Burton earns first NASCAR win since 2013

Nearly one year removed from leading on the final lap and finishing third in an NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race at Talladega Superspeedway, Jeb Burton improved his position by two and had help from the rain, too, in winning Saturday’s rain-shortened Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega.

Burton led three times for 21 laps and earned his first career NXS win, becoming the fourth first-time winner of the NXS season.

While it is Burton’s first career NXS win, it is his second NASCAR national series win, ending a winless streak dating back to the June 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Texas Motor Speedway.

“To get one, we didn’t care how we did it,” Burton said. “When I got out in front, I was really starting to block the lanes and I needed that experience at the end of the race that I didn’t have last time.”

“We really needed that win, the 10 car hasn’t won, Bruce Schlicker hasn’t won, we all needed that win. This win couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Since 2013, Burton has made starts in all three NASCAR national series. However, as a result of sponsorship woes, this NXS season is his first full-time NASCAR season since 2014 when he raced in the NCWTS full-time.

Burton, when asked about if he ever thought about stepping away from NASCAR racing, stated, “I did. There were a couple of years where I was running three or four races, couldn’t find sponsorship, my confidence was low because I wasn’t in the right stuff.”

“I try not to cry, but it means a lot,” Burton elaborated. “I put every ounce of energy into trying to make it in this sport. It’s been a tough road but it’s made me a better person and I appreciate the opportunity.”

Burton is the fourth first-time winner in the last five NXS races at Talladega. He sits fourth in NXS points, 97 behind points leader Austin Cindric, heading into the May 8 Steakhouse Elite 200 at Darlington (1 p.m. ET; TV: FS1, Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

SOURCES:
NASCAR
Racing-Reference.Info