Harrison Burton, a second-year driver competing in the NASCAR Cup Series, will get the opportunity to contest a third full-season campaign with Wood Brothers Racing, driving the historic No. 21 Ford Mustang he confirmed to The Athletic Saturday at Talladega.
The 22-year-old driver has spent the last half-decade developing his craft, while climbing through the ranks of the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and NASCAR Xfinity Series before jumping into NASCAR’s premier series in 2022.
Upon reaching the NASCAR Cup Series, things have gotten difficult for Burton, as the Huntersville, North Carolina native has struggled to get his footing with the No. 21 team over the last two years, scoring only one top-five and four top-10s.
Burton, with the confirmation of his return to the single-car operation, will continue working with Jeremy Bullins, who was recently swapped to Wood Brothers Racing from Team Penske to try and guide the young driver to a more competitive effort.
This year, the 2017 ARCA Menards Series East champion has scored a pair of top-10 results at NASCAR’s top level, with a sixth at Darlington, and an eighth-place finish at Pocono Raceway, some weeks ago.
With only six races remaining on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule this season, Burton sits 31st in point standings, with an average finish of 24.5.