Story By: JORDAN WOOD / WOOD BROTHERS RACING – HAMPTON, GA – A spin early in Sunday night’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway ended a promising start for Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team.
Burton started the race from a Cup-career-best fifth place and was racing in the top five on Lap 18 when he spun off Turn Two.
As Burton slid across the track, all four tires on DEX Imaging Mustang were flattened, necessitating a tow to pit road.
Between the time lost getting back to pit road and the subsequent repairs to the underside of his car, Burton rejoined the race five laps behind the leaders and in 37th place.
The DEX Imaging team continued to work to improve their position. At the end of the first 60-lap Stage, Burton received the free pass that goes to the first driver a lap or more behind.
Then a spin by eventual winner William Byron on Lap 81 allowed Burton to move to three laps down. Another caution at Lap 124 saw him get another free pass, bringing him to two laps behind the leaders.
Another caution flag at Lap 156 brought another free pass, and Burton was then just one lap off the pace.
When rain sent the field to pit road at Lap 185, Burton was in position to rejoin the lead lap, but before the race could be restarted the rains picked up and the race was called at that point, leaving him with a 28th-place finish.
Next up for Burton and the Wood Brothers team is the Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16.