about time and again, it’s onerous to beat that stuff. It’s stuff that I as a competitor reside for that, and I can go away there not feeling happy however feeling partially happy, I suppose, with that win, for positive.”
A dramatic, final lap move in the summertime race at Daytona Worldwide Speedway was the long-awaited a hundredth victory for the Wooden Brothers and the primary within the sequence for Burton. And because it was the second-to-last race within the common season, it propelled the staff into the postseason.
The victory was Burton’s second – and can be closing – high 10 end of the season. He completed sixteenth within the championship standings with a median end of 25.7. There have been additionally seven DNFs and solely 18 lead lap finishes in 36 races.
“The win is clearly a spotlight however what we did with it afterward and the way in which we constructed one another up, I take a whole lot of pleasure in that,” Burton mentioned. “I take a whole lot of pleasure that I might be actually good buddies with all of my guys nonetheless and go to the store to do no matter… shifting my stuff out and speaking to these guys. They’re my buddies nonetheless. There are a whole lot of probabilities for that to not go that method, and also you see that generally with totally different drivers and totally different groups the place it ends ugly.
“I’m happy with our staff for not getting that method and if I see Jeremy Bullins round… high-five him and provides him a hug. Or any of these guys… All of that group, the way in which they rallied round me within the hardest time of my life and I rallied round them, is particular and onerous to duplicate.”
Burton was employed for the journey in 2022. In three seasons, he earned a mixed six top-10 finishes. He was chosen after two seasons and 4 wins within the Xfinity Sequence.
The Xfinity Sequence is the place Burton goes again to. Out of a journey within the Cup Sequence, he was employed by AM Racing in September to drive its flagship entry. The staff can have a technical alliance with Haas Manufacturing facility Workforce.
That’s what the quick future holds for Burton. Nonetheless, sooner or later he nonetheless desires to be a Cup Sequence driver with extra to show.
“I’m nonetheless younger; I’m 24 years outdated and have a whole lot of tread on the tire,” Burton mentioned. “So, I’m able to go, man. I’m tremendous assured in myself and what I can do. I do know that in the correct circumstance, I generally is a Cup degree driver. So, I’ve received to go show it, received to go earn it.
“You see guys like Cole [Custer] have executed that and have gone again. And even Dale Jarrett again within the day. He’s a man that may be a Cup champion and had to return to the Xfinity Sequence. Having talked to guys like that and them saying, you’re going to be tremendous, it’s OK, is reassuring. However I’ve to go earn it. It’s not going to be sitting there without cost. We’re going to need to go take it.”
