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The Underdog House: Harrison Burton Closes the Book on His Wood Brothers Tenure

Luken Glover

Top Dog: Harrison Burton

The conclusion of each NASCAR Cup Series season may shift the spotlight to the driver holding the Bill France Cup, but it also brings bittersweet endings.

This season was the end of a remarkable 21-season career for Martin Truex Jr. Championship-winning organization Stewart-Haas Racing made its final lap before shuttering its doors during the offseason. It also appears that the last chapter has closed on FedEx’s longstanding partnership with Denny Hamlin.

Those are the main storylines when it comes to the end of several eras, and while this one didn’t produce many memories, Harrison Burton officially says goodbye to the famed No. 21 at Wood Brothers Racing.

Burton wrapped up a three-year stint with the team by finishing 16th at Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 10). As the only underdog to make the playoffs, he fittingly ended the season as the top dog among his peers.

See also
SHR's Tearful Goodbye, Martin Truex Jr.'s Full-Time Farewell Mark End of Era

While the result wasn’t flashy, it sends the 24-year-old out on a positive note in what was a rather tumultuous beginning to his Cup career, a journey that started with the Wood Brothers in 2022. Next season, Burton will take his services to AM Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The Huntersville, N.C., native put together one of his most solid races of the season, running inside the top 15 for much of the race after earning his second consecutive top 10 starting spot by qualifying ninth. At one point during the race, Burton was one of the fastest cars on track.

Burton’s final pass in the No. 21 came on Truex, a sure Hall-of-Famer who slipped to 17th by the end of the race.

Nobody would disagree that Burton’s Cup career to this point did not go according to plan. And with AM Racing sitting as a mid-tier Xfinity team, Burton has his work cut out for him to return to racing on Sundays.

However, the second-generation driver always held his head high and kept a smile on his face, something that deserves respect, as it’d be tough for anybody to keep a positive attitude in the midst of all the valleys. That work ethic and perspective paid off in one of the most memorable moments of the season, where Burton sealed a dramatic first career victory at Daytona International Speedway in August.

NBC commentator Leigh Diffey’s call, Harrison’s father Jeff‘s child-like elation and Wood Brothers Racing finally celebrating its 100th win as a team made for memories that last a lifetime.

It’s that kind of perseverance and drive that makes this sport so special, qualities that hold the potential for Burton to thrive in the future.

In three years behind the wheel of the iconic No. 21, Burton recorded a win, two top fives, six top 10s and a playoff appearance that came by virtue of his Daytona triumph.

Notable Underdog Runs

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year is Carson Hocevar. The rookie sensation closed out his freshman campaign with an 18th-place finish after a solid run overall.

After starting 15th, Hocevar spent much of the racing hovering around the top 10, getting up to ninth during stage two. The 21-year-old mixed it up with Hamlin and Championship 4 contender Tyler Reddick for several laps, passing both at one point. The final caution of the day saw the track get ahead of Hocevar’s adjustments, but he still closed it out for his 23rd top 20 of the season. Hocevar beat out Josh Berry, Zane Smith and Kaz Grala for rookie honors.

This season proved that Hocevar is a future superstar. He was arguably the best driver at the three-car Spire Motorsports stable and he took the No. 77 to new heights. While his aggression level and timing of battles are marks for improvement, he undoubtedly has the speed, talent and determination of a driver who can compete for championships one day. Buckle up, the Hocevar ride is just beginning.

What’s more fitting to conclude the 2024 campaign than another Todd Gilliland top 20? The third-year driver piled those results up this season, finishing 20th at Phoenix to add a 19th top 20 to the total. That included a stretch of nine consecutive top 20s that stretched from Darlington Raceway to the Chicago street course in the summer.

Gilliland had to fight from behind for most of the race, as he was stranded in 30th at the end of stage one. But as the race trudged on, Gilliland slowly worked his way forward, making the most of it by getting up to 20th by the end.

With Michael McDowell departing for Spire next season, Front Row Motorsports will be Gilliland’s team now to be the veteran voice. It’s a position that he has a lot of potential to cash in on.

Daniel Hemric‘s time in Cup may also be one of the goodbyes as we head into the off-season. After finding out in September that Ty Dillon will replace him at Kaulig Racing in 2025, Hemric’s plans have not yet been announced. Prior to his final race in Kaulig’s No. 31, Hemric posted on his social platforms that this could be his final “Sunday race.”

Hemric finished the year with a 23rd-place finish. The Kannapolis, N.C., native struggled with loose handling conditions most of the race, leading to a mixed bag of emotions on the day. However, he did get to experience a heartwarming moment after the race with a certain seven-time Cup champion.

What They’re Saying

Hocevar (18th): “This award will be something that will live with me my whole career, and I’m proud to be known as the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year. There’s an elite list of guys who have won it, and many of them went on to win races and championships. The award is something you only have one shot at. You can never go back and try to win Rookie or the Year later down the line. It is the only thing like that in racing. It is cool to win something so significant this year, and the mission is now to get the No. 77 car to Victory Lane and in the playoffs in 2025.”

Smith (39th after lap 250 crash):

Who’s Really the Top Dog?/Underdog Awards

After a wild 36 weeks, we finally have our ultimate medal winners for the year. Not only did Hocevar win Rookie of the Year, but he also collected the most gold medals with six, recognizing how many times he was the top dog. Collecting the most silver medals was Gilliland, who was the second-best finishing underdog on eight occasions this season. And in walk-off fashion, Gilliland’s top 20 at Phoenix propelled him by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the most bronze medals with six.

Additionally, here are some of my underdog award winners from NASCAR’s 76th season.

Underdog of the Year: Hocevar, who finished 21st in points after earning one top five, six top 10s, and 23 top 20s. He brought speed nearly every week, and overperformed on several occasions. (Honorable Mention: Gilliland, Stenhouse, Justin Haley)

Most Pleasant Surprise: When Haley moved over from Kaulig to Rick Ware Racing this season, many scratched their heads on why he would do that. But ultimately, I would argue Haley ran even better at RWR. He put the No. 51 in positions it had never been, including battling for the win at the summer Daytona race. His performance caught Spire’s attention, resulting in a driver swap that sent Corey LaJoie to RWR and Haley coming over to the No. 7. With a few races under his belt, watch out for the 25-year-old next season. (Honorable Mention: Smith, Grala)

Moment of the Year: There were several highlights that the underdogs put together, but Burton’s first career win at Daytona was magical. He held off a hungry champion in Kyle Busch, drove the race of his life and earned the Wood Brothers a long-awaited 100th victory. You can’t script it any better. (Honorable Mention: Stenhouse’s win at the fall Talladega Superspeedway race, Smith’s runner-up at Nashville Superspeedway)

Small Team of the Year: Spire’s growth continues to ascend at an impressive pace, and it took leaps and bounds this year toward the goal of being a top-contending team. Hocevar landed rookie honors, Smith turned up the heat in the latter half of the season to land 10 top 20s in the last 18 races, and the team placed all three drivers inside the top 10 at Watkins Glen International.

Small Team Scheme of the Week

Got milk?

Stenhouse sported the colors of Silk Almond Milk in the season finale, bringing a refreshing taste to the desert. The scheme certainly made a splash and closed out a year full of great schemes for JTG Daugherty Racing. Unfortunately, hard contact with the wall during the relegated the fall Talladega winner to 33rd.

To everyone who followed this column and supported the “little guys” of this great sport in 2024, I can’t thank you enough. It is an audience like you that allows me the humbling privilege to interact with and inform the fans.

With that, we close the curtain on another great season.

About the author

Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.

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Who cares about Harrison Burton except his dad and mom. Dillons shouldn’t even be racing either.

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