Jeff Burton
- Height: 5-7
- Weight: 155
- Born: Jun 29, 1967, South Boston, VA
News and Notes
May 14
This week: Burton has competed in 10 All-Star Races beginning in 1994, when he started 18th and finished sixth. His best finish is fourth in 1998 and last year. He has three top-five finishes and five top-10s. "I distinctly remember the first time I competed in it," Burton recalled. "I stood on the front straightaway (in 1994) during driver introductions. It was a dark night so you couldn't see the crowd, but you could hear them and feel them. I remember thinking, 'This is what excitement is all about and what a pre-race event ought to be.' I will never forget that feeling. It's an honor to be in the race. It's a special race, and fans get really get excited about it. It's a huge deal. The reason I know it's a big deal is because I have not been in it. The times when we didn't run well enough to be in it really hurt. Having the perspective of being in the All-Star Race makes you want to run well all the time so you don't miss out on being in the race. I don't care if they change the format. However, I think the format should produce good racing. When I say good racing, I think it needs to be a reasonable-length race so the fans and drivers can see some exciting racing. I think that a driver that has one bad lap should have a chance to come back and still win. I think shorter races create more excitement because the longer the runs, the more the cars get spread out. At the same time, you have to be careful and not make the segments too short."
Last week: Burton is coming off a 10th-place finish at Darlington.
Etc.: Burton's crew will be among the teams participating in the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge on Thursday. All qualified teams for the NASCAR All-Star Race are eligible to compete, which includes NASCAR Cup Series race winners from 2007 and 2008, NASCAR All-Star Race winners of the last 10 years, and NASCAR Cup Series Champions of the last 10 years who are active drivers and have competed in at least one Series event during the 2007 or 2008 season. Also eligible is the 2007 Pit Crew Challenge winner. The remaining unfilled positions will be available to the car owners ranked highest in the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series championship owner points standing as of May 13, 2008, who are not otherwise eligible for the event. Seven members of each team are allowed to compete.
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