NASCAR great Jeff Burton fires back at those criticizing Talladega

Jeff Burton stood firmly behind Sunday's Talladega race amid online criticism, making it clear that strategic green-flag battles are the heart of superspeedway racing, not just massive wrecks. Speaking on NASCAR's Inside the Race podcast, Burton praised the Jack Link's 500 for showcasing pure teamwork, pit strategy, and fuel management, all crucial elements that led Austin Cindric to victory.

As social media buzzed with frustration over the absence of 'The Big One' and lengthy fuel-saving periods, Jeff Burton and host Steve Letarte took a different view. For them, the race wasn't lacking action. They highlighted a different, more organic side of NASCAR where precision and timing mattered most.

Addressing fans upset with the fuel-saving tactics, Jeff Burton didn't hold back. He emphasized that Sunday's race at Talladega actually offered a pure form of racing:

"I saw some comments on social media about wanting this last pit stop to get out of the way so we could watch racing. Do you not understand that this last pit stop is going to determine who wins the race? This is a team sport. For years, we've talked about how important teams are and now we're actually in a great opportunity at Talladega to show it," Burton mentioned on Inside the Race (2:12 onwards)

The 2025 Jack Link's 500 saw 67 lead changes between 21 drivers, four cautions, and 166 laps of green-flag racing. The 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee believed this kept several racers in contention and might be why fans did not enjoy the race.

Jeff Burton also pointed to how race strategies have evolved over time at superspeedways. From the early 2010s tandem drafts to the green-flag pit cycles today, teams continue to find creative ways to gain an advantage without relying on chaos. He added:

"This is at the core of racing — drivers and teams finding a way to win races no matter what it takes. At the end of the day, what do you gotta do to get track position at the right time and then racing your guts out to get the win. I can't imagine what's wrong with that." (3:29 onwards)

Burton and Letarte both agreed that the stage racing format has only amplified the importance of pit cycles.

Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte break down Team Penske's pit cycle mastery

Pit road during the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Source: Getty

Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte also broke down exactly how Austin Cindric won the race despite leading only seven laps in the final 15. The Team Penske #2 driver was positioned 25th before the teams made their final pit stops, but jumped to lead due to the #2 team's pit road performance.

Letarte explained the drafting advantage Cindric had after his perfect pit cycle, a hallmark of Team Penske at superspeedways:

"How do you win the race? Austin Cindric was 25th before the last green flag cycle. Two things: Midpack, you can run with less throttle... Comes on pit road. 3.26 seconds... he went from 25th to first on the cycle. That's how you win at Talladega. The race was the pit cycle" (4:18 onwards)

Leading into the final 25 laps of the Jack Link's 500, Toyota teams pitted first at Lap 162, followed by most Ford teams at Lap 170. Cindric, running 26th at the time, stayed out longer and made his critical stop at Lap 172, along with the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets from the lead pack.

Cindric's pit crew executed the fastest pit stop of the day at 3.26 seconds, paired with a 24.554-second rolling time. Jeff Burton echoed Letarte's sentiments and compared it with runner-up Ryan Preece, who posted a 3.56-second final stop on the same lap. This gave Cindric just enough momentum to jump ahead of the field coming off pit road.

As the final laps unfolded, Cindric and Preece battled side-by-side, with three Hendrick Chevrolets and teammate Joey Logano’s Ford stacked behind them.

Despite heavy bumps from the HMS cars trying to set up a move, Cindric and Preece held their ground, delivering a thrilling photo finish. He finished 0.022 seconds ahead of Preece, who was later disqualified for a rear spoiler violation.