Race 2 Win: O'Reilly Challenge

NASCAR Busch Series

O'Reilly Challenge - Jeff Burton Notes

Jeff Burton
No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: O’Reilly Challenge – November 4, 2006
Venue: Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Texas Motor Speedway … Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 061 a brand new Holiday Inn Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable.

Stat Facts … In eight Busch Series starts at Texas, Burton has posted three top-five and eight top-10 finishes. Consistency has been the key for Burton at Texas in the Busch Series and he’s completed 100 percent of laps attempted.

Winning Design … Pete Storlie of Lakeville, Minn., designed the paint scheme chosen by Jeff Burton as the winner of Holiday Inn’s ‘Design Jeff Burton’s Car’ contest. The design will be carried on the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet in the O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. As the winner, Storlie and a guest will join the Holiday Inn race team as honorary crew members in the Busch race at TMS. In addition, the winner’s package includes a trip for two to the race weekend, Jeff Burton/Holiday Inn Racing gear, tickets to the Cup race November 5, along with airfare and three nights’ accommodations at Holiday Inn.

Meet the Owner … Team owner Richard Childress is scheduled to appear Nov. 2 from 5-7 p.m. at The Sporting News® Grill—located in the Holiday Inn Select-Dallas Love Field, 3300 W. Mockingbird Lane. Childress will greet fans and sign autographs on behalf of Holiday Inn .

Busch Series Finale … The O’Reilly Challenge will mark Burton’s final NASCAR Busch Series start for the 2006 season and the 260th start of his career. Dating back to 1988, Burton has recorded 22 wins, 10 poles, 71 top-five and 118 top-10 finishes. The South Boston, Va., native also boasts nearly $3.5 million in career earnings.

Inaugural Winner … Jeff Burton won the first NASCAR Cup Series race held at Texas Motor Speedway on April 6, 1997, crossing the finish line four seconds ahead of Dale Jarrett.

Dear Diary … Throughout the Dickies 500 and O’Reilly Challenge race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Burton will once again become a guest columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The inaugural winner at TMS will discuss the Chase to the Championship and his day-to-day activities from the track as he competes in both the Busch and Cup Series events. His column can be read in the motorsports section at www.startelegram.com.

Up to Speed … The O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, November 4 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on TNT. The Performance Racing Network (PRN) and XM Satellite will also carry the race broadcast live.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
To the race fan Texas, Charlotte and Atlanta Motor Speedway look the same, are they for the drivers?
“They are completely different. I know there is a lot of talk about the mile-and-a-half “cookie cutter” race tracks, but they are totally different. Texas probably has the most grip of the three, although Atlanta does have a lot of grip as well, but the way you drive the track and the setups for each track are completely different.”

Is Texas a better race track now then when it opened?
“Absolutely, new race tracks are generally no good and new asphalt is no good. They kept having to change it over and over and the asphalt kept having to get replaced and that’s bad for racing. The best thing we can have is really old race tracks with old asphalt. That’s when you have your best racing. Texas is absolutely the best its ever been right now.”

You’ve won at Texas before, so do you still know what it takes to get it done there?
“Certainly, I won the first one and ran really well in the first few races there and then I really had a lull. It’s cool to go to Texas as the inaugural winner. It’s a beautiful facility. The track has gone through several changes since then, but I’ll always be the first winner there no matter what happens. I think that is really cool. It would be even cooler to have that win then 10 years later win again. It would be an honor to win at Texas on their 10th anniversary and to be able to show that longevity of winning the first one then come back 10 years later to win again. “