Harrison Burton Joins Dad as winner at South Boston Speedway
- 15 May 2017
Jeff Burton, who raced in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, won a NASCAR Busch Series race at South Boston in 1991. Harrison Burton’s uncle Ward Burton also raced in the NASCAR Cup Series and started with Jeff Burton in late models at South Boston. Harrison Burton was definitely the hometrack favorite at South Boston. Friends and family were in the stands along the backstretch to watch him win the race. “I’m struggling to put it into words,” Harrison Burton said. “I’ve never had a place where I’ve been the favorite in the race track by the fans. Tonight was that night. I had a whole backstretch of family and friends. I got to stop and celebrate with them.That’s something I will remember for the rest of my life, to celebrate these great nights with the people I love. In a place like South Boston, it’s so cool I can’t get over it.” Harrison Burton led only three laps, the final three laps, of the race. He took the lead from Todd Gilliland on the final restart on lap 98. Harrison Burton fended off Gilliland and a surging Vinnie Miller to win his second K&N Pro Series East race of the season. “That’s how these races will go sometimes,” Harrison Burton said. “You’ll see guys that play their cards right. They end up getting after it and coming home with the checkered flag. Luckily for us that was us tonight.” Jeff Burton said he was surprised how the race ended and wasn’t quite sure of Gilliland’s strategy on the last restart.
Gilliland took the lead in the race from Chase Purdy on lap 82 and held it for 16 laps. Gilliland posted podium finishes in both K&N Pro Series East races at South Boston, but did not win either. “I thought we had that one won,” Gilliland said. “It really stings. We had a really fast race car tonight, and we’re going to move forward and go win the rest of them.” Chase Cabre won the pole and led the first four laps of the race. Purdy passed Cabre for the lead on lap 5 and was out front for 77 laps, the most of any driver in the race. Miller ended up in third place moving into position on the final restart. Cabre was fourth, followed by Ruben Garcia Jr. Purdy dropped all the way to 11th place at the end of the race. Burton extended his lead in the K&N Pro Series East standings to 18 points over Gilliland. “It was so cool to end up in victory lane in my hometown,” Harrison Burton said after the race. “I can’t really describe it.”
“Hands down we had the fastest car tonight,” Gilliland said. “I know we got third and second. Everyone at Bill McAnally Racing work super hard and all their hard work showed tonight. It didn’t quite pay off.” The next K&N Pro Series East race is at Memphis International Raceway in Tennessee. | |||
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