Wood Brothers Racing announced in early July that it would be replacing Harrison Burton with Josh Berry in the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Burton had joined the team in 2022 with great expectations but had failed to hit the high targets that were set for him since. Although the youngster was disappointed with the decision made, he did not want to go gently into the night.
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He subsequently said through a post on X, “At the end of the day that’s business. That’s how it goes. But this is not an excuse to lay down and die. We’re going to go down swinging.” Not many weeks later, he is now a Cup Series winner at the Daytona International Speedway. He took full advantage of the chaos around him on Saturday and reached the victory lane for the first time.
The result naturally meant a great deal to his team. It found its livery on the lane after seven years and secured its 100th win as an organization. Unfortunately, any thoughts that Jon Wood, the team president, has of reversing his decision will yield no positive results. The papers with Berry are signed and sealed. But as for Burton, this opens up a Pandora’s box.
There has been a lot of talk about where he might end up in 2025. Kaulig Racing and Rick Ware Racing were the two fronts that were predicted as his most probable landing spots before Daytona. Some even questioned the sensibility of his continued presence at the top level. But winning a race sure does wonders and it might in his case as well. Not that he is overly obsessed with finding a seat.
Burton opens up on his mindset for the rest of 2024
Speaking with the press in Daytona, he said, “This is such a privilege to do every weekend. Even if you run in the Truck Series or Xfinity Series or Late Models. It’s such a privilege to get to drive a race car. And I get the privilege to drive the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing and that to me is all you need, right?” He went on to express confidence that he could continue to win races when he was at his best.
Burton did his best when the chips were down. His last lap pass over Kyle Busch will be a move that will be remembered for ages. And a driver who can do such things sure has a place in the top level of the sport. But does it warrant enough for the big sharks to be interested? The answer to that question largely depends on his performance over the remaining 11 races.
