As the NASCAR season builds toward its playoff crescendo, an emotional high point arrived under the lights at Daytona. At the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 24, 2024, Harrison Burton seized a career-defining moment by making a last-lap pass in overtime to grab his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series victory. “I cried the whole victory lap. We’re in the playoffs now,” Harrison Burton said post-race. That dramatic win also marked a milestone for Wood Brothers Racing, delivering the team’s storied 100th Cup triumph and punching Burton’s ticket into the playoffs. Now, in the Xfinity series, the moment has arrived again for Burton — but standing in his way, among others, is a driver that also happens to share his bloodline.

The Daytona breakthrough, which brought both personal redemption and a celebration of multigenerational effort, has once again shown itself to be the ideal fusion of team history and familial tradition. Harrison and Jeb, cousins of the legendary Burton racing dynasty, are now engaged in a fierce competition for the final playoff spot as the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season approaches its conclusion. 

Burton cousins dropping gears amidst bubble war

Despite not being “on a bubble” himself, Harrison is keenly aware of the high-stakes environment and the familiar face he’s battling. Reflecting on the rivalry, while speaking on the NASCAR Live podcasts with Steve Post, he said, “Jeb and I have gotten closer as I have gotten older, and we’ve raced against each other and are around each other more. And we’ve gained each other’s respect in the way that we treat each other. The way we race each other, we race hard, but we race fair to each other. And I think he and I can both expect that out of each other.”

With two top-five results, nine top-10s, and just one DNF in 23 outings, he has demonstrated consistency and playoff consensus, supporting his incisive plan to exclude surprise entry into the playoff field. Harrison made a significant comeback to the Xfinity Series with a run of outstanding early-season performances while driving the No. 25 Ford for AM Racing. A gripping familial battle between “bubble” drivers is being set up by Jeb, who drives the No. 27 Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing full-time, as he surges from just outside the cut line.

“Certainly, he’s strong at Daytona or superspeedway-type races. He leads a lot of laps. We’ve just gotta keep our eyes on ourselves and also try to make sure we win so no one else can right,” he added. With just 30 points separating them now, Harrison is in 11th place (578 points), while Jeb is in 13th place (548 points), right below the cutoff line and ready to improve his postseason fortunes. Even though he didn’t make the top 12, Jeb is still very much in the running. A win, a great finish, or a mistake by another driver could propel him into the playoffs. His comeback to form includes the 2023 Talladega Xfinity victory, career-best stats, and a current finish at Watkins Glen that puts him just behind his cousin in the playoff picture.

This competitiveness is heightened by family pedigree. Jeb, the son of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton, and Harrison, the son of former Cup star and analyst Jeff Burton, have more in common than just their names; they race with a fair toughness and respect for one another that has been developed over their careers. There is a unique familial drama in NASCAR’s playoff chase, which is highlighted by their current standings.

Harrison Burton finds renewal with AM Racing after Cup setback

Harrison Burton’s move from the NASCAR Cup Series back to the Xfinity garage has turned into more than just a career reset. It’s become a chance to rebuild his confidence and prove he can lead a program forward. “That’s something that I think is one of my biggest strengths. I was so lucky to have a great relationship with everyone at the Wood Brothers that there was no bad feeling. They truly care about me,” Burton said. He joined AM Racing in 2025 after two full-time Cup seasons with Wood Brothers Racing, and brought elite expertise to a company that was keen to become more than a mid-pack entry.

Burton, 24, stressed that the friendship is still intact even if his split from the Wood Brothers might have easily left resentment behind. Even after his departure, the team, which is currently commemorating its 75th season, kept up its support, something Burton described as a reminder of the mutual respect between them. Without the baggage that frequently follows a driver leaving the top level of the sport, that foundation enabled him to devote all of his attention to AM Racing.

“It was about self-reflection and what I can do to be better, and I feel I’m doing those things to be better, and it’s starting to show in the AM Racing team. We’re turning that program around, which I’m super excited about,” he added.

Burton has rapidly established himself as a calming influence at AM Racing. After joining Xfinity full-time in 2023, the group’s first two years of performance were mediocre. Burton has pushed the club to improve execution and consistency by bringing Cup-caliber discipline to the program. AM Racing has improved recently, placing inside the top 15 more frequently and posing a danger for stage points at races where they previously had trouble keeping up. His long-term goal remains another shot at the Cup, but he’s clear that when the opportunity comes, he wants to arrive better prepared and equipped to perform at that level, even if it means beating his own cousin to it.