Jeff Burton
No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: NASCAR All-Star Challenge – May 19, 2007
Venue: Lowe’s Motor Speedway – Concord, N.C.
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the NASCAR All-Star Challenge Challenge … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 173 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is the same car Burton drove to a sixth-place finish in last season’s Coca-Cola 600 and a third-place finish in the October race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Burton sat on the pole at Michigan International Speedway for last season’s August event before a blown engine resulted in a 42nd-place finish. Additionally, this car posted ninth-place finishes at both Pocono Raceway events and a runner-up effort at Chicagoland Speedway. This car also finished 16th at California Speedway in September, 13th at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October and 15th at the 2006 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Stat Facts …
In 14 full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, Burton has been in the NASCAR All-Star Challenge nine times, posting his best finish of fourth in 1998. He has two top-five and four top-10 finishes in the NASCAR All-Star event.
Burton became eligible to compete in this year’s NASCAR All-Star Challenge when he won the fall Dover race in September 2006.
Burton won the 2003 Open, claiming the final transfer position for The All-Star event where he went on to finish ninth.
Point of Interest … Team Cingular driver Jeff Burton currently sits fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series point championship with his RCR teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer holding down the eighth and ninth spots, respectively. This marks the first time in company history and the first time since NASCAR implemented The Chase that RCR has had all three teams in the top 10 in points. Following the Darlington event last season, Burton sat 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series points.
NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge … The Team Cingular Pit Crew will participate in the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge Wednesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. All teams eligible for the NASCAR All-Star Challenge are eligible to compete, along with the defending Pit Crew Challenge winner from last year and others who gained entry by their points standings following last weekend’s race at Darlington. Seating is general admission and tickets are available online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com, or by calling 1-800-495-2295. Tickets are $15 each.
Three All-Star Wins for RCR … RCR has won three NEXTEL All-Star Challenges (formerly The Winston). Dale Earnhardt won the event in 1987, which included the legendary “Pass in the Grass.” Earnhardt also went on to claim the checkered flag in 1990 and 1993.
Racin’ for Bragging Rights … Crew chief Scott Miller will join fellow NASCAR crew chiefs when they trade in their wrenches for driving suits during the inaugural KOBALT Tools crew chief race on Saturday, May 19. Utilizing Thunder Roadsters manufactured by 600 Racing and decaled to replicate the paint scheme of the Cup Series cars they oversee, the crew chiefs will compete in a 30-minute racing program that will include two qualifying heats and a feature race. All the action will take place on Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s quarter-mile oval, located on the frontstretch of the 1.5-mile track. The event will be the featured pre-race entertainment for the NASCAR All-Star Challenge and will be broadcast live on SPEED beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Up to Speed … Live coverage of the NASCAR All-Star Challenge Open and the NASCAR All-Star Challenge begins Saturday, May 19 at 7 p.m. EDT on SPEED. The race will be covered live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying is scheduled for Friday, March 19 at 6 p.m. EDT and will be aired live on SPEED.
JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
Do you remember the first time you competed in an All-Star event?
“I distinctly remember the first time I competed in it. I stood on the front straight-a-way (in 1994) during driver introductions. It was a dark night so you couldn’t see the crowd, but you could hear them and feel them. I remember thinking, ‘This is what excitement is all about and what a pre-race event ought to be.’ I will never forget that feeling.”
Is competing in the All-Star a big deal to you?
“It’s a huge deal. One of the things that has bothered me the most with not having as much success in the past few years is knowing that you are not in that race. The All-Star race is a big deal because it’s where the best of the best compete against each other and the winner comes out a million dollars richer. When there is an All-Star event and you’re not in it, it’s not a good feeling.”
Does the All-Star format work against you?
“When I ran late models, we used to have 75-lap races and I did not perform at my best. I was at my best when we ran 150- or 200-lap races. Although, my pace at 39 years old is a lot faster than what it was when I was at 29 years old. I can qualify a lot better and take off running faster now. I don’t know why that is. I would prefer it to be a 50-lap run instead of a 20-lap run because that would benefit me. It’s an All-Star race; it ought to be a shootout and I have to find a way to make that work.”
The All-Star Challenge qualifying format includes not only you as the driver, but the team as well. What are your thoughts on that?
“That’s how it ought to be. The driver gets so much attention and notoriety where the pit crews don’t get nearly as much as what they deserve. It’s cool that the pit crew is such a big part of how we qualify. They play a big part in the team’s overall performance week in and week out that they deserved to be recognized in the All-Star event, as well.”
