Harrison Burton learning plenty in challenging rookie Cup season

The first third of Harrison Burton‘s rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series is complete.

His opening 12 races in the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing were not stellar. The 21-year-old son of former driver and current NBC Sports analyst Jeff Burton knows that, even if he is coming off a career-best 14th-place finish Sunday at Darlington Raceway.

“It’s been a rough start to say the least,” Burton said in a Wednesday teleconference. “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.”

The numbers don’t lie. Burton ranks 30th in average running position at 24.647, ahead of only Corey LaJoie and Cody Ware of the 32 drivers who have run all 12 races.

That’s in far contrast from his experience in the Xfinity Series, where he ranked sixth in average running position by the end of 2021 after collecting four wins for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2020.

His mental strength has been challenged, but Burton feels those tests have bettered him as a driver.

“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