Harrison Burton tied his career-best NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series finish with a third-place result in Friday’s JEGS 200 at Dover International Speedway. After qualifying ninth, Burton positioned the Safelite Tundra inside the top three for the majority of the final two stages, taking the lead momentarily with a three-wide pass with just over 80 laps remaining.
The 18-year-old driver was on the bumper of Sheldon Creed for the lead with just under 50 laps remaining when a two-truck accident slowed the field for the fourth time. Teams hit pit road for their final scheduled-pit stop and Burton exited pit road the fourth driver with four fresh tires, which lined him up sixth for the restart with 41 laps remaining.
The Safelite Tundra was scored in the third spot when the final caution of the race occurred with 10 laps remaining. Burton would maintain the third position on a restart with five laps remaining and crossed the stripe there as well, earning his third-career third-place finish.
Stage One Recap:
- Burton started the 200-lap event from the ninth position and methodically began to maneuver his way forward. He settled into the seventh spot for the first 23 laps before making his way around his Kyle Busch Motorsports’ (KBM) teammate Raphael Lessard for sixth on lap 29.
- On the final lap of the opening stage, the second-generation driver was able to pick up one more position to come home fifth.
Stage Two Recap:
- Burton communicated to crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. that his Safelite Tundra was “tight landing” before hitting pit road for four fresh tires and fuel with an air pressure adjustment.
- The Safelite Tundra lined up sixth when Stage Two went green on lap 54. He would remain in the sixth spot for the duration of the segment.
Final Stage Recap:
- Burton communicated that his Toyota was still “tight landing,” before hitting pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment.
- The No. 18 team restarted sixth when the Final Stage went green on lap 98. He quickly picked up two positions and was scored fourth when the third caution of the race occurred on lap 111. After Johnny Sauter failed to maintain his position under caution trying to save fuel, Burton moved up to the third position.
- The field went back green on lap 117 and Burton flexed his muscle, diving to the inside of the top-two trucks as the field entered Turn 1. The top three raced three-wide for an entire lap with the Safelite Tundra leading lap 118 before settling into the runner-up spot the next lap.
- Burton got back to the bumper of the leader with 50 laps remaining and made a move for the lead, but unable to complete the pass.
- After the field was slowed for the fourth time, the leaders hit pit road for their final scheduled stops. Once again, Burton reported that his Toyota was “still on the tight side,” before getting his final four Goodyear tires and enough fuel to make it to the end of the race.
- Burton advanced from sixth to fourth on the ensuing restart before another caution quickly occurred.
- The Safelite Tundra lined up fourth for the restart with 36 laps remaining and once again gained two more positions before the field came back to the stripe. He fell back to the third spot with 30 laps remaining, where he remained until the sixth caution of the day came out with nine laps remaining and set up a five-lap shootout to the finish.
- Burton restarted third and would remain third over the final five laps. The third-place finish was the third of his career, tying his career-best result that he achieved twice last season.
KBM PR
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