Jeff Burton finished second in last year's Diamond Hill Plywood 200. Credit: Autostock

Burton holds special reverence for Darlington

Seven drivers entered in Friday night's Diamond Hill Plywood 200 have won a Busch Series race at Darlington, but only one has visited Victory Lane more than once.

That would be Jeff Burton, who has won four Darlington races, including a stretch of three in a row in 2001-02. In 21 career Busch Series starts, Burton has finished in the top 10 13 times.

Jeff Burton won three consecutive races at Darlington early in the decade. Credit: Autostock

"I like the race track, No. 1," Burton said. "To me, it's the most historic track we race. I have a lot of reverence for the things that have gone on at Darlington.

"It's a lot of fun. You can be real aggressive and drive every lap hard, but you have to be smooth. That seems to fit my driving style, and it's the type of track where I have the most success."

Burton doesn't mind to care where he starts at Darlington. He's won from the pole, from the middle of the field and even starting 33rd.

"Darlington is what racing ought to be," he said. "It's almost like stepping back in time a little bit. There is a race track there, but the amenities aren't up to what some of the new tracks offer.

"The focus is more on the race track and not on all the other stuff. I think that is cool."

Added to the mix this time around will be racing under the lights at Darlington for the first time.

"I think it's going to be really neat," Burton said. "Racing at night at Darlington is going to be really cool. From the fans standpoint, the vision you'll get under the lights will be really neat because they'll see all the sparks and action that wouldn't normally be seen in a day race."

Burton said the biggest problem with running fast at Darlington is getting enough grip. That shouldn't be a problem Friday night.

"I think the track itself will have the most grip there that we have ever had," he said. "That track has way more grip when it's cool than when it's hot and this will obviously be the coolest, darkest conditions we've ever run on at Darlington.

"I think that will have a major impact and make the competition tighter because the easier it is to make your car handle, the more teams can handle well. I think it will actually improve the racing, which is hard to do at Darlington since the racing there has been incredible. But I think it will have a positive impact on the race."