Harrison Burton has a point to prove. After three difficult seasons in the Cup Series, the 24-year-old has been demoted to NASCAR’s second tier. Results at Wood Brothers Racing have left much to be desired, which eventually forced the team to replace the No. 21 Ford driver. However, a stint in the Xfinity Series might do wonders for the North Carolina native, who can use this opportunity to rebuild his confidence and rediscover his love for racing once again.

Despite the career setback, it seems like the racer is taking it all in his stride. Burton is optimistic about getting back to the highest level very soon and looks back on his 2024 season positively, despite losing his seat to Josh Berry.

Harrison Burton wants his performances to do the talking

Harrison Burton will use the off-season as an opportunity to self-reflect. The racer will have mixed emotions looking back at his previous campaign after experiencing all the highs and lows that the NASCAR world has to offer. In many ways, it was the driver’s best season at the sport’s highest level, as he finished 16th in the standings, a notable improvement from ending up 31st in 2023. However, just one top-five and two top-ten results didn’t live up to expectations that were weighing on his shoulders, despite a dramatic victory at Daytona International Speedway.

Acknowledging that results improved as the season progressed, Harrison Burton said, “I really think if I ran the way I did in the last half of the season, I keep my job but that’s part of racing.” However, the 24-year-old racer is optimistic about making a comeback at the highest level, as he went on to say, “I’ve got a lot of tread left on the tires. I’m ready to go man. I’m super confident in myself and what I can do. I know that, in the right circumstances, I can be a Cup level driver. I have to go prove it. I have to go earn it.”

It’s not the first time a Cup Series driver has lost his seat, only to make a dramatic resurgence after spending a few years in NASCAR’s second tier. Burton is taking inspiration from other drivers and he went on to say, “You see guys like Cole (Custer) that did it and even Dale Jarrett back in the day. He’s a Cup champion that had to go back to the Xfinity Series. I’ve talked to both of those guys and they both said ‘You are going to be fine’ as long as I go out there and earn it.”

If his performance at the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 is anything to go by, Harrison Burton certainly has the fighting spirit to go wheel-to-wheel against NASCAR’s best. Despite being the lowest-ranked driver before the win at Daytona International Speedway, the North Carolina native fought hard to overtake Kyle Busch in the final lap, securing Wood Brothers Racing’s 100th victory. Having previously raced for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series, Burton will be back in familiar territory during the 2025 season and will look to disprove his critics once and for all.

Burton outlines expectations at AM Racing

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Harrison Burton comes with a wealth of experience despite being just 24 years old. The racing driver is the son of NASCAR great Jeff Burton and has competed for the likes of Kyle Busch Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Wood Brothers Racing in his career so far. His stint at AM Racing is a new chapter in Burton’s life, and with four Xfinity Series wins already to his name, the racer will aim to build on those numbers while rebuilding his confidence after enduring difficult years in the Cup Series.

Revealing the expectations from AM Racing, Burton candidly said, “They look at me as a guy that has experience with all those great teams, who knows how they run things and accomplished to a lot and I’m just trying to bring that to a young team. All of that motivates me a lot because if we can win and run well, right from the jump, that’s going to be a big deal. It’s going to be a bigger deal than when we won at Gibbs because it’s expected there. If we can go there and create a winning culture, that will be really special.”

Speaking on the team environment and expectations going into the season, Burton said, “I’ve seen the shop and I met the people, I feel really good. There’s a lot of positive momentum and optimism. But it’s also the off-season and everyone feels that way, right? The true test will be when we get on the track.” Burton will be working alongside crew chief Danny Efland.

Unlike his previous stint at Joe Gibbs Racing, Harrison Burton has developed into an older, more experienced racecar driver since then. The 24-year-old will be expected to take on a leadership role at AM Racing, one that he’s not going to shy away from. After finishing eighth in his last two Xfinity Series seasons, will Burton improve on those results next year? Time will tell.