Burton Steals Bristol Win

AP
Published: March 16, 2008

Jeff Burton raced past Denny Hamlin on a
two-lap sprint to the finish Sunday to give Richard Childress
Racing a 1-2-3 sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway, and deny Joe Gibbs
Racing a victory after its three drivers dominated the race.
Burton scored his first win at Bristol, the first win of the
season for Chevrolet and led teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint
Bowyer across the finish line in the first podium sweep in RCR
history.
“We did the little things right,” Burton said. “That’s the
sign that this team’s matured. That’s the sign of a team that’s
ready to take advantage of situations. I won’t lose sleep tonight
because somebody says, `We had a faster car.’
“All I know is we’ve got the trophy.”
In sweeping the podium, RCR stole a race that was dominated by
JGR drivers Tony Stewart, Hamlin and Kyle Busch. The trio combined
to lead 372 of the 506 laps, but Hamlin’s sixth-place finish was
the best of the group.
“It’s just a shame. We had another win taken away,” said
Hamlin, who blamed a fuel pickup problem on the final restart as
the reason the RCR cars passed him.
“Our cars just won’t pick up fuel. Everyone else’s does. It
cost us the race. I could have held those guys off, as fast as the
car went after it picked back up. This is so frustrating to have
days like this.”
Stewart led a race-high 267 laps - 10 more than he did in this
event last year - but again fell short of the win. Mechanical
problems ruined it for him last season, but it was questionable
strategy and contact with Harvick that wrecked his chances this
time around.
Stewart was chugging along toward the victory, trying to hold
off the hard-charging Harvick and Hamlin, when Brian Vickers
crashed to bring out a caution with 11 laps to go. Stewart thought
he should pit for tires, but was overruled by crew chief Greg
Zipadelli, who wasn’t sure there were enough laps left to warrant
changing the tires.
So Stewart stayed out - along with Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- while everyone else on the lead lap headed to the pits. Zipadelli
instantly questioned the call.
“I don’t know if that was right or wrong,” he radioed Stewart,
“but it’s in your hands now.”
Stewart jumped out to a huge lead on the restart with five laps
to go, but Hamlin quickly chased him down and moved into first.
Harvick, who restarted in fourth with fresh tires, also closed
quickly on Stewart’s bumper. But as he moved in for the pass, the
cars made contact and Stewart went spinning into the wall.
“I just lost it there underneath of Tony. Just made a
mistake,” he said. “They can take it for what it’s worth, and
move on.”
Stewart, who finished 14th, was livid on his radio after the
accident but had calmed by the time he climbed from his car and was
taking partial responsibility for the contact.
“I thought I left him enough room,” Stewart said. “I’m sure
somehow it was my fault. I’m sorry I got in his way.”
Stewart’s accident set up a two-lap overtime sprint to the
finish, with Hamlin now out front and Burton in second. Burton
raced past him on the high side of the bullring, and his teammates
followed.
Busch, the series points leader and defending race winner, had a
strong car most of the day but lost his power steering shortly
after moving into the lead. Unable to steer the car as it seemed
headed straight for the wall, he instead navigated it into a spin
that allowed him to finish the race.
He wound up 17th, but retained his hold atop the standings. He
now leads Greg Biffle by 30 points.
Dale Jarrett finished 37th in the final start in a points race
of his 24 year career. The former series champion is retiring this
season, and will race one last time in the All-Star race in May.