It’s quite a turnaround from 2004 and ‘05, when Burton — once considered a championship contender — finished 18th in the final series standings for two consecutive seasons.

A move to Richard Childress Racing late in ‘04 laid the groundwork for revival, which materialized with a seventh-place finish in ’06 and an eighth-place finish in ’07. A Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup participant both seasons, he also nabbed a win, each year, at Dover International Speedway in ’06 and at Texas in ’07.

During the down times, Burton never got too upset. He’s been around long enough to know that better times usually lie ahead.

“That's how this sport is,” Burton said. “When things are good you enjoy them, and you don't take it for granted. And when things are bad you have to understand that, you can't flip out about it, you just have to focus on how to be better and learn from mistakes or whatever.”

A win two weeks ago at Bristol Motor Speedway and last Sunday’s third-place finish at Martinsville Speedway gives him a 39-point margin over second-place Kevin Harvick, his RCR teammate.

Plus, Burton has historical precedence. He’s the only driver to win twice at Texas, last April and the track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup event in 1997.

Sunday’s event also marks the first at Texas with NASCAR’s new car.

“Corner speed is the key element to winning at Texas,” Burton said. “The place is really fast and it’s fast because the corners generate a lot of speed. Having a fast car and good track position is real important.”

While Burton is on top of the world heading to Texas, he’s also cautiously optimistic.

“We know that everybody's going to step it up,” Burton said. “If we continue to run the way we're running come July, that will be running 20th. So we've got to find a way to be better. I don't know how we're going to do that, but we're continuing to work, and, you know we have a lot of room to grow.”