Despite chasing a loose-handling machine for the majority of the Samsung 500, Jeff Burton and the Prilosec OTC racing team dug deep and overcame a starting spot deep in the field to earn their fifth consecutive top-10 finish of the season Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

The impressive finish allowed the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) team to pad their lead by 20 points in NASCAR's championship point standings. They continue to lead RCR teammate Kevin Harvick by a margin of 59 markers. At the same time, Burton and company continue their remarkable run into the young 2008 season by capturing their seventh top-15 in as many starts and recording an amazing 7.1 finishing average.

During Friday's time trial session, Burton's qualifying run fell short of the team's expectations. The defending Samsung 500 winner navigated “The Great American Speedway” in 29.033 seconds (185.995 mph), posting the 33rd-fastest time of the session. The less than desired effort afforded the driver of the No. 31 Prilosec OTC Impala SS a starting spot on the inside of row 17 for the 500-mile event.

Burton steadily climbed the leader board earning 17 positions during the opening 28 laps before the first of six caution flags slowed the 43-car field. The South Boston, Va., native reported a loose-handling machine entering the turns and a tight condition through the middle and on exit. Crew chief Scott Miller brought his driver to pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires, including an air-pressure adjustment to the right-rear, and fuel. Sound work on pit road by the Prilosec OTC over-the-wall crew netted Burton three positions and he restarted 13th when the field returned to green on lap 33.

The 20-time Cup Series winner maintained the 13th position over the next 50 laps and brought his machine down pit road for service during the first round of green-flag pit stops. Unable to move forward through the field, Miller called for another round of air pressure and chassis adjustments in hopes of providing his driver's machine with more grip. Once the pit stops cycled through, Burton was scored 14th.

Over the course of four more pit stops, three cautions and 150 laps, Burton steadily gained ground as the team continued to make adjustments to the 2008 Food City 500 winner's machine. He was 12th on lap 114, eighth on lap 180 and fifth on lap 220.

On lap 253, Burton reported an extremely loose No. 31 machine and was unable to turn well through the middle of the 24-degree banked corners. He lost two positions before the day's third round of green-flag pit stops began on lap 276.

Burton peeled his purple and lightning-themed race car on to pit road on lap 282 to the attention of his lightning-fast pit crew as they bolted on fresh rubber, including more air pressure adjustments, and added fuel. He returned to the racing surface seventh.

The day's fifth caution flag waved just 14 laps later and with a machine that continued to lack the necessary grip to charge through the field, Miller summoned the 40-year-old driver to back pit road on lap 296 for routine service and a chassis adjustment.

Restarting the scheduled 334-lap showdown eighth in the running order, Burton had his hands full as the Prilosec OTC Chevy was extremely loose and unmanageable to drive. He free-fell to 10th on lap 309 and maintained that position when the final caution flag of the day fell on lap 331, setting the tone for a green-white-checkered finish.

Since Burton was the last car on the lead lap, Miller had nothing to lose by bringing the 2007 Chase contender to pit road for a fresh set of tires. The top-six frontrunners stayed on the racing surface while those drivers in positions seven through 10th opted to pit. Burton was the only driver to take four tires as the other teams chose to take two.

Burton restarted the event's final two laps 10th and notched one spot when the field was shown the white flag on lap 338. As the field stormed out of turn four heading to the checkered flag, RCR teammate Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin collided leaving the door open for the points leader to snag a few more positions and cross the finish line sixth.

Carl Edwards captured his third win of the season with Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch in tow. Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five finishers.

Burton's RCR teammates Bowyer and Harvick finished 10th and 11th, respectively.

The AT&T Racing team head back west to the Grand Canyon State, the site of next weekend's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Live coverage begins Saturday, April 12 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on FOX. The race will also broadcast worldwide on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for round eight of the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series championship will air live on SPEED Thursday, April 10 at 7 p.m. EDT. MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will provide qualifying updates.

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