Editorial by JBfan31 (Tom)
Sunday, November 18, 2007

Jeff Burton takes the checkered flag at Homestead-Miami Speedway saturday night to grab his 5th victory of the season and the 2007 owners championship for Richard Childress. Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer drove the car that was prepared by crew chief Pat Smith.

Smith in just his second season on top of the #29 pit box was the engineer behind the success. He displayed a remarkable ability to listen to the information his veteran drivers game him and make changes accordingly. Something that the current crew chief of the #31 Nextel cup car, Scott Miller hasn't been able to do.

Miller's failure to do so has had an adverse effect on 31 team's performance. And even a usual calm Burton voiced his frustration. Although be it on team radio. It leaves crew members and fans scratching their heads. How could a team that made a championship run in 2006 and had five top-10 finishes in the first six races perform so poorly down the stretch. Has Burton and Miller lost the spark they had? Was it all fueled on emotion and momentum? Though the 31 has had three consecutive top-10 finishes, they haven't come in convincing fashion. And that could be the nail in the coffin of the Burton/Miller combination. Move over Scott, it's Pat's time on the pit box.

Note: The views expressed are solely those of the author and does not reflect the opinions of JeffBurtonWorld.com