Jeb Burton sets record straight behind his Cup Series setback, blames NASCAR lawsuit fallout for open-car overload

Jeb Burton has expanded on the reasons for not being able to race in the NASCAR Cup Series. Burton had said earlier that his planned return to the Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway was derailed by the ongoing legal fight between NASCAR and two Cup teams.

The two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner at the 2.66-mile oval has now added that the teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, now running as "open cars," were the main obstacle.

"This was because of running an open car we could miss the race. It's more open cars now because of everything going on," Jeb Burton wrote on X.

23XI and Front Row filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR over its charter system, arguing that it restricts entry and revenue opportunities. In June 2025, a federal appeals court vacated a preliminary injunction that had allowed the two teams to race as chartered teams. This forced them into open status for the remainder of the season.

The fallout meant more open cars competing for fewer spots in Cup races. Burton mentioned this situation in an earlier tweet on Sunday (October 19):

"I was supposed to be in this race today had it all signed and done but this lawsuit situation made it very difficult for us to be able to go and make the race so we backed off. Hopefully next year!"

Burton has 34 Cup starts in the past five years with zero top-20 finishes. His latest Cup race at the 2024 NASCAR season finale in Phoenix ended in a DNF.

The 33-year-old is currently ranked 14th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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Jeb Burton's missed wins at Talladega in 2025

Jeb Burton collected his second breakthrough win at Talladega Superspeedway in 2023 and finished the season in 12th place overall. Last season, the Jordan Anderson Racing driver suffered setbacks and inconsistent results, but his results improved this year. However, he has yet to land a win.

Last weekend, he fell short and got involved in a major wreck on lap 16 when his car triggered a multi-car crash. Burton drove his way back into the top ten by the end of Stage 2 and remained competitive but lost ground in the closing laps and finished 17th.

Earlier this season, he had again qualified in 5th place for the 2025 Ag‑Pro 300 at Talladega and positioned himself well for a potential win. However, he raced three-wide for the lead when a crash involving Connor Zilisch triggered the final-lap caution.

The official ruling awarded the win to Austin Hill, who was deemed ahead by a narrow margin when the caution came out. Jeb Burton disagreed with the call and argued that his car's nose was just ahead of Hill's.

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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar