NASCAR truly is a sport with infinite possibilities. One day you’re the season’s worst-performing driver and suddenly everything changes. This is the story of how Harrison Burton‘s campaign has been so far. The Wood Brothers’ driver entered the Daytona race in the 20th position, with little hope of a good finish. However, by the end, he proved everyone wrong by defending an iconic win win against two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

The 23-year-old bagged his first Cup career win, his first season win, his first crown jewel, and his debut playoff berth, all at the same time! What’s more: He led just one lap throughout the race. But the win was bittersweet as he was poised to be without a team in 2025. But seems like his fortunes might be changing for the better!

The crown jewel victory has put him on other team’s radars, which the young driver also confirmed in a recent interview. “I think there’s definitely been some interest because of that. I think it’s important to win a cup race ride and show that you can. I think what we do with this opportunity, that we’re in the playoffs will need more. So try and put our best forward. And I do feel really good about kind of where I’m at,” he revealed.

Notably, Harrison Burton came on board with Wood Brothers Racing in 2022 when the NexGen car was first rolled out, but things haven’t gone well since then. He’s been slipping each season. In 2022, he managed only one top-5 finish staying out of the payoffs, Followed by an even more disappointing 2023, with no top-5 finishes, and now in the current season, with one top-5 he sits in the playoffs. Can you believe it is Burton’s worst season with Wood Brothers, with an average finish of 25.69?

As for his seemingly promising future, although Burton did not give out any specifics, his happiness and smile gave away his future plans. “I’ll be a race car driver next year. That’s always good. So excited to stay where we are as far as these next 10 races and trying to make the most of this opportunity and come out of here with a good finish at Atlanta,” he added.

His longtime sponsor, Dex Imaging, might also help him better his fortunes. The multi-million dollar sponsor had been with Burton for over a decade, and will most likely continue to partner with him on his new team. It is, however, uncertain if Burton will stay in the Cup or if an Xfinity demotion is also a possibility. Before any confirmations are made, the #21 driver has to race in 10 playoff races, trying to produce some magic. The upcoming Atlanta might be a good option for him. But the question is what does Burton’s playoff campaign look like?

Predicting Harrison Burton’s 2024 Playoff Journey

For the first time, Atlanta Motor Speedway will be part of the playoffs. This is really important for drivers like Harrison Burton, who usually find it tough to get solid results on the standard tracks that make up most of the schedule. But since Atlanta’s been reconfigured, it’s racing more like a Superspeedway now. Much like Daytona! A repeat of his performance is what he should be aiming for. Starting his playoff journey strong, the #21 driver has managed to get a p12 starting position on the grid. And 8th among the 16 playoff drivers. In the first Atlanta race of the season, he finished in the 11th position.

Burton too is positive about his chances. In a recent press conference, he said, “We know how to build a fast race car for that racetrack and I know how to drive it well. That’s obviously another really important one, being the last one in the round, so I think Atlanta and Bristol are really big opportunities for us.” And as Burton mentioned, his car is fast! Ford has made recent updates to the Dark Horse, giving Burton a legitimate chance for a good finish in the playoffs. The Mustang has found some new speed recently. Thanks to it, even Chase Briscoe is in the playoffs.

Similar to Daytona, Talladega Superspeedway can also prove to be a great opportunity for Burton to get a win. Where in the previous race this year, the 23-year-old managed a 10th-place finish. Don’t count him out on the speedways. As on some, Burton has managed to remain in the top 15, including North Wilkesboro (13th), New Hampshire (14th) and Michigan (14th).

What do you think are his chances in the playoffs? Let us know in the comments below.