While tussling with a loose-handling AT&T Chevrolet for the majority of the 3M Performance 400, Jeff Burton overcame a 28th-place starting position to earn an 11th-place effort in the 200-lap showdown at Michigan International Speedway.

Although the formidable finish wasn’t what the team was hoping for, it was good enough to maintain the fifth spot in the season championship point standings with three races remaining in NASCAR’s Race to the Chase. Burton trails current point leader Kyle Busch by 349 markers and is a mere 42 markers out of third.

Race weekend didn’t exactly start off on a positive note with Burton posting the 29th fastest time in Friday’s practice session and following that up with a 28th-place qualifying effort. The Scott Miller-led crew knew they had to find a set-up that meshed well with both the veteran driver and the two-mile Michigan oval. They worked feverishly on the AT&T Chevy during Saturday’s twin practice sessions and, when the red-flag was displayed at the conclusion of second practice, Burton was listed fifth in the rundown.

As soon as the green flag fell in front of Michigan’s 125,000-strong crowd, Burton began to click off positions one by one despite chasing a loose-handling machine.

While running 18th, the first of seven caution flags waved over the 43-car field on lap 19 and provided Miller the opportunity to bring his driver to pit road in hopes of tightening up the No. 31 Chevy. Sound work by the AT&T over-the-wall crew netted Burton two positions on track and he restarted 16th when the field returned to green-flag racing on lap 25.

At the day’s halfway mark, Burton had found his way to the ninth position and was steadily gaining ground on the frontrunners. He was eighth on lap 112 and seventh on lap 121.

Four caution flags consumed a large chunk of the remaining 80 laps and although the 20-time Cup Series winner visited pit road during those times for service, the adjustments didn’t seem to aid the handling of the bright orange machine. However, Burton was able to maintain his footing in the top 15 during the closing laps and eventually soldiered his way to an 11th-place finish.

Carl Edwards captured his fifth win of the season and was followed to the line by Kyle Busch and David Ragan. Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five finishers.

Burton’s fellow Richard Childress Racing teammates, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, finished eighth and 20th, respectively.

Next weekend, NASCAR’s premier division returns to the site of Burton’s 20th Cup Series win – Bristol Motor Speedway.

Flag-to-flag coverage of the Sharpie 500 will take the green flag Saturday, August 23 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on ESPN. The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 24th points-paying races on the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be televised live on SPEED Friday, August 22 beginning at 3:30 p.m. EDT and will also broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.

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