(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
By Adam Carabine
In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022.
28th Place – Harrison Burton – 572 pts
WOOD BROTHERS RACING – FORD
2nd (of 3) in Rookie of the Year standings – Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland were in a tough fight for 2nd in the RotY standings, as Austin Cindric’s Daytona 500 win essentially gave him the title. For the first 17 races, Gilliland was firmly in 2nd place, but a poor performance at Road America by Gilliland turned the tides. Burton never looked back, and stayed ahead of Gilliland for the remainder of the season.
35 Laps Led in 2022 – Starting with 3 laps led at the Daytona 500, Harrison Burton led a smattering of laps in a handful of races throughout the season. All of which added up to 35 laps led. His best stretch of the season was races 18 through 21, where he led 17 laps. He led 1 lap at Road America, then 9 at Atlanta, 3 at New Hampshire, followed by 4 at Pocono.
1,265.76 Less Miles Completed in 2022 than Todd Gilliland – In the previous article about Todd Gilliland, it was pointed out that Gilliland had a knack for keeping his equipment clean, and running near the front at times during the season, but often failed to equate that into good finishes. Harrison Burton had nearly double the DNFs that Gilliland had, but still managed to beat him in points. Neither rookie had a perfect season, but Harrison Burton’s ability to maximize his finishes is promising for his future.
18 Lead Lap Finishes in 2022 – 50% of the points races this season, Harrison Burton finished on the lead lap. That’s not a bad stat for a rookie in the Cup Series. That’s more than now-veteran drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Corey LaJoie, and only one less than Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace. From races 12 to 19, he finished on the lead lap for 8 straight races.
1 Top-5 in 2022, at the Indianapolis Road Course – As pointed out a few days ago, Corey LaJoie earned his first ever career Top-5 this year, in his 5th full-time Cup Series season. It took LaJoie 168 races to get his first Top-5. It was Harrison Burton’s 23rd ever Cup Series race where he finished 3rd, earning his first (and so far, only) Top-5.
While an official announcement has not been made yet, it is thought to be quite unlikely that Harrison Burton doesn’t return to the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing. Wood Brothers has an affiliation with Team Penske, but all three Penske drivers have already signed long-term deals. Look for Burton to return to the 21 in 2023!
Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.!
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