Burton to make Nextel Cup return?
Burton, 44, said there'd been negotiations about putting him in a car this weekend at Daytona that fell through at the last minute. He'd like to enter a couple of races before the end of this season to begin his comeback. Burton has spent much of the past year-and-a-half focusing on family and The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, which has a mission to "conserve America's land and wildlife through wise stewardship while educating children and adults about the natural resources that will shape America's future.'' Burton tried to mend a few bridges after his split with Haas, but that never happened. "There were phone calls, either hung up on or whatever,'' he said. "That's just the way they handled things.'' Burton is confident he can return to the top-10 form he had in 1999 and 2000, when he had a combined 33 top-10s for Bill Davis Racing with Tommy Baldwin Jr. as his crew chief. Baldwin Jr. now is Sadler's crew chief at RYR, which gives Burton another connection to that organization. "I wish I could tell you more,'' Burton said. "I can tell you I am talking to a sponsor as we speak and car owners as well. I've got my fingers crossed that one of these exciting deals will come true.'' More at NASCAR.com