“I want to go somewhere where I’m wanted” - Harrison Burton opens up on NASCAR future post-Wood Brothers Racing

Last week's Cup race winner Harrison Burton is looking for a new team that will make him feel at home. At the end of the current season, the 23-year-old speedster will part ways with Wood Brothers Racing where his spot will be filled by current Stewart-Haas Racing driver Josh Berry.

Burton delivered Wood Brothers Racing their 100th win at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. It was a milestone that the team had been looking forward to achieving since Ryan Blaney delivered the team's 99th win back in 2017. With the win, Burton became the first driver born in the 2000s to win a Cup Series race.

Speaking of his plans for racing after his upcoming release from Wood Brothers Racing, Burton said he wants to join a team that wants him, a team that "believes in" him. The Huntersville native added he is currently exploring opportunities that will help him add more race wins to his resume.

Speaking of his plans for 2025, in a recent episode of Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour Podcast, the young driver said,

"I don't know yet. I'm still kind of working through, just a silly season of seeing what's available. The biggest thing for me is I wanna go somewhere where I'm wanted. I wanna go somewhere that believes in me, sees me as an avenue to win races, to elevate their team.

"Somewhere where I feel like I can go and contribute and not just be there to be there. I really don't have any interest in showing up somewhere just being a driver. I wanna be a driver that competes for wins," Burton added.

As of now, Burton sits 34th in the 2024 Cup Series standings with 306 points to his name. He has led only 13 laps this season, including the one at Daytona, and has amassed one top-5 and two top-10s.

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Harrison Burton on how his dad helped him overcome mental hurdles

Moments before Harrison Burton crossed the checked flag, his father, Jeff Burton, was seen swinging his arms against the air in celebration. Jeff currently works as a commentator for NBC.

You can see the video of Jeff Burton's reaction to his son's first-ever Cup Series victory below:

As the young racer celebrated his win in the victory lane, his father walked up to him and caught him in an embrace.

Harrison described the post-win celebration with his father as "really special":

"It was really special...I mean, man, I’ve spent a lot of time on the phone with him this year, spent a lot of time in person with him this year just trying to move forward in my career."

Before the race, Jeff Burton shared with NASCAR.com what he told his son recently:

"Harrison, you’re a better race-car driver than you’re allowing yourself to be at the moment."

In the post-race interview, his son shared what he thought about that conversation.

Harrison said:

"It’s like, man, I think he’s right. Like, what’s going on here? There’s definitely some mental aspects to this game. I think it’s mostly mental. And when you get beat up in your rookie year, and your second year, it’s just hard sometimes to go to the race track with the right mentality."

On Sunday night, Harrison Burton . NASCAR will now make a trip to Darlington for the regular season finale, i.e., the Cook Out Southern 500.