Some will see this title and think that I must be crazy. I would be fine with that because it does seem like Jeff Burton is not recognized as much as he should be.  Despite all of his success in his career, being a proven winner and a threat for the Championship yearly, I can't help feel like many people seem to "forget" about him.

For whatever reason, it doesn't seem like Jeff is seen as much of a star in this sport as he should be to many people.   Conspiracy theorists always seem to have something to talk about in NASCAR.   Some have stated that some of Jeff’s lack of coverage can be contributed to the fact that he has AT & T as a sponsor, a rival to the company sponsoring the Cup Series.  Just last year, AT & T fought to have their logos on Burton’s car after Cingular was rebranded.  While this is interesting to read, how much this really affects his coverage is debatable.   While I don’t really expect Burton to be highly shown in any NASCAR ads for the Cup series, or at least not his car, it seems far fetched that Burton’s coverage would be singled out.

Could it be because of Jeff’s demeanor?   Kyle Busch has been absolutely dominant this year, winning 1/3 of the races so far.  As much as his on track success has brought him publicity, his off-track actions seem to bring him just as much, if not more.  Whether you like him or not, he is constantly mentioned.  Take a look at any message board, and you’ll find plenty of threads on Busch.  Burton, on the other hand, is not one to find himself in controversy.   He goes out and gets the job done without the hoopla that many of the networks (and some fans) enjoy following. 

I would say most people recognize Jeff as a good driver, and respect him and his abilities, but he seems to be often left out of discussions about the big names in NASCAR.  When someone states “What about Jeff?,” the other person responds “Oh, yeah. I forgot about him.  He’s pretty good too.”  I think a lot of people don’t realize that he has 20 Cup wins.

I find this topic particularly interesting because I want to see drivers get the recognition they deserve.   I’m a lifelong Ricky Rudd fan, and I saw this happen with him too. 

Jeff has been “Mr. Consistency” this year with an average finish of 10.3, and had finished every race in the top 15 before getting caught up in a wreck last weekend at Daytona.  I don’t know if anyone will be able to beat Busch this year, especially if his dominance continues in the Chase.   Nothing against Busch or any other contender, but I hope to see Burton win the title- maybe then he would finally get the recognition he deserves.