Jeff Burton: "I want to be perfectly clear about it. (Jimmie Johnson) didn't do that on purpose. I don't hold grudges." Credit: Autostock

Retaliation not part of Burton's agenda

MARTINSVILLE, Va.- Jeff Burton confirmed Friday that his frustration with Jimmie Johnson was short-lived last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the aggravation of being wrecked out of the Food City 500 has yet to subside.

"I know Jimmie didn't do that on purpose," Burton said. "Jimmie's a great driver, a clean driver. I have no problems with Jimmie at all. I was really frustrated about it, and I'm still frustrated about it.

"It was the fifth or sixth race we've run this year where we've pretty good and not gotten a finish worth a hoot for it."

Johnson sought Burton out after the race to apologize.

	Credit: Autostock
	Shaky Start Jeff Burton in 2005 Race Start Finish Standings Daytona 6 29 28 California 32 19 23 Las Vegas 24 17 20 Atlanta 38 15 20 Bristol 24 36 23 Jeff Burton's driver page

"Oh yeah, he came and found me," Burton said. "We were staying for the (Busch Series) race on Monday, and I was over at the MRO tent with my son. He was outside playing, and Jimmie went out of his way to come find me.

"I wasn't easy to find. I was somewhere that you wouldn't normally have to go find somebody. So he had to search me out to find me."

Though Burton immediately accepted the apology, some have speculated payback is imminent, maybe as soon as this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

When asked, Burton scoffed at the notion of retaliation, adding that during his career he has deemed only a handful of accidents intentional.

"If I get into Jimmie Johnson this weekend, everybody in the world's gonna think I did that on purpose -- so I got to make sure I don't get into Jimmie Johnson this weekend," Burton said. "I just don't believe in that anyway. Drive people the way they drive you.

"If you do that, you don't tend to have a lot of problems. I can tell you that 99 percent of the times I've been in wrecks, I've felt they were totally accidents. When you feel like it's an accident you get over it quickly. When it got done of purpose, you don't forget that one."

Kurt Busch slams head-on into a spinning Jeff Burton On Lap 332, Bristol collects several top drivers in a multi-car wreck Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

When the accident at Bristol occurred, on lap 358 of the Food City 500, Burton was two laps down after cutting a tire. His car slower than the leaders, Burton had every intention of finding a hole and riding.

He moved out of the way to let the first and second place drivers pass, and said he was doing the same for Johnson.

"There was one car behind Jimmie, and then there was a big hole," Burton explained. "I was just gonna sit there and ride. That's why I was so frustrated.

"All that built up with the emotion of, man, I was trying to do the right thing and still got wrecked. I want to be perfectly clear about it. He didn't do that on purpose. I don't hold grudges."

The proverbial shoe has been on the other foot before.

"Here (at Martinsville) a couple years ago, I ran all over Jimmie. He didn't wreck, but I ran all over him, tore the door off the thing and passed him with a few laps to go," Burton explained.

"I did the same thing he did to me Sunday. I went and found him after the race and told him I was sorry, I was being aggressive and was too aggressive. And that's what happened to him (at Bristol). But we'll come to Martinsville and it's over."