Jeff Burton rips ‘brats’ in Xfinity Series after Martinsville debacle, names possible solutions

While Denny Hamlin picked up his first win of the season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is the talk of the town after Martinsville. A sloppy race from almost everyone and a flat-out unacceptable last lap move. When it was over, it was a relief.

Jeff Burton, father of Xfinity Series driver Harrison Burton, has been around the sport for a few years. As a former driver and current analyst for NBC, he doesn’t like what he is seeing in the Xfinity Series.

On Inside the Race with his co-host Steve Letarte, the two industry insiders talked about Saturday’s race. Does NASCAR have to issue penalties after Martinsville?

“Well, it wasn’t – the problem, Steve, too, is it wasn’t just the finish. Like, the entire race was just unacceptable,” Burton explained. “People intentionally running into people, people intentionally wrecking people. It’s just unacceptable.

“And what’s so frustrating about it is that, you’ll see on social media, ‘Well, these young brats, they don’t care, they’re not talented.’ Bullcrap. These are very good race car drivers. These guys have talent. It’s not that they don’t have talent; it’s that there’s the lack of respect, the lack of accountability, right, for these kind of actions. I would say, I look at this as an opportunity.”

Burton wants to see something change. Maybe that means harsher in-race and post-race penalties. The Xfinity Series at Martinsville was egregious.

“I think Eric Peterson, who is the director of the Xfinity Series this year, right?” Burton continued. “I think he can take this as an opportunity to get these Xfinity drivers together and say, ‘Look, we’re not going to put up with this. Like, if we’re going to have this many young drivers, then by definition, it’s a development series, and we’re going to treat it as such. And if you do these things, we’re going to park you, we’re going to black flag you, we’re going to park you during the race,’ and I don’t like that.

“I don’t like NASCAR having to get involved in this kind of stuff. … I think we are to the point where enough’s enough, and this is an opportunity for Eric Peterson and NASCAR to get these drivers and say, ‘We are not putting up with that.’”

So, is Jeff Burton right? Does NASCAR have to use the Xfinity Series at Martinsville as a learning moment? While fans and drivers don’t want officials heavily involved, it might be time. Things are getting ugly with each passing week.

When the Xfinity Series goes to Bristol, what will happen? Hopefully, the message is sent by then and the drivers understand the deal. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. was disappointed on Saturday.

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