Burton Rumor Squashed..again: [#99-Jeff] Burton once again finds himself the center of attention, according to rumors and at least one report, ready to jump ship to Penske Racing in place of the recently departed Jeremy Mayfield. This just in: Not happening. Period, end of story. First of all, there are reports that Burton has a financial stake in the organization, and while it’s certainly true that he could divest himself of those interests (if, in fact, they exist), there also is the fact that on numerous occasions Burton has claimed that he hopes to become a member of Roush Racing’s management when his driving days are done. And if neither of those bits of data seems compelling enough to keep Burton honest, there’s this: Geoff Smith, President of Roush Racing, is known to write contracts that are exceedingly difficult to break(CNN/SI), BUT Jeff Hammond of FSN’s Totally NASCAR reports: One of the biggest rumors right now has to do with the 12 car, and Jeff Burton’s name has been mentioned as a defector from the Roush camp.(10-10-2001)
