NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton to join NBC Sports as analyst

 

   NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton will get a jump start on his next career as he finishes up his current one.

   On Tuesday, NBC Sports announced Burton will join its broadcast team as an analyst when the network becomes one of NASCAR’s TV partners in the 2015 season.

   Burton, however, will begin work right away and contribute to NASCAR programming which will debut on NBC Sports Network in 2014. He will also run a partial schedule for Michael Waltrip Racing in the Sprint Cup Series and do testing for the organization.

   “This is an exciting new challenge and I am thrilled to be joining the NBC Sports family,” Burton said in a statement. “I will prepare for each race as if I were driving in it, and I look forward to sharing my experience, views and insights with all the dedicated and passionate NASCAR fans.”

   Burton is the first entry to fill what is expected to be a three-person booth for NASCAR broadcasts on NBC.

 

   Rick Allen, who currently does play-by-play on Fox Sports 1 for NASCAR Truck series broadcasts, will be officially named this week to the same role for NBC, multiple sources confirmed.

  
   In addition, NBC Sports is looking at a current Cup series crew chief to fulfill its third spot in the booth, sources said.

   Sam Flood, executive producer of NBC Sports and NBCSN, said Burton was “the first person we called for this role.”

   “His insights, keen observations and many trophies have earned the respect of everyone involved with the sport,” Flood said. “He will be an outstanding analyst, and has everyone here looking even more forward to getting started.”

  

  

Petitions posted to have Johnson and Knaus kicked out of NASCAR

   Change.org is a website that provides a free petition tool for 45 million users and hosts sponsored campaigns for organizations. The site's stated mission is to "empower people everywhere to create the change they want to see." 

   Some NASCAR fans have apparently taken some of their issues to Change.org hoping to spur action on their motorsports-related causes. 

   Among the petitions currently hosted on the site:

   -To remove six-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus, from NASCAR.

   -To eliminate the Chase for the Sprint Cup 10-race playoff which determines the series' champion.

   -To bring back Ray Evernham as driver Jeff Gordon's crew chief.

   -To retire the No. 3 used by the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.

   And there are many others. 

   To see a listing of the NASCAR-related petitions currently housed on the site, go here.