Wood Brothers Racing is normally seen as the unofficial fourth car of Team Penske. Penske and the Wood Brothers have an alliance within the Ford camp. In the past, Penske has used Wood Brothers Racing to allow Ryan Blaney to develop in the Cup Series without taking a Penske ride. Even when Paul Menard and Matt DiBenedetto were driving the 21, it was still an unofficial fourth Penske car. However, this year felt very different.
It was a surprise when Wood Brothers announced that Harrison Burton would be driving for the historic team in 2022. Burton, who was a TRD driver with Joe Gibbs Racing, being tabbed to drive the 21 seemed to come out of left field. For Ford, it was a needed addition of youth to their current lineup. However, Burton making his rookie campaign felt premature. In the Xfinity Series in 2020, Harrison Burton put up solid numbers. He won four races, had an average finish of 10.0, and only had three DNFs. On the flip side, he failed to make the Championship Four in a JGR car. Solid season with a mediocre result. Fast forward to 2021, the results were worse: no wins, less Top-5s and laps led, and more DNFs. But apparently that was good enough for a call up to the Cup Series.
Harrison Burton – #21
2022 Stat Line:Â 36 Starts – 1 Top-5, 2 Top-10s, Avg Fin: 22.8, Lead Lap Finishes (LLF): 18
Crew Chief:Â Brian Wilson
Driver’s Points Ranking:Â 27;Â Owner’s Points Ranking:Â 29
Notable Results:Â Third at Indy Road Course, Flipped during Daytona 500
Expectations were low for Harrison Burton coming into the 2022 season. Coming off a dip in performance in 2021, Burton’s call up spelled a long term project for Ford and Wood Brothers Racing. Stealing Burton from TRD was simply down to lack of available rides for Burton with Toyota. Ty Gibbs would have preference over Burton for the next Cup ride at JGR. John Hunter Nemechek also seemed like a hotter commodity for Toyota over Burton. While Burton could have used another year in Xfinity, Ford and/or Wood Brothers made the call to bring him in.
The results were as expected for a rookie rawer than a beef wellington on the first episode of Hell’s Kitchen. Burton was a complete non-factor in terms of competitiveness in the 21. As mentioned earlier, the Wood Brothers ride seemed far off from a fourth Penske ride. Burton’s average finish of 22.8 is the lowest average finish for the 21 since 2015. It is a drastic dip in performance for the team. Matt DiBenedetto and Paul Menard were a fringe playoff driver for the Wood Brothers while he was behind the wheel. Ryan Blaney made it to the Round of Eight in the same ride. Meanwhile in 2022, Harrison Burton was a fringe Top-20 driver.
Change of Plans Equal Change of Support?
Before the 2021 season, Penske and Woods Brothers announced that Austin Cindric was slated to drive for the Wood Brothers in 2022. With the departure of Brad Keselowski, Cindric slid into a Penske ride proper instead. Did that move alter the relationship between Penske and Woods Brothers? Perhaps. It is difficult to tell since Burton was expected to struggle in his rookie season. Was the equipment lacking or was it the driver?
An argument can be made for both. Penske would be more invested in their own developmental driver compared to a newly acquired driver. Despite an alliance, Team Penske and Wood Brothers are different teams. Surely Penske would like to see Wood Brothers succeed. However, it is different with a newly acquired Toyota driver compared to a Ford development driver with tenure, especially with Penske’s own developmental driver.
At the same time, Harrison Burton is a long-term investment for the Wood Brothers. That would imply experiencing growing pains early on. Burton could have great equipment under the hood, but his inexperience could hinder that performance. Harrison Burton has shown flashes of talent in the Xfinity Series. However, everyone could agree he was not Cup Series ready. Two years in the Xfinity Series is not enough. Especially when considering Burton’s Truck Series career was less than stellar in KBM equipment. It could be that Burton’s struggles were down to him rather than the equipment.
2022 Grade: C-
All grading comes on a curve. Harrison Burton had zero expectations coming into 2022. Though Wood Brothers Racing had been a playoff car in years prior, Burton was not expected to make it there. In a rookie class of three, the expectation was to be the second best. By points standings, he did accomplish that. Burton managed to finish ahead of Todd Gilliland in the points standings by 42 points.
With that said, finishing 27th in points in a Wood Brothers car is bad. This is not the Wood Brothers of the late 2000s/early 2010s. This ride is supposed to be a Top-20 car. Outside of a handful of races, Burton struggled to keep pace with the Top-20. There should be more separation from Burton in the 21 compared to Todd Gilliland in the 38.
On a positive note, Burton finished the year out solidly. Burton looked to have promising pace at Martinsville and Phoenix. While it was not contending pace, it was better than what Burton was offering earlier in the year. Burton passes his rookie season, but barely.
2023 Driver Outlook
According to Jayski, Harrison Burton is believed to be on a year-to-year deal with Wood Brothers. There is no reason to believe that Burton will not return to the team in 2023. He is a Ford Performance driver now. Unlike Front Row, it is doubtful that Wood Brothers will have a revolving door of drivers in their ride.
For Harrison Burton, the expectation is that he takes a positive step in 2023. No matter the level of investment from Team Penske, the Wood Brothers 21 car is solid equipment.. Burton should be able to improve his performance to a Top-20 driver. If not, Ford might have to reconsider their investment. Burton is young (he will only be 22 in 2023) and needs time to develop. However, he needs to show signs of progress in 2023. Look for Burton to score a handful of Top-10s and compete for Top-20 points ranking.
Wood Brothers Racing: D
This grade is representative of the massive dip in performance compared to the previous years. Rookie driver or not, the team’s performance was awful in 2022. Their lack of speed and competitiveness made them an after-thought. Outside of a surprise Top-5 at the chaos at the Indy Road Course, the 21 car was only featured on TV during wrecks or while being lapped. Seven DNFs and eighteen LLFs is not what this team should be producing. For this year, chalk it up to a premature call up.
Though this year’s grade is low, it means little in the long run. If Harrison Burton turns into a playoff driver in 2-3 years, then one painful year is worth it. With their alliance with Team Penske, a successful Burton could remain in the 21 for years to come. Team Penske is already set with their lineup for the foreseeable future. Stewart-Haas Racing is the only threat to steal Burton away (in the Ford camp). However, they have some plans in place for their future. Wood Brothers Racing is banking on the long term development of Harrison Burton. One poor year is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
2022 Season in Review Previous articles:
Team Penske – Griffin Fuller
JTG-Daugherty – Robert Cwick
Part One of Statistical Breakdown – Daniel Smith
