Burton Building Momentum; Scores Second Consecutive Top-Five Finish

For the fourth time in his young career, 18-year-old Harrison Burton came home third in a NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race. Burton recorded a career-beset third-place finish in the 2018 race at Iowa Speedway and matched that result in Sunday’s M&M’s 200 at the 0.875-mile oval. The second-generation driver also scored third-place finishes last November at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., and earlier this season at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
 
In a race that was postponed a day because of rain, it appeared that the Morton Buildings team would end the day with a fourth-place finish, but Ross Chastain’s team, who crossed the stripe as the winners, failed post-race technical inspection and were disqualified.
 
Stage One Recap:  
  • Burton started the 200-lap event from the 10th spot after Saturday’s qualifying session was cancelled due to rain and the field was set based on Gander Trucks owner’s points.
  • The talented teenager communicated that his Morton Buildings Tundra was “tight landing and free on throttle,” in the early laps of Stage One as he ran 10th. After the first caution on the race occurred on lap 53, crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. summoned his young driver to pit road for four fresh tires, a full tank of fuel and a trackbar adjustment
  • The No. 18 Toyota was scored in the 10th spot for the lap-58 restart and was able to gain one spot over the final two laps. 
Stage Two Recap:  
  • With one truck ahead of him hitting pit road between stages, Burton moved up to eighth when Stage Two went green on lap 66. He entered the top five for the first time on lap 72, but on lap 80 fell back to sixth and would remain there when Stage Two came to a completion on lap 120.
  • He communicated that his Morton Buildings Tundra was “tight center and loose on throttle,” before hitting pit road. 
Final Stage Recap:  
  • Hillman Jr. ordered up a four-tire and fuel stop with a wedge adjustment. Burton exited the pits fifth, but his KBM teammate Chandler Smith was penalized for speeding on pit road, moving the No. 18 team up to fourth when the Final Stage went green on lap 129.
  • Burton had fallen back to fifth when the fourth and final caution occurred on lap139. On lap 147 he gained the fourth spot back and would remain there throughout the final long green-flag run.
  • Ross Chastain’s unofficial winning truck was disqualified in post-race technical inspection, moving the No. 18 team up to third for the official results.

KBM PR