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
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com