A promising start to the Daytona 500 came to a premature end for Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft Quick Lane/DEX Imaging team.
While racing at the head of the pack in the closing laps of the opening stage, Burton lost control after a push from Brad Keselowski, and wound up flipping over before coming to rest on his wheels. The Motorcraft/DEX Mustang was too damaged to continue, but Burton was uninjured.
He was credited with a 39th-place finish.
In his first Daytona 500 week as a Cup Series driver, Burton qualified 10th fastest then finished third in his Duel qualifying race but had damage from a last-lap crash. His Motorcraft/DEX crew made repairs to the No 21 Mustang, and he went out and ran the fastest lap in Saturday’s final practice session.
In the 500, he started eighth, dropped back to the midpack early but after a flawless pit stop at lap 39, he rejoined the race in the top five and maintained his position there until the lap 64 crash. Officially he led two times for a total of three laps.
Burton told reporters afterward that he was fine after the wreck.
“I’ve hit a lot harder before, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s just unfortunate. I hate it for the Wood Brothers group. They brought a really fast Ford Mustang down here and ended up on our lid, so that’s never good.”
He said the push from Keselowski, which was intended to help both drivers, didn’t work out that way.
“The car didn’t take it the right way or got pushed in the wrong spot; I’m not sure,” Burton said. “I was looking out front to see what I had to do next to side draft the next guy that was on me, so just a bummer.”
“I don’t really know what we could have done differently, but we’ll move on and get better from it.”
Burton said being upside down in a race car for the first time wasn’t as bad as it could have been. “Once I got backwards I just blew right over. The cockpit and everything is safe. I didn’t get hit hard at all. Luckily, all good there and we’ll move on.”
He said despite his early exit from the race, he and the Motorcraft/DEX team head to Auto Club Speedway with the confidence that comes from having a fast car in the season opener.
“At the end of the day everyone knew we were here,” he said. “We were leading when we crashed.”
“Our Wood Brothers group brought a fast Ford down here, and we were showing it.”
Burton made no apologies for racing hard as the first stage was coming to a close.
“Stage points really matter, and as a rookie it’s big to get them, so I felt like I wanted to push for those,” he said. “I don’t know what I could have done differently.
“It’s kind of hard to be in the lead and say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be up here.’ You feel like that’s the safest spot.”
Burton said he will study the incident that ended his run and learn from it.
“I feel like the people that always get better are ones that can look at themselves and learn from it, so that’s what I’m going to do, try and get better,” he said.
While the Wood Brothers team was disappointed with their own result, Eddie Wood and the rest of the team were among those celebrating Austin Cindric’s Daytona 500 win.
“We’re really happy for Austin, and for [crew chief] Jeremy Bullins and the entire Team Penske organization,” Wood said. “And what a great 85th birthday present for Roger Penske.
“It’s a great day for all of us in the Ford Racing family.”
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About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity
DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Omnicraft
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change & maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator & electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension & steering, wheel alignment, belts & hoses, lamps & bulbs, wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 187,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit corporate.ford.com.
*See seller for limited-warranty details.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.
