NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Overview
Event: Lucas Oil 150 (Race 22 of 23), 150 Laps – 45/45/60; 150 Miles
Location: ISM Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. (one-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Nov. 8, 2019 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
The Beat on Burton:
- Harrison Burton and the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass team head to ISM Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. for Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150. Burton had a fast Tundra in last year’s event at the one-mile oval, where he qualified third, won the second stage, led a race-high 45 laps and finished third in his first National Series start at the Arizona track. The talented teenager also has one NASCAR K&N Pro Series West start at ISM Raceway, a sixth-place finish in November of 2015.
- The second-generation driver has posted seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes while recording an average starting position of 7.1 and an average finish of 12.1 across 21 Gander Truck Series starts this season. Burton finished the regular season sixth in the point standings, but did not qualify for the playoffs because four drivers behind him in points collected a victory. The North Carolina native has posted a Gander Trucks career-best third-place finish six times across his 36 career starts, including in last year’s race at ISM Raceway.
- It was announced in mid-October that Burton will be competing fulltime in the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2020. The 19-year-old driver has one top-five and four top-10 finishes in seven NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for JGR in 2019.
- Burton’s crew chief, Mike Hillman Jr., is a two-time champion atop the pit box in the Gander Truck Series. He guided Todd Bodine to Toyota’s first-ever National Series title in 2006 and the duo won the championship again in 2010. Hillman Jr.’s drivers have posted one win, six top-five and eight top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 6.7 across 12 starts at ISM Raceway. He earned his win with Bodine in the 2005 event.
- Voting for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series is underway. To cast your vote for Burton, go to www.nascar.com/ganderoutdoorsmostpopulardriver Follow #VoteHarrisonMPD
- Safelite AutoGlass, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services, will adorn the hood of Burton’s Tundra for 19 of the 23 events on the Gander Trucks schedule in 2019. Burton will have a busy week representing Safelite before he takes to the track Friday. He will attend Safelite’s Best of Belron Southwest Regional competition for technicians on Wednesday, where he will be taking over Safelite’s Instagram account (@safelite) for a behind the scenes look at the event. Thursday, he will be conducting a meet and greet with associates at Safelite’s Call Center in Chandler, Ariz. and then in conjunction with Safelite’s support of the Boys & Girls Club of America, will visit with kids at the Metro Phoenix center located at 4309 E. Belleview St. in Phoenix Thursday from 4 – 5 p.m. MT.
Harrison Burton, Driver Q&A
After a strong run at ISM Raceway last season are you looking forward to going back there?
“Yeah for sure, me and my crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. have definitely been looking at this race all year because we ran so good here last year and had a chance to win. It’s a fun race track for me and it’s one of my favorite race tracks. It’s always crazy with the new dogleg, and where we go through there on the restarts, it should be four-wide, five-wide craziness. I’m excited to go into it because we have less to lose than anyone else – the difference between second and 22nd doesn’t mean much to us. We’re going there for one thing and that’s the trophy.”
Is it important to finish out the last two races of the season strong?
“It means a lot — these guys work so hard and for myself who works so hard as well, to try and be the best that we can be when go to the race track. We haven’t quite performed how I wanted to, and I think how anyone wanted to, but that doesn’t mean that we are not capable of doing it. We have to just go and execute. These last two races are about going and having fun and enjoying them, but going there with getting the Safelite Tundra to victory lane in mind.”
You are doing a few appearances for Safelite this week outside the track. How has it been having Safelite as a partner this season?
“It’s been cool to be a part of Safelite – they always bring the biggest group out and have the loudest group and have the most fun out of any sponsor at the race track. It’s been cool to get that support from them every week and have a little bit of a cheering section every race. It’s been fun to have them onboard and I’ve enjoyed it.”
Harrison Burton Career Highlights:
- Across 36 career Gander Trucks starts has collected one pole, 88 laps led, 11 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.3.
- Has one top-five and four top-10 finishes in seven NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Joe Gibbs Racing this season.
- Has three career ARCA Racing Series victories across 17 starts, including the 2019 season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
- Captured the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title after registering a series-high five wins
- Has numerous Super Late Model victories including the 2018 Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway in Kinston, Ala., and the 2017 ARCA/CRA SpeedFest at Crisp Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga.
- Son of former Monster Energy Cup Series driver and current NBC Sports Analyst Jeff Burton.
Harrison Burton’s No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:
KBM-56: The Safelite AutoGlass team will unload KBM-56 for Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway. Burton has raced this Tundra four times this season, with a best result of third in in its most recent outing in July at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.
KBM Notes of Interest:
- KBM drivers have collected five wins, five poles, 876 laps led, nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.2 across 24 starts at ISM Raceway.
- The organization’s five victories at the Arizona track have come with four different drivers. Kyle Busch won in 2011, Brian Scott in 2012, Erik Jones went back-to-back in 2013-2014 and Daniel Suarez claimed the top spot in 2016.
- KBM holds the NGOTS records for most career wins (75) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record six Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers; Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
- The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 21 career victories.
