Catchfence

2010 NSCS Jeff Burton - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

Race Notes and Quotes:

• This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway … Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 293 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend’s Food City 500. Built new for the 2010 season, Burton drove this Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala to an 11^th-place finish three weeks ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Bristol Details … In 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Burton owns one win, eight top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. Since joining RCR in August 2004, he has four top-five and six top-10 efforts at the 0.533-mile race track in 11 starts. The South Boston, Va., native won the 2008 Food City 500, leading the final two laps and RCR teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer to the line. The win gave RCR its first ever one-two-three finish.  
• Burton Loopy in Bristol … According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Burton is the sport’s best Closer at BMS. The veteran driver has improved an average of 1.7 positions in the last 10 percent of laps in each race. Over the last 10 events at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” Burton gained 17 positions during the final 10 percent of those races. Additionally, the 21-time Sprint Cup Series winner is the series’ fifth-best Green-Flag Passer. Since the inception of loop data statistics in 2005, Burton has made 371 passes under green-flag conditions.
• Season Numbers … Over the season’s four races, Burton has made 629 passes under green-flag conditions, the most of all current active drivers. He is also one of nine drivers who have completed all laps contested thus far. Burton also holds an 11.3 average finish and has led 47 laps of competition.
• Survey Says … As part of Food City Family Race night, Burton will participate in a game of Family Feud. The 2008 Food City 500 winner, along with fellow RCR stablemate Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana, will face off against, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and his wife Krissie on Friday, March 19 at approximately 7:20 p.m. The event is free to the public and will take place at the Food City Stage in Bristol Motor Speedway’s hospitality village, located outside turn four. For more information log on to www.foodcity.com/racing.
• Meet the Press … Burton will be available inside the infield media center at BMS to field questions from the gathered press on Friday, March 19 at 10:45 a.m.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

Why is winning at Bristol a big deal?

“It’s such a hard and physically demanding race track. It’s so unique from any other race on the circuit we go to that it makes it special. It’s not about money or a cool trophy. It’s about being able to say ‘hey, I won at Bristol.’ Everybody knows what racing at Bristol is like and it’s a challenge to race the race track and 42 other drivers. To say you won at Bristol is rewarding.”

Do you think the new surface at Bristol has produced a race that is exciting for the fans to watch?

“I’m a race fan, too, and I certainly like the controversy. But, I can honestly say that the racing at Bristol is the best it’s ever been. There are not as many incidents and wrecks as there used to be, and I guess it’s taken some excitement out of it in some eyes, but from a racer’s standpoint, most drivers like the way the track is today.”

Will the newly-added soft walls in turns two and four affect the racing at Bristol?

“When soft walls were first introduced, a lot of people flipped out about it but, in the end, they had very little impact. It maybe changed your line a little bit. I suspect it will make a little bit of a difference at Bristol because the outside line may not work as quite as well. You may not be able to arc the exit quite as much as you used to do. So, we’ll have to wait and see how much it will affect the racing.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release