Burton has been consistent

If consistency can still win a championship in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series, Jeff Burton is a serious contender to win his first title.

In 16 races this season, the Richard Childress Racing driver has one win, four top-fives, 10 top-10s and has not finished worse than 15th.

“I’m good with it, if it yields results,” Burton said.

The 10-race Chase for the championship was born in 2004, meaning a consistent performance in the first 26 races only earns a driver a spot in the top 12 and the opportunity to compete for the title at the end of the season.

That’s just fine with Burton.

“If this process and the way that we’re doing it right now works out, then I’m extremely comfortable with it,” said Burton, who goes into today’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., second in the standings, 103 points behind five-time winner Kyle Busch.

He will have his work cut out, starting 31st in the 43-car field.

Rookie Patrick Carpentier will start from the pole for the first time, with 2001 Cup champion Bobby Labonte alongside on the front row. Series leader Busch, coming off a victory last Sunday at Sonoma, starts just ahead of Burton in 27th.

Nationwide Series

Tony Stewart drove away with his fifth victory in seven Nationwide starts in 2008 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H.

Stewart got track position, restarting third after taking just two tires during his final pit stop on lap 129 of the 200-lap event. He took the lead on lap 136 from fellow Cup star Carl Edwards and led the rest of the way.

Teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch finished second and third, respectively.

Craftsman Truck Series

Ron Hornaday won the O’Reilly 200 to take the Craftsman Truck Series points lead, leading the final 129 laps and enduring a green-white-checker finish at Memphis, Tenn.

On the green-white-checker finish, Hornaday hit his marks and beat Erik Darnell for Hornaday’s second win at Memphis Motorsports Park. The victory was his third of the season.