Jeff Burton was 21 years old in 1988 when he broke into NASCAR's national divisions in a Busch car owned by his father. More than five years passed before he got his first shot in a Cup car, a one-off for a Fil Martocci-owned team that had never before competed at that level. It wasn't until 1996 -- eight years after breaking into NASCAR's big leagues -- that he finally landed a ride capable of winning races and contending for a championship, which happened when he first slid into the No. 99 owned by Jack Roush.
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