Burton to announce 2002 IROC

January 29, 2002
4:57 PM EST (2157 GMT)

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. -- Jeff Burton, driver of the NASCAR Winston Cup No. 99 CITGO Supergard Ford, will join the broadcast booth for the 2002 True Value IROC Series with Bob Jenkins and Scott Goodyear on ESPN and ABC.

Adding the four IROC races means Burton will now do double and sometimes triple duty on race weekends driving the No. 99 CITGO car in the Winston Cup Series, the No. 9 Gain Ford in the Busch Series and announcing the IROC races.

Burton has been a participant the past four IROC seasons with one win in 1998 at Michigan International Speedway. He also finished second overall in points that year in the IROC series.

After his 10th-place finish in Winston Cup points in 2001 failed to earn him his fifth straight invitation, he feels confident he can do the job in his first stint as an announcer.

"I'm really excited to sit alongside Bob Jenkins and Scott Goodyear in the ESPN broadcast booth," Burton said. "It's always an honor when ESPN invites you to participate in an event. This is a great opportunity for me and I look forward to giving 100 percent to making the races fun and exciting for the fans."

There will be 12 drivers representing four different race series -- including NASCAR's three national touring series -- in IROC 2002 and that should make for some exciting racing.

The combination of Burton, who will be representing NASCAR and Goodyear, who will be representing the IRL should also make for some colorful commentating.

"It should be a great series," Burton said. "You have fellow (NASCAR) drivers such as Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte and Kevin Harvick racing with guys like Al Unser Jr. and Danny Lasoski.

"This makes for an interesting mix because they are all so successful in their own right. It will be fun to announce because it will be some good racing."

The 2002 True Value IROC schedule includes four races: Feb. 15, Daytona International Speedway, 11:15 a.m. ET; April 27, California Speedway, time TBD; July 13, Chicagoland Speedway, time TBD; and Aug. 3, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, time TBD.