November 22, 2008
Suddenly, Burton looms large in rearview mirror
Lowe's win highlights 3 seasons of steadily regaining relevance
CONCORD, N.C. - Jeff Burton failed to win a championship when he was anointed NASCAR's next big star, the guy everyone thought would challenge for multiple titles.
He couldn't win one years later, when, after years of mediocrity, he got back in the mix.
A win Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway rocketed Burton onto Jimmie Johnson's bumper with five races left to decide the championship, and Burton is convinced he's as capable of winning a title.
"No one's ever proven to me why you can't do at 41 what you could do at 23," Burton said. "We're lucky to be in a sport that you can be successful in your 40s. You can convince yourself you're too old to do it. Trust me, a lot of people will try to convince you you're too old to do it."
Burton's peak started 11 years ago, when he started a string of five consecutive multiple-win seasons. In that period, he notched 17 victories and 102 top-10 finishes while slowly moving up in the standings.
He finished fifth in the standings twice, including his six-win season in 1999. The wins dried up - he didn't reach Victory Lane from 2002 through 2005 - and left longtime car owner Jack Roush for a fresh start with slumping Richard Childress Racing.
"Someone asked me awhile ago about age, why I pick drivers - not in their golden years, but in their good years, as I call 'em," Childress said. "But Dale Earnhardt in 2000, we finished second [in the standings]. I think he was 49. We were going to win the championship the following year.
"So age, like Jeff said, is only in your mind."
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