Catchfence

It was 2001 that Jeff Burton last won more than one race in a season. One of them was at Charlotte, which gives 2008 a sense of=2 0full circle for Burton. It’s also been a surge that has taken Burton into a better-than-expected level of title contention with Martinsville, a race he’s won before, on the horizon.

Better than expected is in keeping with Burton’s last eight seasons. The 2001 year saw two wins, but after that what had been a successful partnership with Roush Racing deteriorated as the #99 team, formed in 1996 that brought Burton to the Roush organzation, faded and Burton was finally released, joining RCR in late August 2004. Burton matched the three top ten finishes of that season with Roush in his truncated first season with RCR.

2005 wasn’t much as the out-horsepowered RCR effort managed one win among its three cars, but late that season RCR infused a big boost as builders from Ilmor Engineering joned the team’s engine shop, and the boost paid dividends in 2006. The first shot was fired by Burton by winning the pole for the Daytona 500. He followed up with nine top ten finishes in the next thirteen races. He was also leading laps with authority, leading over half the Volunteer 500 at Bristol that August.

The breakthrough finally came in a hard battle with former teammate Matt Kenseth at the Delaware 400; it took some twenty laps, a number of them nose to nose with Kenseth, before Burton led the final six for the first win in five seasons. The 2006 season, though, fell apart beginning at Talladega, and Burton managed only two top tens over that season’s final seven races, ending his season in seventh in points.

If 2006 was a solid year, 2007 was more of the same, as Burton pulled out another dramatic win, this one at Texas – sight of his first Winston Cup win. He wrapped up 2007 eighth in points, another solid effort, but one that was largely under the radar. This, though, isn’t unusual for Burton, who has been a solid racer all his career but not flashy. His present wildcard point bid is pure Jeff Burton – it’s been under the radar amid the spectacles of Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Carl Edwards.

If there is a weakness to Burton as a racer it is the fact he goes under the radar so often. Johnson has a decided edge in killer instinct over Burton, and he is not one to blow point leads; Hendrick Motorsports has also long held a performance edge over RCR, and Burton can’t depend on DNFs to overtake Johnson, nor can he nibble at the point lead – he has to outfight Johnson the rest of the way.

Burton’s season, though, illustrates one of the differences between racing and other sports – in racing wins in indvidual events stand out over point performances. There is no better illustration of this than Kyle Busch’s eight wins, a far better season than almost anyone else; one can make a case for Carl Edwards and his eight wins. For Burton 2008 will be a memorable season reard less of where the points fall because he’s now won more than once and the renaissance of his career is continuing.