Jeff Burton has been something of an invisible man the last few seasons.

After four straight top-five finishes in the NASCAR Winston Cup standings, Burton and his No 99 Roush Racing team have fallen back into the pack, finishing 10th and 12th the past two seasons.

There have been times when Burton couldn’t get himself out of the middle of the pack, and it has been 59 races, dating to Phoenix in fall 2001, since Burton got the last of his 17 victories.

After the long struggle, though, it appears that Burton and his team are ready to get back into the championship picture – or at least the top five in the points.

“We’ve had some really bad luck over the last year or so, but we have all persevered and it’s really exciting to see,” said Burton, who climbed to 10th in the standings with a ninth-place finish in New Hampshire.

That showing, coming on the heels of a season-best second-place finish in Daytona and a sixth-place run in Chicago, has moved Burton to within 116 points of seventh-place Kevin Harvick and 229 points behind fifth-place Jimmie Johnson going into Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono International Raceway.

It’s the first time Burton has had three consecutive top-10 finishes since late in the 2001 season. Burton gives a lot of credit for the team’s surge to crew chief Paul Andrews.

“Paul and the guys have been working so hard at the shop and at the track and we are finally starting to see the results of that,” Burton said.

“We have moved people around and completely rebuilt this team. I liken us to a college basketball team. We are now to the point where we are starting to jell, and it’s a lot of fun.”

The next big step would be a win.

“We had a winning car at New Hampshire but, again, just didn’t have the luck,” said Burton, who was spun out near the end of the race, ending his chance at victory. “There’s still almost half of the season left, and we have some momentum built up now. I think you’re going to see a much better team the rest of the way.”

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ROLLING DOWNHILL: Defending Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart loves racing – any kind of racing.

Following Saturday’s final practice for the Cup race, Stewart was scheduled to fly to Akron, Ohio to participate in ceremonies at the 66th running of the All-American Soap Box Derby.

“Soap Box racing is all about the kids,” said Stewart, who started racing go-karts at age 7 and was a three-time karting champion. “I’ve been in their shoes, where you’re doing all you can to be your best, and testing your hard work against a bunch of other kids who are doing the same thing.

“Being in Akron is the payoff for all of their efforts, and I’m happy to share in that with them.”

Home Depot, sponsor of Stewart’s No. 20 Chevrolet, is also the title sponsor of the soap box derby, a race for home-built cars that rely solely on gravity for motion. Boys and girls 8 to 17 are eligible to race in the international event.

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ANOTHER YOUNG GUN: With the youth movement in high gear in stock car racing, it’s no surprise that the hottest driver in the Busch Series is 19-year-old Brian Vickers.

Vickers, who is 13 years younger than any other driver in the top five in the points, was third in the standings going into Saturday’s race in Colorado.

Driving for powerful Hendrick Motorsports, Vickers has scored more points (801) in the last five races than any other driver. He is also the only driver this year to post seven consecutive top-10 finishes, but Vickers has not yet won a race.

“It’s all about being consistent and working toward a common goal: winning,” Vickers said. “With our team being new, it took a few races for everything to click, but it’s all coming together now.

“Sometimes I wonder when it’s going to be interrupted. I just hope it’s not soon.”

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BACK IN HARNESS: Brett Bodine will drive the No. 4 Morgan-McClure Pontiac at Pocono, his first race since breaking his right clavicle in a crash during practice last month in Michigan.

“The doctors did a good job on the shoulder surgery and rehabilitation has been good,” Bodine said. “It was way ahead of schedule and the doctor cleared me to race.”

Team owner Larry McClure called Bodine “one of the hardest working drivers in the Winston Cup garage.”

Bodine has been a struggling owner-driver since 1996, so driving for someone else again will be a little different.

“Larry wanted an experienced driver to race at Pocono, and I was very happy when he called me,” Bodine said. “I tested at Indy last week and the shoulder felt great. As a matter of fact, the right shoulder feels stronger than the left.

“It’s a one-race deal for the Kodak team, but who knows? We might go out there and put out our best efforts and turn it into more. I want to have a successful weekend to turn my luck around, as well as the team’s luck. Both the team and myself could use a day with good results.”

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STAT OF THE WEEK: Starting up front is important at Pocono, with nine of the last 12 races and five of the last six won from a top-four starting position.

In the last seven of those races, there have been seven different winners. Bobby Labonte won both Pennsylvania races in 1999.

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