Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang Dark Horse finished 14th in Monday’s rain-delayed FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Burton also led the race for five laps on Monday en route to scoring his best finish since another 14th-place effort at New Hampshire in June.
Burton took the green flag on Sunday from 34th place and had moved up to 32nd when the caution flag flew on Lap 39 for a spin by Denny Hamlin.
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team took a gamble to try to score some Stage points and remained on the track during the ensuing caution period. Burton restarted seventh but was soon losing spots to drivers on fresh tires.
After a pit stop during the Stage break, Burton lined up 32nd for the restart, but rain started falling and the race was halted at Lap 52, to be resumed Monday morning.
Back on the track Monday morning, Burton moved into the top 30, and as a round of green flag pit stops began around Lap 85 he rose to 14th place before making his stop on Lap 92.
When the pit stops cycled out, he was running 25th and was in 22nd place when he headed to pit road during a caution period following a multi-car crash at Lap 109.
Burton was 23rd when the second Stage ended at Lap 120.
The third and final segment of the race was promising for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team as Burton spent most of those laps inside the top 20 and often much higher.
After making a pit stop at Lap 137, he ran long and cycled into the lead at Lap 179 and paced the field for five laps before making a two-tire stop.
He rejoined the race in 20thplace and was in 17th when the caution flag flew in the closing laps, sending the race into Overtime.
He restarted 14th on the first attempt, which ended with a spin by Ross Chastain.
On the second attempt he restarted 11th, dropped to 15ththen picked up one spot on the final lap to finish 14th.
Burton and the No. 21 team now head to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400.