“This could all fall apart tomorrow,” Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner Harrison Burton admitted after his win. Right before starting his engine in Daytona, the No. 21 Ford driver ranked 34th in points, or the lowest on the Cup Series grid. However, the superspeedway lived up to its name of reckless unpredictability. And Burton surged to Victory Lane by just leading one lap in a whirlwind of events, reversing his dying racing career in a matter of seconds.

But does this maiden win really ensure the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver’s place in the future? Given the interminably long streak of drab finishes Harrison Burton has put up, this question is a valid one. And ultimately, even a glittering win at NASCAR’s Superbowl can do little to make his resume an attractive one.

Harrison Burton may be back to square one

Just one top-five and five top-ten finishes—that is what Harrison Burton’s Cup resume has displayed so far, seeing his career plummet into an abyss. The Wood Brothers Racing driver just had an Xfinity history to flaunt and had only scored four Xfinity trophies driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2020. But his luck ran out at Wood Brothers Racing, and after three years he even lost his ride—until he proved all his doubters wrong in Daytona this time.

But does this trophy ensure a Cup Series future for the 23-year-old driver? Harrison Burton might have just slipped a wish post-race: “I wish I had won before I got fired. Maybe I wouldn’t have lost my ride.”

Still, his future hangs in the balance. NASCAR insider Eric Estepp delved into this dilemma and focused on the sunny side first. Estepp said, “Obviously, the Burton family is very well respected and very well connected. Harrison brings some sponsorship from Dex Imaging. I think the odds are good; he will land somewhere even before tonight.” 

Yet the fact remains that the Coke Zero Sugar 400 had some exceptional circumstances. As Estepp mentioned, 30+ cars incurred damage from the drafting troubles at Daytona International Speedway. So despite his Xfinity win history, Harrison Burton may not be further off his drab streak with this win. He said, “Harrison Burton is a solid driver—he proved he can win in Xfinity when he is in good equipment. But I’m not sure he can turn this win into a top opportunity with a top team in any of NASCAR’s top three series…Personally, I don’t think this win is going to make a huge difference.”

Nevertheless, it is a step in the right direction for Harrison Burton. Besides bringing pride to the Wood Brothers Racing fold, he also brought tears of joy to his father.

But the Hall of Famer was overjoyed

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Bright or bleak future, Harrison Burton’s Cup win was a long time coming. That is especially because he hails from a hallowed family among NASCAR’s elite circles. His father, the NASCAR Hall of Famer, Jeff Burton, went a long way to establish that family legacy.

In his 20-year career at the Cup Series, ‘The Mayor‘ swept up 21 race victories in dominant fashion. Jeff’s last victory came at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008, when his son, the Daytona 2024 winner, was 8 years old. Now working as an NBC Sports analyst, Jeff Burton couldn’t hold back and shed tears of joy after his son continued the family tradition of winning Cup trophies.

Jeff Burton emphasized how his son has weathered some tough storms to get to this point. “To see what he’s gone through and how he’s conducted himself in what he’s been through is (what) I’m most proud of because you’ve never heard him once say a bad word about this team, about this group. Never once. Because that’s not who he is. He takes ownership. But he hasn’t quit fighting. And by the way, this team hasn’t quit fighting either. And it would be really easy to lay down and everybody quit on each other. Nobody’s done that. Here we are, and I’m so happy for him. It’s just a huge, huge night.”

Hopefully, brighter prospects are in store for Harrison Burton after his maiden Cup victory. For now, he has to focus on where this newfound glory will propel him for the 2025 season.