Wood Brothers, Harrison Burton should celebrate small improvements

To say Harrison Burton's 2024 season hasn't gone well would be a massive understatement. 

The third-year Cup Series driver currently sits 33rd in Cup Series points, second-to-last among full-time Cup Series drivers. 

However, small gains have been made by both Burton and the Wood Brothers over the last two races, and during a season where close to nothing has gone right for the No. 21 team, two solid runs in a row should make the Wood Brothers a little more optimistic about the rest of the season. 

Prior to last Sunday's race at Iowa, Burton's best finish on a non-drafting track in 2024 was 22nd at Darlington. At Iowa, Burton quietly gained spots in the race's final stint, eventually finishing 20th. 

At New Hampshire, Burton drove one of the better races of his Cup Series career, taking advantage of the wet-weather tires to run inside the top 10 late in the race. While Burton fell out of the top 10 on the race's final restart, he still clawed his way to a 14th-place finish, far and away his best run of the year at a track not named Atlanta or Talladega. 

Burton and the Wood Brothers have had the season they've wanted to - par for the course after two rough seasons to open Burton's Cup Series career - but the small improvements they've made over the last two weekends should be noticed. 

Make no mistake: Burton still has a long road in front of him to become anywhere close to a Cup Series contender, and he's likely being kicked out of the No. 21 car at season's end. However, Burton can use these good runs as an audition tape for teams next season. If he wants to stay in the Cup Series, putting together good runs week after week is paramount to Burton furthering his career. 

The No. 21 team should be held to higher standards than being applauded for consecutive top-20 finishes, but relatively, Iowa and New Hampshire are cause for celebration. If Burton can continue to put together top-20 runs, there may be a team - whether it be one in the Xfinity or Cup Series - that comes calling. 

With the Wood Brothers likely moving on from Burton in 2024, fans may not think the remaining 18 races of 2024 hold much weight for the historic organization. However, after two and a half seasons where the team simply hasn't been competitive, any sense of speed should be celebrated. 

Both Burton and the Wood Brothers will look to attain their third consecutive top-20 finish when the Cup Series goes to Nashville on Sunday.