Jeff Burton Pre-Race Notes: O’Reilly 300

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Festivities begin early (Wednesday evening) in Texas when Monte Carlo SS driver Jeff Burton, winner of two Kyle Busch races already this season, will receive the Texas Motorsports Sportsmanship Award at the annual Texas Motor Speedway Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Jeff Burton was voted in by a select panel of motorsports journalists throughout the state. Fellow inductees that night include Roger Penske, Tony Stewart and Eddie Hill.

When asked about setting up his Holiday Inn Chevrolet differently than a Cup car, Jeff Burton said the Kyle Busch car drives much looser than his Cup version: “There are a lot of different theories as to why but you can drive your Kyle Busch Series car much looser than your Cup car. If you don’t drive it loose then you won’t go fast but you don’t really want to be loose at Texas and that presents the challenge. It’s a real balance between being loose enough and being tight enough in the Kyle Busch car and there is a huge speed difference between the two. To me the Kyle Busch car is a riot at Texas because it is so fast. It is crazy fast at Texas.

“Texas is a very demanding race track. It is a track that requires a great deal of aggressiveness and patience all at the same time. It is the kind of track that we should compete well on.”

After starting every NASCAR Kyle Busch Series race in the Rockwell Automation Chevrolet the past two years, Denny Hamlin has mixed feelings about sharing the ride this season. But they are mostly all good feelings.

“I am really looking forward to climbing back into my Rockwell Automation Chevrolet this weekend,” Denny Hamlin said. “After making every start in that car the last two years, it was awkward going to the motor home after final Cup practice in Atlanta and watching Kyle Busch race live on television. But after this past off weekend, I know that I made the right decision and this will help keep me fresh for all the races I am entered in this season.

“Texas is a great track and I have had a good amount of success there in the past. It was a fast track and you really depend on the aerodynamics of your car and the horsepower from the engine. Cars have a tendency to get aero-tight here, so we will spend a lot of time trying to get it to turn off the corner.”

Denny Hamlin claimed his first Kyle Busch Pole award of his career with a lap of 187.91 mph last year at Texas. Denny Hamlin also earned top-10 finishes in both Kyle Busch races and both Cup races. Both his average start and average finish for 2006 at Texas Motor Speedway was 8.0.

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