NI Top 25: Jeff Burton hoping new crew chief, changes at RCR can spark turnaround
Jeff Burton will be looking to improve on a disappointing 2011 season that saw the Richard Childress Racing driver finish 20th in the points standings. // LaDon George, NASCAR Illustrated
Editor’s note: SceneDaily is counting down NASCAR Illustrated’s Top 25 drivers for 2012.
NI Ranking: 17th
DOB: June 29, 1967 (44)
Marital status: Married (Kim)
Children: Paige and Harrison
Hometown: South Boston, Va.
Resides: Huntersville, N.C.
Cup starts: 619
Team: No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Crew chief: Drew Blickensderfer
As drivers go, Jeff Burton is as analytical as they come.
Coming off his worst season since 1995, the 44-year-old isn’t howling-at-the-moon crazy. Instead, he’s focused on dragging the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team back into Chase contention.
“In 2011, it was the first time since I’ve been with Childress that we had a situation where we had a team with ‘have’ [Kevin Harvick] and everybody else kind of ‘have-not,’” he said.
“Typically, we have success or failure across the board and we didn’t have that last year. It’s a little difficult to understand what that means, but it shows that we have some changes we have to make.
“I believe all of our teams will be stronger this year, that we’ll be able to bring more competition to the race track. I feel good about what we’re doing, and I think this year will be a turnaround season for the company.”
Burton will put a large portion of his hope for a strong 2012 in the hands of a new crew chief – his third in less than a year.
Drew Blickensderfer will call the shots for Burton this season. The 35-year-old moves to RCR after spending last season with David Ragan at Roush Fenway Racing. Before that, he worked with Matt Kenseth.
“I knew Jeff from Roush Fenway, and I knew him a little bit because our kids raced quarter-midgets together,” Blickensderfer said. “I always admired him as a person and as a race-car driver.”
Blickensderfer’s Cup crew chief career got off to a strong start – he won his first two races atop the box for Kenseth, including a win in the 2009 Daytona 500 – and he’s hoping the move will help the No. 31 team reinvigorate his career.
“Whenever you are introduced to new ideas and new thinking, I think it will help me grow as a manager of people, help me grow technically, help me grow in all aspects of the sport,” he said. “A different environment usually breeds better, stronger people.
“I feel like I will be a stronger crew chief through the change.”
To help the No. 31 team improve, Blickensderfer started by studying what RCR did right in 2011.
“The biggest thing that I need to tackle is figuring out what caused [Kevin Harvick] to run good and the other ones not to run as good,” he said.
`“The most common thing you hear is, ‘Everything is the same.’
“Well, let’s dig a little deeper into that and really figure out – by wading through the muddy waters – what was different about those cars on certain weekends than the others.
“There’s luck involved, but it was more than luck on the No. 31. It was a combination of things. We need to try to fix all of that.”
Pros
After struggling for the bulk of the season, Burton came on strong down the stretch – scoring four of his five top-10s in the final five races. RCR cutting back from four to three Cup teams could help him return to the Chase.
Cons
Burton finished 20th in points last year, his worst since 1995. He hasn’t won in three years. At age 44, it’s going to be harder to recapture the magic that led to 21 career victories.
Fantasy Prediction
Burton benefits from RCR’s restrictor-plate power and can also run well at Martinsville. He’s best at intermediate tracks, however. Charlotte, Kansas and Michigan are weaknesses, as are road courses.
From The Pits
“2011 was a disappointment for Burton, but the good news is there’s nowhere to go but up. Drew Blickensderfer is capable of turning things around, and I expect the improvement to be noticeable right from the start. Burton will end the year eighth.” –Shannon Spake, ESPN/ABC
– For a complete look at NASCAR Illustrated’s Top 25, see the February issue on newsstands now.
