Wood Brothers Racing’s Harrison Burton is slowly finding his feet in the Cup Series as a rookie driver.
It is not always easy for a rookie to get good results in the Cup Series racing against veteran drivers. For many, this is the learning period of their career to build upon for the future.
The first 12 races of the season have not been very easy for the young Wood Brothers Racing driver as his best-placed finish in the NASCAR top tier is only 14th.
“It’s been a rough start to say the least,” Burton said. “Fourteenth place is our best finish, so that’s not good. There’s no hiding it. I think there’s been some growing pains there, and I feel like now we’re getting rolling in the right direction.”
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This best finish came in the last race at Darlington Raceway. While the numbers are not pretty good, this period will help him prepare mentally for years to come regarding the challenge in the Cup Series. Reflecting on this, Burton said about the developing work ethic and determination.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I won’t quit. I will never quit,” Burton said. “I think some of the good things about this start is you build confidence in your work ethic. You build confidence in your desire. When things are bad, that’s when you find out who you are, right? You go through adversity in life, and everyone has it, and I feel like it makes you better.
“It’s just something that, for me, is exciting that I’ve gone through this rough spot, been in some really hard moments, been in things that were really disappointing. Leave the racetrack with your head hanging low. And then Monday morning rolls around, and I’m as excited and motivated as ever to go to work and work harder than I ever have.
“The schedule is as hard as it’s ever been for me personally. The Cup schedule is pretty grueling. So I’m learning a lot about myself in a work ethic capacity. My love for the sport is higher than I think it’s ever been because I appreciate what Cup is all about and I’m getting ready to try and hopefully start succeeding in that. And that’s exciting.”
There is still a big chunk of racing left to do this season. While his best might be just a 14th-place finish, Burton is slowly developing in confidence this season.