“Very disappointing”: Jeff Burton upset over Panthers loss over Buccaneers, but remains hopeful 

Following a crushing defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs last week, the Carolina Panthers lost again to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 13 of the 2024 NFL season. Former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton was disappointed with the performance of his favorite team but, at the same time, felt hopeful about the direction that the team is headed toward.

Quarterback Bryce Young stole the show, recording a season-high in passing yards in his fifth consecutive start. Besides missing only a few shots, Young turned several heads as the fans felt that his game one-upped even Baker Mayfield, the 29-year-old quarterback for the Buccaneers.

As per a report by Si.com,

“(Young) made a brilliant throw in overtime to get the Panthers into field goal range, but Chuba Hubbard fumbled it and allowed the Buccaneers to take over and win the game. Young earned an A- grade for his outing. It wasn't perfect, but it was quite good and it should give Panthers fans reason to hope for the future.”

Burton, too, felt the same way about the future of the North Carolina-based outfit. He tweeted:

“Very disappointing loss for @Panthers but gotta feel better about the direction of this team."

Jeff Burton is a former NASCAR driver and currently a color commentator for NBC. He is the father of Harrison Burton, who won this year’s summer race at the Daytona International Speedway and is all set to join AM Racing’s Xfinity Series roster in 2025. Burton’s spot at Wood Brothers Racing will be taken over by former Stewart-Haas Racing driver Josh Berry.

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Jeff Burton recalls 1999 feat, expresses happiness with Rockingham return

Rockingham Raceway is about to make a comeback in 2025. For the first time since 2011, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will host 25 races instead of 23.

One of the two additional races is scheduled to be held at the historic race track in April. Furthermore, the Truck Series will host a regular weave for the first time at Lime Rock Park on June 28.

Jeff Burton was happy to hear the news about the sport’s return to Rockingham. When NASCAR Legends uploaded a throwback post commemorating his victory in the 1999 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at Rockingham Raceway, Burton shared the same with the following caption:

“Glad we will have racing back at the Rock next year.”

In an official statement, Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR's managing director of competition operations, said,

"We are really making sure that we’re doing our part to develop our drivers for the Xfinity Series and eventually the Cup Series that are coming through the Craftsman Truck Series as well. I wouldn’t say the goal was to completely revamp the schedule, but the goal was to continue that growth pattern and also make sure we’re doing a service to the fans and industry."

The Xfinity Series ran 42 races between 1982 and 2004 at Rockingham Raceway. The last time it went to Rockingham, Jamie McMurray won his fourth straight Xfinity start at the 1.6-mile oval.