Don’t count Burton out
Jeff Burton understands human nature, so it really doesn’t upset him that the same people who were ready to cede him the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship two weeks ago are writing him off now.
Burton, coming off a very untimely engine failure that knocked him out of the lead in the Chase for the championship last week at Martinsville, goes into today’s race fifth in the standings, but trailing leader Matt Kenseth by just 48 points.
With four races to go in the stock car playoffs, that margin is not very significant – certainly no more significant than the 45 points he led Kenseth by after the Charlotte race two weeks ago.
“When I sat in the media center at Dover after winning the (second Chase) race and said that this was a long race and 10 races is an eternity in this sport, that’s what I was talking about,” Burton said. “You can think you have everything going your way and then one race and all that changed.”
All 10 drivers are still mathematically in title contention and the top nine are within reach of the lead going into today’s Bass Pro Shops 500 in Hampton, Ga.
The closeness of the Chase will increase the pressure on everyone as it goes toward the finish Nov. 19 at Homestead, Fla., Burton said.
“I think the pressure already has affected more people, because more people have a chance to win a championship,” Burton said. “For me, personally, I haven’t felt an increase in pressure just yet. I am sure if we can stay in the Chase, it will get there. But, right now, I am pretty proud of myself.”
Busch Series
Juan Pablo Montoya looked nothing like the “idiot” he feared he would be in his NASCAR debut, but showed he has a lot to learn before he’ll be challenging for wins alongside the likes of Kevin Harvick and Co.
Harvick raced to his eighth Busch Series victory of the season, capitalizing on Carl Edwards’ sloppy restart in overtime at Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, Tenn., to pull to the front and lead teammate Clint Bowyer across the finish line.
Montoya was nowhere near the action, though, after an accident midway through his first NASCAR event contributed to his 11th-place finish. But no one expected him to win in his first race, and his Chip Ganassi Racing team was thrilled with the learning effort.
Craftsman Truck series
Mike Bliss grabbed the lead on a restart 10 laps from the end at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., and held off Terry Cook for his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory in four years.
Erik Darnell finished third, followed by David Reutimann, Rick Crawford and David Ragan.
Leader Todd Bodine, who came into the race in front of Johnny Benson by 79 points, had to pit with a flat tire under the green flag and lost two laps early in the race. That gave the points lead to Benson until he crashed while running in the top 10 on lap 89.
Todd Bodine wound up 25th and Johnny Benson 29th, giving Bodine an 86-point lead with three races remaining.
IROC
Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman put on a show in the waning laps of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions season-finale in Hampton, Ga., swapping the lead over and over before Truex finally gained control on the last lap.
Newman, who earlier got into a bumping battle with Mark Martin, wound up fourth when Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart shot past on the final turn.
Stewart wrapped up his first IROC championship and the $1 million payoff from the series sponsor. Craftsman Truck Series champion Ted Musgrave finished fifth and Martin was sixth.