2024 was a do or die season for Harrison Burton. Since being called up to the Cup Series, Burton had done little to ease the unconvinced about the decision to put him in the 21. While Wood Brothers Racing is not top tier, previous drivers for the team managed to be playoff competitive. Through 2 seasons, Burton simply was not cutting it. However, 2024 would be another opportunity for the young driver to improve, make some noise, and prove he belongs in the Cup Series. In this 2024 Season in Review article, Wood Brothers Racing and Harrison Burton will be under the microscope.
#21 – Harrison Burton
2024 Stat Line:Â 36 Starts – 1 Win, 1 Top-5, 2 Top-10s, 9 Top-20s, Avg Fin: 25.72
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Driver Points Ranking: 16;Â Owner Points Ranking: 16
Notable Results: Won first career and Wood Brothers’ 100th Cup win at Daytona; Made the playoffs for the first time
When Harrison Burton needed to up his performance, he rolled out his worst statistically season yet. In his third fulltime Cup season, Burton set career worsts in average finish, laps led, and Top-20s. Had it not been for his Daytona win, this year would have seen Burton (and the 21 team) finish outside the Top-30 in points again. On a weekly basis, Burton would be outrun by Rick Ware Racing equipment. While it may be unfair to compare NextGen to previous generation of cars, but it has been a long time since the 21 has looked that uncompetitive.
Surely, Wood Brothers Racing understood that Harrison Burton would be a project when they picked him to drive. Yes, Burton brings in sponsorship money but the hope had to be that Burton would blossom through these first 3 seasons. Instead, Burton seemingly has regressed through these years. The switch of Jeremy Bullins as crew chief ended 2023 with some positive results, so there was hope that the momentum would continue into 2024. Unfortunately, that minor success failed to translate. Burton did not pick up his first non-superspeedway Top-20 until Iowa in June.
Historic Win
By the time the Cup Series returned to Daytona for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, Harrison Burton was already out of the 21 for 2025. Josh Berry had been announced for the team already, making Burton a lame duck driver. Sitting outside the Top-30 in points, the season had gone as poorly as it could go. With the team sitting on 99 wins, it seemed certain that Burton would not be the driver to pick up win 100. Then history happened at Daytona.
Surviving through the Coke Zero Sugar 400, Harrison Burton lined up on the front row for the final restart. Receiving a push from Parker Retzlaff, Burton managed to pull ahead of Kyle Busch on the last lap. Despite Busch’s best efforts, he was unable to get around Burton. With his dad in the broadcast booth, Burton picked up an emotional win. For Burton, it was his first career Cup win. Moreso though, it was a redemptive win after 3 seasons of struggle. Meanwhile, Wood Brothers finally picked up their 100th win as an organization. Yes, Burton also made the playoffs with that win. But that was inconsequential at the time. Arguably, the best “feel good” win of the season occurred from the unlikeliest driver.
2024 Grade: D+
Based on how NASCAR approaches the sport nowadays, Harrison Burton’s season was a tremendous success. He won a race and locked himself into the playoffs. At season’s end, Burton’s points rank was 16th for both driver and owner standings. How could 2024 not be considered a huge win for Burton? For those who watched all 36 races, then you know how.
Outside of Daytona, 2024 was another abysmal season for Harrison Burton. Simply put, he looked outclassed in every way. Burton lost his job before the summer months kicked off. For next year, he is going to AM Racing in the Xfinity Series to attempt to salvage his career. For whatever reason, Burton did not click with Wood Brothers. While the results were poor, they likely do not demonstrate fully the talent Burton has and the capabilities of Wood Brothers. Perhaps, this union was doomed from the start.
2025 Outlook
As mentioned above, Harrison Burton will be Xfinity Series racing next year for AM Racing. Meanwhile, Josh Berry will be the man to pilot the 21 car in 2025. On paper, this seems to be a noticeable improvement for the Wood Brothers. Although Berry’s rookie season disappointed a bit, he still ran competitively at certain tracks and qualified well.
The big question for this team next season is how much are they to blame for the past 3 years. Many would like to assume Harrison Burton simply dragged the team down. However, Wood Brothers Racing has been a far cry from their highlights during the Ryan Blaney/Paul Menard days. Is Team Penske still aiding them as much as previous seasons? Should fans question whether the Wood Brothers are still a quasi-fourth Penske team? Berry’s tenure in the 21 should help shed some light on those answers.
Wood Brothers Racing 2024 Grade: C-
Wood Brothers Racing finally decided to end the Harrison Burton project. After two and half seasons, the writing was on the wall and the team had to move on. Once Chase Briscoe signed with Joe Gibbs Racing, Josh Berry was the best choice to pilot the 21 car. Berry has demonstrated the ability to wheel the NextGen car at specific tracks. As evidenced by this season, Wood Brothers Racing only need one race to make their season successful.
Although this article has been harsh on the young driver, Harrison Burton does seem to have talent. While superspeedway racing is not given enough credit, Burton flashed some of that skill holding off Kyle Busch. AM Racing is certainly not an ideal landing spot for a career reset. But if Burton can outperform that equipment, then he could be setting himself up for a return to the Cup Series down the line.
For other 2024 Season in Review articles, click the link(s) below:
Robert Cwick: Team Penske, JTG-Daugherty
Griffin Fuller: 23XI Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, RFK Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing
Daniel Smith (statistical reviews): Team Penske/Wood Brothers, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Trackhouse Racing/Richard Childress Racing
