Jeff Burton
No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: 3M Performance 400 – June 18, 2006
Venue: Michigan International Speedway – Brooklyn, Mich.
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at Michigan International Speedway … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 157 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is the same car that finished 34th after being collected in an accident in March at Bristol. Since then, the body replaced and the car has been tested in the wind tunnel.
Stat Facts … In 24 starts at Michigan, Burton has posted one pole, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes.
Comparing Stats … Following 14 starts and leading into Michigan’s first race of 2006, Burton and Team Cingular are sitting seventh in the points with one pole, 3 top-five and nine top-ten finishes. In comparison, last season Burton was 17th in points with one top five and two top 10s.
Racking ‘em up … Team Cingular’s ninth-place finish at Pocono Raceway last week marked their seventh top-10 finish in the last eight races. The consistently strong performances have gained Burton and company 14 spots in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings in the last eight races
RCR at Michigan … RCR team owner Richard Childress has earned two wins at MIS, both of them coming with Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt snagged the checkered flag in the Miller American 400 on June 28, 1987 and again in the Miller Genuine Draft 400 on June 24, 1990. Additionally, RCR boasts 15 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes with seven different drivers including Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, who recorded top 10s at Michigan in June of 1978 and in August of 1979.
New Dads … Father’s Day will soon take on more of a special meaning for two members of Team Cingular as they will soon become dads. Gear specialist Curt Bowman and his wife Candace are expecting their first child in early December while engine tuner Wes Adams and his wife Lori are expecting their second child at the same time.
Up to Speed … The 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live Sunday, June 18, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on FOX and be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 14th of 36 NASCAR Cup Series events will air live on SPEED Friday, June 16 at 3:30 p.m. EDT and will also be broadcast on MRN and XM Satellite Radio.
JEFF BURTON QUOTES
Team Cingular finished 11th in this race last season. What is good for this team at Michigan and what areas do you need to work on?
“We’ve worked real hard to improve our overall program to get our cars to go faster. I think we have done that. Our competition is working hard on doing the same thing. For us it’s a matter of taking what we have and making the most out of it. It’s also about having some good breaks. We’ve built some good hardware and now our effort is to continue to improve it and get the most out of it. That is our goal going to Michigan.”
What is it about Michigan that makes the track so good to race?
“I think the thing that really sticks out is the width of the groove. There are a lot of options at Michigan. You can run all the way down on the white line or run almost up by the wall. You don’t have to follow somebody around. It’s certainly not a one-groove track. That makes it so the driver has options. It also makes it a challenge for the team because the car has to work in multiple grooves. Running the groove that you feel good about in practice is important but you also need to run the groove that you may have to run in the race. Getting the car to work well in multiple grooves is important.”
How big is drafting at Michigan?
“Really for the most part drafting is a hindrance at Michigan and Pocono type tracks. You do get a draft down the straightaway but what ever you gain down the straightaway you lose a lot more by being behind somebody in the corners. At Daytona and Talladega being behind someone is just better, regardless. Drafting matters but the loss of downforce in the corners is worse than the gain down the straigthaways. “
