Jeff Burton
Jeffery Brian Burton, better known as Jeff Burton ( born June 29, 1967 in South Boston, Virginia) is an American NASCAR driver in the Sprint Cup. He drives sponsored by Caterpillar Chevrolet with start number 31 for Richard Childress Racing. He also runs a time in the Nationwide Series sponsored by Holiday Inn Chevrolet with start number 29 Jeff Burton is the younger brother of Ward Burton, who is also NASCAR drivers.
NASCAR Career
Nationwide Series
Burton drove a handful of races in the Nationwide Series in the 1988 season in the car of his father John Burton with the start number 69 The following year, he joined the full season in the Burton Autospors Pontiac with the # 12 and was contender for the title of Rookie of the Year. 1990 Burton drove sponsored by Armour Meats Buick with the # 12 for Sam Ard. For the 1991 season he moved to the Armour / Food Lion Chevrolet with start number 99 for J & J Racing before 1992 he moved to Filmar Racing. This season, his race car was an Oldsmobile, which was sponsored by TIC Financial System. 1993 Burton sat in a Ford sponsored by Baby Ruth
Sprint Cup
1993-1995
Burton ran his first race in Winston Cup in the 1993 season in a sponsored TIC Financial Ford the # 0 for Fil Martocci. In 1994, the first full season in Winston Cup Raybestos Ford with the number 8 for the Stavola Brothers. After five races, he was ranked 14th in the championship, which should remain the best finish of the season. At the end of the season Burton was in 24th place after he was disqualified at the Miller Genuine Draft 400 because he had illegally drilled holes in the roll cage, which was a disregard for safety. The best place in one race was a fourth place. This season performance Burton won the title as a rookie of the year. In the season Burton scored just one top-5 result and a ninth place. In addition, with three boisterous race, he fell in the standings at No. 32 in the championship back.
1996-2001
In 1996, Burton left the Stavola Brothers and moved to Roush Racing. There he drove the Ford with the number 99 and finished the season in 13th place in the championship, although he could not qualify for the Purolator 500 in March. Over the next four years between 1997 and 2000 Burton finished no worse than fifth season in the Championship.
At Interstate Batteries 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997, Burton secured his first victory in the Winston Cup. Until the 2000 season was followed by 14 more. In 1999, Burton won six races, which is a record in his career. Among these six wins and the Jiffy Lube 300, which he won for the third time in a row, as well as with the Coca -Cola 600 and the Southern 500, two of the four most important races in the Winston Cup. The best season delivered from Burton in 2000, when he was third in the championship with 294 points behind champion Bobby Labonte. In addition, he concluded on 17 September at the Dura Lube 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway was the first driver after Cale Yarborough at Nashville 420 in Nashville in June 1978, a race from start to destination. In the 2001 season, Burton won two races and finished the season in tenth place in the championship.
2002-2004
Both the 2002 and 2003 season ended Burton each twelfth in the championship, scoring a total of eight top - five and 25 top-10 results, but a single victory. After the sponsor Citgo announced to leave Roush Racing at the end of the 2003 season, Burton drove the 2004 season without main sponsor, with individual races were supported by his own sponsor SKF. At the same time there were rumors that he would be leaving Roush Racing. After the rumors were initially denied, Burton signed before Sirius at The Glen a three -year contract with Richard Childress Racing. By the end of the season he drove then to America Online Chevrolet sponsored the # 30 Prior to the change, he was ranked number 23 in the championship and after the change he improved his position at the end of the season in 18th place after the end of season joined Burton in the Cingular Wireless Chevrolet with start number 31 Richard Childress Racing within, replacing Robby Gordon.
2005
In 2005, Burton was able to achieve a victory. At the end, there were six top-10 and three top - five results to his credit, including a third place at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. The best chance to win was for Burton at the Sharpie 500 in August at the Bristol Motor Speedway, when he got stuck in a Green- White- Checkered finish behind a competitor and so behind winner Matt Kenseth crossed the finish line in second place.
2006
In the 2006 season, Burton scored a total of four pole positions at the Daytona 500, the USG Sheetrock 400, the Allstate 400 and the GFS Marketplace 400 The pole position was in Daytona, the first since September 2000 in Richmond. The best result was a second place in the race at Chicagoland Speedway for Burton. When Allstate 400 and Sharpie 500, he led each more than half of the race. After the race at the Richmond International Raceway Burton qualified for the Chase for the Nextel Cup, in which he could retract on October 28, 2006 at the Dover 400 at Dover International Speedway after 175 races the 18th victory of his career and in the guide took over in the championship. Due to relatively poor results in the following race playful Burton his chances for the championship.
2007
In the 2007 season, Burton won the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 15, the 19th race of his career. Together with seven top - five and twelve top 10 results, Burton also qualified in the 2007 season for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Controversy surrounding AT & T as the main sponsor
Cingular Wireless began with the sponsorship of the Chevrolet with the start number 31 before the 2004 season, as Nextel naming rights secured to NASCAR's top division. Both Cingular and Alltel, sponsor of Ryan Newman Dodge with the start number 12, it was allowed to continue to sponsor, as they previously were already sponsors in the cup. At the beginning of 2007, Cingular began realigning its brand after it was acquired by AT & T. Shortly thereafter, NASCAR referred to a special clause in the contract with Sprint Nextel that Cingular could neither change the name or the advertised brand on the race car.
After AT & T tried in vain to convince NASCAR to be able to place their logo on the back of the car, AT & T filed on 16 March 2007 a lawsuit against NASCAR. On May 18, it was AT & T allowed in an injunction, on May 19 remodel the car for the Nextel All-Star Challenge accordingly after NASCAR had failed with an urgent appeal on the same day. In retrospect, NASCAR has been granted an appeal for the 2nd August 2007.
On June 17, 2007 NASCAR announced that she had filed a complaint about 100 million U.S. dollars against AT & T and from 2008 all the other companies in the telecommunications industry would have except Sprint Nextel from the sport.
On 13 August 2007 the way for NASCAR was leveled in an appeal hearing to prohibit AT & T attaching its logo on Jeff Burton's race car. The court then remanded the case to the District Court in Atlanta.
At the first practice session for the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 24, 2007, the car had with the start number 31 not trademarks of AT & T and only came in the famous orange and black to the track. Also the team and Burton wore no trademark on their clothes. Even the transport trucks had no sponsors painting. According to NASCAR officials would have the car failed with the logos of AT & T by the inspection for the race.
On 7 September 2007 NASCAR announced that an agreement between Sprint Nextel and Richard Childress Racing was achieved, after which AT & T may sponsor Burton's 2008 car until the end of the season. In turn, this also meant that Burton had to strive for the 2009 season with a new sponsor.
Truck Series
Burton completed a total of four races in the Craftsman Truck Series, all in the 1996 season for Roush Racing. In Ford the # 99 he scored a top 5 and three top-10 results, the best result was a fourth place at the Nazareth Speedway.