FORT WORTH, Tex. - The Jeff Burton-Michael McDowell feud ended almost as quickly as it began.
Burton was angry with the rookie during the closing stages of last week's Goody's Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway when McDowell seemed to be blocking the No. 31 as the laps wound down.
After finishing third Burton didn't mince any words in his displeasure with McDowell.
"We started coming back on him, and then that kid in the 00 [McDowell], he’s going to learn some manners or I’m going to teach them to him," Burton said after his charge to catch eventual Martinsville race winner was sidetracked. "He can choose it however he wants it but it will be one way or the other.”
But McDowell immediately contacted Burton the day after the race and Friday in the Texas Motor Speedway media center, both drivers said all was well.
"I told him and I mean this, I should have called him Monday morning rather than expressing my opinion after the race," Burton said. "I probably did that wrong. I think he understands now a little more about etiquette in a cup race late in the race."
"We had a great conversation, I was real impressed with him, by the way I thought he did a really good job Sunday. I thought he made a mistake at the end of the race but I thought he did a really good job Sunday."
McDowell gave his side of the situation.
“I wanted to just talk to him and let him know my perspective," he said. "I definitely wasn’t trying to ruin his day at all. I know some of the media that I’ve read said that we were three laps down. At that particular moment that I was racing him hard, we were the ‘Lucky Dog.'"
The rookie wants to remember the positives of his first career Cup start rather than having the situation with Burton tarnish the memory.
"I felt like we got beat up this week, and maybe we were deserving of it, but I don’t think it takes away from how well we ran all day," he said. "I’ll live and learn, and try to get on their good side and make as many friends as I can. I didn’t leave there saying, ‘Screw that guy. I don’t care.’ I do care. I want to be here for a long time. I have a lot of respect for these guys. You have to earn their respect, and last week I didn’t."
So all's well that ends well except for one small problem in Burton's mind.
"I didn’t know whether to feel good about or be mad about him calling me Mr. Burton," he laughed. "I’m like, man I’m not that old."
