Jeb Burton moves up to Sprint Cup Series with BK Racing
CHARLOTTE -- Jeb Burton is going Sprint Cup Series racing.
Just 11 days ago, Burton was seemingly out of a ride after sponsorship for his Camping World Truck Series entry fell through. But BK Racing, looking to sign a talented young driver to grow with its team, called Burton and said it wanted him to drive the team's No. 26 Sprint Cup car for the next few years.
Burton, 22, is the son of former driver Ward Burton and the nephew of Jeff Burton.
"It was very stressful for my family and I not knowing if I was going to be able to race this year," Jeb Burton told Paste BN Sports on Sunday. "BK Racing gave me a call and gave me a great opportunity to where I want to be in the Cup Series. It's going to be a building process for sure – starting now."
Though he is considered one of the top prospects in NASCAR, Burton doesn't have much experience above the Truck Series, where he ran two full seasons and finished fifth and eighth in the standings.
Beyond that, he's made just two Xfinity Series starts and has never been in a Cup race.
But BK Racing felt burned when its two rookie drivers from last year, Alex Bowman and Cole Whitt, bolted for other teams after the season. Co-owner Anthony Marlowe told Paste BN Sports it was important to find a replacement driver who "has more raw talent than Cole Whitt."
So in exchange for Burton's loyalty with a multi-year deal, BK was willing to give him a chance to grow.
"For sure he doesn't have a lot of experience in Xfinity or Cup, but he's proven he can drive," Marlowe said. "Even if he bends a little sheet metal this year, we plan on having him around for the foreseeable future. We look forward to growing together, both on the team development/business side and the competition side."
Burton had one win, seven poles and 19 top-10 finishes in 49 career Truck starts, and the team is high on his potential.
"We think Jeb is unbelievably talented," Marlowe said. "Obviously, racing is in the Burton genes."
Burton said his goals were to win Rookie of the Year – although he might end up being the only rookie -- and run as many laps as possible while finishing in the top 25 in points. Marlowe said just finishing in the top 30 would be a major accomplishment for the team (its cars were 31st and 36th last season in owner points).
Ward Burton, who won the Daytona 500 in 2002, will also serve as an ambassador for the team. Jeb was 9 years old when his father won Daytona and said he can remember standing in victory lane.
"It was a really special day and I was just old enough to take it all in," Jeb said. "It would be really cool for me just to be in the race."
J.J. Yeley will be in the team's No. 23 car, which was driven by Bowman last year. Johnny Sauter will drive a No. 83 car for the team in the Daytona 500.
The formal announcement of Burton joining the team will take place Monday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Sponsors include Dr. Pepper and Maxim magazine's fantasy sports app.
"We plan to move the needle on a number of fronts," Marlowe said. "We're looking to make moves to get better on the competitive side of racing and on the business side of racing, and all of that centers around having long-term driver agreements."