Burton denies rumors – update: Though his name has been mentioned among the list of drivers changing rides in 2003, Jeff Burton says he has no intention of leaving Roush Racing. “I can tell you that I am 100 percent committed to Roush Racing and Citgo,” Burton said. “I have not sat down with Rick Hendrick to discuss me driving his cars nor anyone else. I am committed to where I am. I have a true dedication to Roush Racing that has developed and shown over time and to give all that away would be stupid.” The current rumor, which began to swirl last week at Richmond, is that Burton had met with Hendrick to discuss driving the #25 Chevy. Interestingly, he wasn’t even in North Carolina at the time of the alleged meeting. “In Richmond I was asked about the Hendrick deal and that I was supposedly over there talking to somebody, and the time that was mentioned I happened to have been in Boca Raton,” Burton said. “So I am confused about where I am supposed to be and where I actually am on any given night.” This isn’t Burton’s first foray into the Winston Cup rumor mill. Last year, he was rumored to be leaving Roush for Richard Childress Racing. That was also inaccurate. “I stand by what I said last year. I have no idea at all where all this is coming from,” Burton continued. “We have a team running second in points, a car that’s third in points, a car that’s fourth in points and a car that’s ninth in points. There is no other team right now that can boast those credentials. For me to say that I need to go somewhere else really doesn’t make any sense. If my teammates are out performing us, then we need to get off our butts and get where we are second in points. Where I am is where I need to be.”(NASCAR.com), see the past rumors on the #99 Team News and Links page.(5-14-2002)
