After a disappointing qualifying result on Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team bounced back with a 15th-place finish in Sunday’s South Point 400.
Burton started the 267-lap race from 31st place and made steady progress in the first Stage, ending that 80-lap segment in 26th place.
In the second Stage he had driven up to 22nd place when the caution flag flew on Lap 90 for a multi-car crash. After the restart he moved into the top 20 for the first time in the race and pitted from 14th place at Lap 121 during a round of green-flag pit stops. He had worked his way back to 17th when the second Stage ended at Lap 165.
After a pit stop during the Stage break, he began moving up in the field again and was running in 18th place when he made another stop during a caution period at Lap 194. When racing resumed Burton and the DEX Imaging Mustang Dark Horse had their best run of the race, driving up to eighth place before making their final pit stop, under the green flag, at Lap 228.
Several driver elected to stay on the track and stretch their fuel, so Burton was scored in 19th place when he returned to the track. He moved up four spots over the final laps to score his sixth top-15 finish of the season as fellow Ford campaigners Joey Logano and the No. 22 Team Penske crew stretched their fuel to the finish.
Logano’s race win secured him and his team a spot among the four drivers who will decide the Cup Series championship in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
“We salute Joey and Team Penske for their win at Las Vegas and are proud to know that Ford Motor Company is assured of a chance to race for the championship,” Eddie Wood said.
Burton and the Wood Brothers now turn their attention to next Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
WBR PR
