In a recent episode of ‘Door Bumper Clear,’ NASCAR driver Harrison Burton reflected on the closing laps of last Saturday’s (August 24) race at Daytona, where he secured his first career Cup Series victory, marking the 100th win for Wood Brothers Racing.
The 160-lap race was fraught with multiple multi-car crashes. Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing was the first to encounter issues when his car caught fire on pit road. Later, in Stage 2, his teammate Ross Chastain spun out, causing several other drivers to be sidelined.
Burton’s strategy was to steer clear of the crashes and make it to the finish. The Huntersville native expressed surprise at his ability to avoid collisions and ultimately win. He described narrowly missing Michael McDowell’s late-race crash as “unbelievable.”
“For me, it was unbelievable to dodge so many wrecks, especially that McDowell crash where his roof number was coming straight at me,” Burton shared via Dirty Mo Media on X. “I thought, ‘Okay, this is going to hurt.’ Then there was the last wreck where we were about to go three-wide, and they crashed right in front of us, but I somehow made it through. Todd (Gilliland) was taken out just inches behind me.”
“My aim was to get clear of everyone off turn four… I was blocking left and right, almost crashing a few times. I’m just lucky it all worked out, and now we can celebrate the 100th win,” he added.
Burton has now qualified for the playoffs and is 34th in the Cup Series standings with 306 points.
Harrison Burton’s father joined him in victory lane celebrations
Harrison Burton is the son of former NASCAR driver and current NBC commentator Jeff Burton. Shortly after Harrison secured his first win in the top-tier series, Jeff joined him in victory lane to celebrate.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Jeff Burton told NASCAR’s Alex Weaver (via Dailymotion.com). “It’s been a really tough year, actually a tough three years… I’m incredibly proud of Harrison for his dedication… he’s not complained, whined, or cried… this team just keeps pushing forward, and he’s kept working hard. This is tough; really tough.”
“Days like these… it’s hard to put into words… I experienced something similar in my Xfinity career,” Jeff recalled. “After my first Xfinity win, I woke up the next day feeling a hundred pounds lighter. It’s a huge weight off your shoulders. When you want something so badly and can’t achieve it, it just wears on you.”
Harrison Burton is the only driver born in the 2000s to win a Cup Series race, and one of 19 drivers to earn a victory for the Wood Brothers.
