Harrison Burton and the Safelite AutoGlass team started Saturday’s TruNorth Global 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway from the 18th starting position and worked their way inside the top 10 for the majority of the race before ending the day with an 11th-place finish.
Stage One Recap:
- Burton started the 250-lap event from the 18th position but once the green flag dropped began to methodically maneuver towards the front of the field. The second-generation driver had gained five spots by lap six and when the first caution of the race occurred on lap 64 was scored in the 11th position. A lengthy cleanup would bring Stage One to end under caution.
Stage Two Recap:
- Burton communicated to crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. that his Safelite Tundra was “tight center and free off” before hitting pit road for four fresh tires, with an air pressure adjustment, and fuel.
- A speedy stop by the over-the-wall crew put Burton in the sixth position when Stage Two went green on lap 79. He had fallen three spots to the ninth position when a one-truck spin slowed the field for the second time on lap 119.
- Hillman Jr. summoned his young driver to pit road for four tires and fuel. Another solid stop placed him eighth for the lap-128 restart.
- He gained two spots once the field went back green and would end Stage Two in the sixth position.
Final Stage Recap:
- With two competitors pitting between stages, Burton moved up to the fourth position for the start of the Final Stage on lap 151. In the opening laps of the Final Stage, he communicated that the Safelite Tundra was “tight center” as he settled into the fifth position.
- When the fourth caution of the day slowed the file on lap 189, Hillman Jr. and his crew took the opportunity to put on the final set of sticker tires and make a chassis adjustment to try and improve the handling of their Toyota Tundra.
- The Safelite Tundra was scored in the 12th spot when the field when back green on lap 198. He advanced two spots on the restart and was scored in the 10th spot when the next caution occurred with 40 laps remaining.
- After getting shuffled out of the low lane and losing several spots, Burton was scored in the 14th position when the field was slowed for the sixth time with eight to go.
- The talented teenager was able to muscle his way up three spots to 11th before a caution on the final lap brought and end to the race.
Harrison Burton, driver of the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports:
How was your race today?
“Not the day we wanted with our No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra. Everybody on the team worked hard and didn’t give up, but in the end, we didn’t produce the result we wanted. We’ve been pretty good on the mile-and-a-half tracks this year and had a solid outing last November at Texas, so we’ll go there next week and look to rebound.”
The TruNoth 250 Recap:
- KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch collected the 54nd win of his NGOTS career and his 201st in NASCAR’s top three divisions. Ben Rhodes came home in the runner-up spot while Brett Moffit, Ross Chastain and Stewart Friesen rounded out the top-five finishers.
- The race featured seven cautions for a total of 50 laps. There were eight lead changes among four drivers.
How Burton’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished first
- Raphael Lessard, driver of the No. 46 Toyota, finished 14th
- Todd Gilliland, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished 15th
NGOTS Championship Standings:
Burton fell three positions to fifth in the NGOTS championship standings. After four races he finds himself nine tallies behind points leader Steward Friesen.
Next Race:
Burton will be back behind the wheel of the No. 18 Hunt Brothers Pizza Tundra when the Truck Series resumes action March 29 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Live coverage of the Vankor 350 begins Friday at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.
KBM PR
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