Second Time’s A Charm for Burton at Iowa Speedway

Jeb Burton and the No. 4 Arrowhead team are back on track after an eighth-place finish at Iowa Speedway. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) returned to the Midwest state for its second and final visit this season, which allowed Burton to race for redemption after a rookie mistake cost him a top-10 finish in his track debut three months ago. Throughout the two-day event, Burton and the No. 4 team had a solid truck, ranking fourth fastest in the weekend’s only practice session and qualifying eighth for Sunday’s Fan Appreciation 200 presented by New Holland. Despite a spin with just 10 laps remaining, the No. 4 Chevy managed to collect only minimal damage and continued to race within the top 10 for the remainder of the race. In what was another wild NCWTS finish, Burton’s No. 4 Arrowhead truck finished in eighth place after two green/white/checkered flag attempts. Burton remains fourth in the NCWTS Driver Point Standings, trailing 66 points behind the current leader.

 

No longer a rookie at the 0.875-mile track, Burton and his Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) team came prepared with a game plan following their disappointing finish earlier this year. During the weekend’s only practice session, Burton provided consistent feedback to his No. 4 team during his 54-lap run and was able to place the Arrowhead Chevy in fourth place on the speed chart. Burton then hit the track to qualify his TSM truck and landed the No. 4 in eighth place on the starting grid for the Fan Appreciation 200. Shortly after the green flag dropped, it was evident that Burton’s truck was a force to be reckoned with. As the first caution came out on lap 38, crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. told Jeb to remain on the track despite a slight issue with the truck’s handling.

 

Bouncing in between the top five and the top 10, Burton reported that the handling in his truck was getting worse and it was becoming more difficult to turn. At the halfway mark of the Fan Appreciation 200, the No. 4 truck had dropped just outside of the top 10. Hillman encouraged Burton to continue what he was doing, and within 20 to 25 laps, the TSM crew would fix him up. By lap 112, the Arrowhead Chevy was running the same lap times as the leader and making its way back into the top 10 with a vengeance. Following Hillman’s strategy, the No. 4 crew performed a green-flag pit stop on lap 125, providing the truck with four Goodyear tires, Sunono fuel and a slight air-pressure adjustment. Just after visiting pit road, the second caution arose, giving Burton the perfect opportunity to remain on the track and take the wave around, moving him three track positions up to eighth place.

 

With less than 50 laps remaining, the track went yellow for the third time and Burton came down pit road to receive four new tires, making him one of the only drivers to have fresh rubber. The No. 4 truck continued climbing within the top ten until another competitor got into the back of Burton, causing him to spin and send out the fourth caution of the day. Fortunately, the Arrowhead Chevy suffered minimal damage and was able to quickly return to the lineup after a brief inspection by the TSM crew. After two attempts at a green/white/checkered finish, Burton and the No. 4 Arrowhead truck crossed the finish line in eighth place.

 

“We missed it a little today,” said Burton. “We had the fastest truck on the track and I couldn’t be happier with my No. 4 Arrowhead team. I wish we could’ve cracked the top five, but hey, I’ll take an eighth place finish any day. It was definitely the comeback we needed and we’ll keep fighting.”

 

Carrying that momentum to the Windy City, Burton will make his track debut at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, September 13 in the EnjoyIllinois.com 225. Watch live as the NCWTS races under the lights on FOX Sports 1 at 8:00 p.m. CT.

 

TSM PR