JOLIET, Ill. — Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport didn’t leave Chicagoland Speedway with a trophy, but the organization came away encouraged after grinding through a challenging NASCAR Xfinity Series weekend.
Veteran driver Jeb Burton led the team’s effort with a 20th-place finish in the No. 27 Chevrolet after battling an ill-handling car throughout the 300-mile event.
Burton showed flashes of speed, particularly on restarts, but never found the balance needed to contend near the front of the field.
“At Chicagoland we were fast in practice and could make some hay on restarts, but it just doesn’t seem like we had our No. 27 car where we needed it,” Burton said. “We kept the car clean so all in all, it was a solid day for us.”
For Rajah Caruth, the weekend carried added significance as NASCAR returned to the 1.5-mile speedway for the first time in several years. The 23-year-old driver finished 25th after overcoming handling challenges in the No. 32 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet.
Caruth, who grew up watching NASCAR races at Chicagoland, appreciated the opportunity to compete at a track he remembered from childhood broadcasts.
“Enjoyed our sport’s return to Chicagoland,” Caruth said. “I remember watching our sport race here during the TNT summer stretch and at the start of ‘The Chase’ as a kid. We fought hard on the balance and speed in our No. 32 HendrickCars.com Chevy but never gave up.”
Meanwhile, Blaine Perkins endured a frustrating afternoon in the No. 31 Chevrolet, finishing 32nd after luck failed to fall his way despite optimism entering the weekend.
Perkins praised sponsor GFL Environmental and the organization’s effort while looking ahead to next week’s race at Atlanta.
“We were really excited to get back to that race track,” Perkins said. “I wish we could’ve given a better run on the race track. I know everyone back at the shop is working hard. We just didn’t quite have the luck on our side this weekend.”