Story By: JORDAN WOOD / WOOD BROTHERS RACING – MARTINSVILLE, VA – A promising start to Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway ended in disappointment for Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team.
Burton, who started a season-best sixth suffered a transaxle failure on Lap 346 of 500 and was unable to continue. He was scored 36th.
Prior to that time, the No. 21 Mustang Dark Horse showed some good speed. Burton fell in line in seventh place after the drop of the initial green flag. He was in eighth place when the race’s first caution flag flew at Lap 77.
After a pit stop he fell in line in 19th place and ran there until the final laps of the first 130-lap Stage, which ended with Burton in 20th place.
He moved back into the top 20 after a pit stop at the end of the Stage but spun after contact from Carson Hocevar on Lap 158.
After a pit stop during the caution period for his spin, Burton worked his way from 28th place up to 24th. When the caution flag flew at Lap 187, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team elected to stay on the track while others pitted and he moved up to eighth place for the restart.
The disadvantage of older tires was apparent as he dropped to 23rd place by the time Stage Two ended at Lap 260. Back on the track after a pit stop, Burton moved up to 18th place before pulling off the track at Lap 346.
Burton and the No. 21 team now head to Phoenix Raceway for next Sunday’s Cup Series championship-deciding season finale.