Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team didn’t have the race they wanted in Sunday’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
Burton started 32nd and wound up 29th, two laps behind the leaders.
Just after the green flag flew to start the 400-lap run, Burton moved up two places to 30th and ended the first Stage there, while remaining on the lead lap despite having to start near the back and having no caution period until the end of the 80-lap Stage.
He restarted the second Stage from 26th place, but brought out the caution flag at Lap 134 after contact from the No. 43 of Eric Jones.
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team elected to stay on the track during the ensuing caution period and ended the second Stage in 32nd place but in the free pass position, which allowed Burton to rejoin the lead lap.
In the third segment of the race, Burton ran as high as 13th during a cycle of green-flag pit stops and was in 17th place when a yellow flag flew at Lap 304 for a tire and wheel on the track.
The team made a pit stop during that caution period and rejoined the race in 27th place, one lap down. The final pit stop came on Lap 344, but Burton struggled in the closing laps and wound up 29th at the checkered flag.
Burton and the team now head to Talladega Superspeedway for next Sunday’s GEICO 500.
WBR PR
