CUP: Harrison Burton claims first Cup last-place finish in 71st series start

Burton at Talladega earlier this month. PHOTO: Sean Gardner, Getty Images

by Brock Beard

LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief

Harrison Burton picked up the 1st last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in Sunday’s 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway when his #21 DEX Imaging Ford had overheating issues after 165 of 267 laps.

The finish came in Burton’s 71st series start. In the Cup Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 23rd for the #21, the 118th from overheating issues, and the 737th for Ford. In the NASCAR all-time rankings, it was the 39th for the #21, the 179th from overheating, and the 1,025th for Ford.

Coming into Sunday’s race, Burton had only once finished last in a combined 185 Cup, XFINITY, or Truck Series races – a first-lap crash in the XFINITY race at Dover on October 5, 2019. At the time, Burton was completing his last full-time Truck Series campaign for Kyle Busch Motorsports, and was preparing to go full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the XFINITY Series. 

Had his timing been just a little better, Burton could have won the title that year. His first two career victories came early in the season at Fontana and Homestead, giving him a solid rank in points for the Playoffs. But in the opening round, his 9th-place run at Las Vegas was followed by 23rd at Talladega, then a transmission failure in the cutoff race on the Charlotte “Roval,” knocking him out of title contention with a season-worst 33rd. Just two rounds later, on the outside looking in, Burton rocketed past Noah Gragson on the final lap at Texas to take the win, then won the XFINITY Series’ first race at Martinsville since 2006. 

Though winless in 2021, Burton also made his Cup Series debut at Talladega, where he finished a solid 20th for Gaunt Brothers Racing. And after a career running Toyotas, he then jumped to the most legendary Ford team still in operation – Wood Brothers Racing – just in time for the introduction of NASCAR’s NextGen car. Burton was the first Cup driver to practice official laps at the L.A. Coliseum, then qualified 8th in the Daytona 500, where his race ended with a spectacular series of barrel rolls. After a season-best 3rd at Indianapolis and a 27th-place rank in points, he’s performed about the same in 2023 with a pair of top-ten finishes. His season-best 6th came in “throwback weekend” at Darlington, where he drove a paint scheme resembling his father Jeff’s Exide Batteries Ford from 1999. He entered Sunday’s race a distant 31st in points.

With only the 36 Chartered entries arriving in south Florida, Burton began his weekend 23rd in practice, then qualified 14th in Round 1B, securing him 28th on the starting lineup with a lap of 166.287mph (32.474 seconds).

Securing the 36th and final starting spot was Joey Logano, who in the final minutes of practice broke loose off Turn 2 and slammed head-on into the inside wall. Logano was uninjured, but the team immediately unloaded their unwrapped backup car – the first backup for Penske’s Cup team in 2023. Unable to turn a qualifying lap, Logano would roll off last and incur a redundant tail-end penalty – the only pre-race penalty for the day. “Thanks for the hard work getting this back together - I'm sure it'll be a quick one,” said Logano just before start.

The view from Logano's backup car before the start. SCREENSHOT: NASCAR Drive

When the green flag dropped, Logano was last across the stripe, 3.079 seconds back of the lead. By the end of the lap, Logano was working his way through traffic on the inside lane. Now 36th went to Josh Bilicki, whose #78 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet sat 4.218 back of the lead. Bilicki reported a tight condition as he lost ground to new 35th-place runner Todd Gilliland in the #38 Serial1.com E-Bikes Ford. The gap between Bilicki and Gilliland remained about half a second until Lap 10, when Gilliland dropped J.J. Yeley to 35th in the #15 IFCJ.org Ford. Bilicki caught Yeley in earnest, and on Lap 12 the two were side-by-side, just 0.049 second apart. Yeley held off Bilicki and opened an advantage over the #78. On Lap 13, NASCAR reported John Hunter Nemechek – making a one-off in the #42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet in anticipation of his full-time effort in 2024 – had bounced off the wall in Turn 2. On Lap 16, Bilicki and Yeley were again side-by-side for the 35th spot – now just 0.032 second apart, and this time Bilicki put Yeley to last on Lap 17. Both drivers then set after the now 34th-place Nemechek, who was losing ground after his wall contact. On Lap 28, Bilicki dropped Nemechek to 35th, and despite heavy static on the driver’s end of the radio, Nemechek prepared to make his first pit stop soon after. 

On Lap 31, Ryan Preece took over last place when he pitted his #41 United Rentals Ford along with Kyle Busch in the #8 3CHI Chevrolet. Nemechek’s stop came soon after, where he overshot his stall. Since he was in Stall 2, this forced polesitter Martin Truex, Jr. to pull into his stall at an angle as Nemechek backed-up. Worse, Nemechek incurred a speeding penalty in Section 7. Moments after taking last on Lap 33, the #42 came in for his pass-through and returned to action three laps down, now behind 35th-place Ty Dillon in the #77 Raze Shot Focus Chevrolet.

Nemechek was still running last on Lap 76, when the caution fell for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the #47 Boost by Kroger / Vitamin Water Chevrolet. Stenhouse twice bounced off the Turn 2 wall and spun to the apron, revealing what appeared to be a broken toe link on the right-rear wheel. Stenhouse made it to pit road and returned to the track on Lap 79 in 34th place, two laps down. Stenhouse didn’t beat the pace car off pit road, so NASCAR had him stop on the track, dropping him a fourth lap behind and taking last from Nemechek on Lap 80. Stenhouse incurred a redundant tail-end penalty for pitting when pit road was closed, and scoring reset to show him three laps down for the Lap 86 restart. One lap later, Stenhouse met minimum speed, clearing the “Crash Clock” for his spin.

Stenhouse remained in last on Lap 119, when he reportedly bounced off the wall again in Turn 2. He made a stop by Lap 123, when he returned to the track now five laps down and still holding down last. That position remained unchanged when Stage 1 ended on Lap 165. During those final green-flag laps, Stage 1 winner Kyle Larson was falling off the pace with worn tires. Among the last few cars to slip by him was Harrison Burton, who by then was at least one lap down. Burton continued to lose laps under the ensuing caution, then on Lap 170 went behind the wall. The crew lifted the hood and began to remove components from the top of the engine. One lap later on the 171st circuit, Burton took last from Stenhouse, and Burton climbed from the car on Lap 174. By Lap 180, NASCAR reported Burton the first car out with overheating issues.

Harrison Burton (right) out of his car after he pulled into the garage. SCREENSHOT: NASCAR Drive

Burton entered Sunday’s race with more Bottom Fives (6) and Bottom Tens (14) than any other Cup driver who had not yet finished last in 2023. While not in championship contention, he jumped to 10th in the standings, and moved Ty Gibbs into his former spot.

Finishing 35th was Bilicki, whose #78 spun trying to make a green-flag pit stop and bumped the wall at pit entrance. The incident didn’t draw a caution and Bilicki continued on, running the apron. He then pulled behind the wall on Lap 208, done for the day. Moments later, race leaders Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson also attempted a green-flag stop. But Larson misjudged how slow Blaney approached the entrance, and Larson cut left, slamming the sand barrels with the right-front corner of his #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. Larson’s team attempted repairs, then pulled behind the wall under the ensuing red flag. Completing the Bottom Five were Yeley and Nemechek, who both struck the inside wall down the backstretch after several cars tangled coming off Turn 2.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first last-place finish for the #21 in a Cup Series race since November 8, 2015, when Ryan Blaney’s #21 Snap-on Tools Ford crashed after 26 laps at Texas. The number had never finished last in a Cup race at Homestead.

*Burton is the first Cup driver to finish last with overheating issues since September 27, 2020 with Chad Finchum and his #49 RoofClaim.com / LasVegas.net Toyota after 19 laps at Las Vegas. The only Homestead Cup Series last-place finisher exiting with overheating issues was Michael McDowell on November 22, 2009 after 35 laps in the #36 Wave Energy Drink Toyota.

*Burton is only the fourth first-time Cup Series last-place finisher in 2023, joining Brennan Poole, Carson Hocevar, and Austin Hill.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

36) #21-Harrison Burton / 165 laps / overheating

35) #78-Josh Bilicki / 201 laps / crash

34) #5-Kyle Larson / 214 laps / crash / led 96 laps / won stage 1

33) #15-J.J. Yeley / 218 laps / crash

32) #42-John Hunter Nemechek / 218 laps / crash

2023 LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Joe Gibbs Racing, Live Fast Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Rick Ware Racing, Spire Motorsports (4)

2nd) Legacy Motor Club, Penske Racing (3)

3rd) Stewart-Haas Racing (2)

4th) Front Row Motorsports, Hendrick Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, Trackhouse Racing, Wood Brothers Racing (1)

2023 LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (18)

2nd) Ford (11)

3rd) Toyota (4)

2023 LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP