Burton looks forward to all-star return

Jeff Burton is one of NASCAR's top drivers, winning 19 Cup races in a 14-year career that has been resurrected the past couple of years with two wins since last September.

But he's never raced in the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge.

OK, that's technically correct. But he has raced in NASCAR's all-star event, just not since the name was changed in 2004. The last time Jeff Burton was in the all-star race, in 2003, it was called The Winston. He was still driving for Jack Roush then, starting 24th and finishing ninth.

When the name was changed to the Nextel All-Star Challenge, Jeff Burton wasn't eligible. He did race in the Nextel Open from 2004-06, with a best finish of seventh last year.

But victories at Dover last September and Texas earlier this year have Jeff Burton back among NASCAR's elite - and back in the all-star race scheduled for Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"It's a huge deal. One of the things that has bothered me the most with not having as much success in the past few years is knowing that you are not in that race," Jeff Burton said. "The all-star race is a big deal because it's where the best of the best compete against each other, and the winner comes out a million dollars richer. When there is an all-star event and you're not in it, it's not a good feeling."

Jeff Burton's best finish in an all-star race was a fourth in 1998. But his best memory comes form 1994, his first all-star event.

"I distinctly remember the first time I competed in it," Jeff Burton said. "I stood on the front straightaway during driver introductions. It was a dark night so you couldn't see the crowd, but you could hear them and feel them.

"I remember thinking, 'This is what excitement is all about and what a prerace event ought to be.' I will never forget that feeling."

He'll get a chance to feel that again this Saturday, at least before the race. As for feeling good after it, Jeff Burton doesn't sound too confident.

"When I ran late models, we used to have 75-lap races, and I did not perform at my best," Jeff Burton said. "I was at my best when we ran 150- or 200-lap races, although my pace at 39 years old is a lot faster than what it was when I was at 29 years old. I can qualify a lot better and take off running faster now. I don't know why that is.

"I would prefer it to be a 50-lap run instead of a 20-lap run [at the end of the race] because that would benefit me. It's an all-star race, it ought to be a shootout, and I have to find a way to make that work."

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