Team Haas CNC Racing Car/Make No. 0 Pontiac Sponsor NetZero Crew Chief Tony Furr
STATS	2003	CAREER
Rank	21	9*
Wins	0	5
Top 5	0	24
Top 10	4	79
DNFs	6	70
Top Finish	6	1
*Indicates best career points finish

2003 recap
The good: Having joined the Haas/CNC team for the final four races, Burton showed he was starting to jell with his new team with one top-15 and another top-20 finish. He led 30 laps (a season high in a single race for him) at Rockingham, and was extremely competitive at Homestead until a late crash with Mark Martin knocked him out of the race. But overall behind the wheel of the No. 0, Burton showed some promising signs for 2004 nonetheless.

The bad: Burton and Bill Davis Racing parted ways late in the season after nearly eight full seasons. The problem wasn't so much Burton as it was poor performance and disorganization from the entire team. When BDR lost its factory support from Dodge late in the season, it further sank what had become a floundering ship at best. It's hard to believe that the winner of the 2002 Daytona 500 found himself without a job 18 months later. Fortunately for Burton, he was quickly picked up by CNC/Haas to drive the No. 0 Pontiac.

Key stat: Burton led just 48 laps all season, a far cry from what he led the previous three seasons: 371 laps in 2002, 178 laps in 2001 and a career-high 505 laps in 2000.

2004 outlook
What needs to be done: Burton showed some positive signs in just four races with the No. 0 team. While the team wasn't able to accomplish much with its previous driver, Jack Sprague, Burton has the experience and savvy to make this a competitive operation in 2004. He has a good sponsor, strong ownership, a veteran crew chief in Tony Furr and could very well be one of the big surprises this coming season.

Key change: Despite winning the Daytona 500 in 2002, it was pretty apparent that Burton and Bill Davis Racing needed a split from each other after nearly 8 years together. With a new team, Burton should hopefully be able to regain some of the form that saw him finish a career-high ninth in 1999 and tenth in 2000. He's too good of a driver to be kept out of the final top-10 every season.

Guarantee: The more races that he and his new team can get under their collective belts, the stronger they will become together. And after failing to win at least one race for the first time in four seasons in 2003, Burton will be looking to return to Victory Lane in 2004, perhaps even a repeat triumph in the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.

Prediction: Look for Burton to finish in the top-15 in 2004, with the possibility of reaching the top-10 if it can get a little luck on its side.

Did you know: Given that he attended military school as a youth and was the school's top shooter, it's not surprising that Burton is a military and history buff. He even owns a fully restored World War II vintage Jeep.

Your take
Will Burton be able to put the struggles he endured at Bill Davis Racing behind him in 2004? Does the No. 0 team have the potential to become one of the upcoming season's top dark horses? Or will Burton go back to his struggling ways? Here are your thoughts on Burton's prospects in 2004.