Burton captures season best result at Chicagoland

Jeb Burton finished a season-high fifth at Chicagoland Speedway after overcoming handling issues in the rain-delayed Lucas Oil 225 on Saturday night. The fifth-place effort was Burton’s first top-five finish of the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season and his best finish in two starts at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval.

After qualifying was washed out on Friday, Burton took the green flag from the third position and immediately battled an extremely loose condition in the race’s opening stages while running in the top five. On the lap 30 competition caution, Burton came to pit road for four tires, fuel, and adjustments to rectify the loose balance. Under the caution, Burton was forced to make a second stop on pit road, giving up valuable track position, to repair a loose window. Restarting 20th on lap 66, Burton spent the middle portion of the 150-lap event coping with a loose-handling Toyota Tundra as he made his way through the field.

 

With 40 laps remaining, the race leaders began making their way down pit road for scheduled stops under green. When the final caution flag was waved on lap 113, with 37 laps remaining, the ThorSport Racing driver was scored sixth. Burton was able to make his final scheduled stop for multiple chassis adjustments, four tires and fuel under yellow, regaining valuable track position. The Halifax, Va. native restarted sixth on lap 118 and was able to gain one more position in the closing laps to finish fifth, behind race winner Kyle Busch.

 

Thorsport PR