Jeff Burton will replace Burney Lamar in the No. 77 Chevrolet at New Hampshire. Credit: Autostock

Burton hired to drive No. 77 Busch car at NHIS

Kevin Harvick Inc. is looking to veteran Jeff Burton, whose record implies a mastery of New Hampshire International Speedway, to snap a slump by its rookie Busch Series driver Burney Lamar.

Stats at a Glance Burney Lamar's 2006 season Race St. Fin. Laps Status Daytona 21 2 120 running Fontana 32 21 149 running Mexico City 19 18 80 running Las Vegas 25 26 203 running Atlanta 10 8 195 running Bristol 10 20 300 running Texas 15 39 199 crash Nashville 21 7 225 running Phoenix 9 19 206 running Talladega 22 20 117 running Richmond 24 27 250 running Darlington 27 21 147 running Lowe's 41 26 198 running Dover 15 32 171 crash Nashville 8 12 225 running Kentucky 20 19 199 running Milwaukee 32 35 115 crash Daytona 19 22 102 running Chicagoland 24 23 199 running

Burton, who has four Cup Series wins at NHIS -- including a flag-to-flag performance in 2000 -- plus a Busch victory in 1992 will replace Lamar for this weekend's New England 200 in what the team is calling a one-race evaluation.

Burton, who is team co-owner Harvick's teammate in the Nextel Cup Series at Richard Childress Racing, will drive the No. 77 Chevrolet co-owned by DeLana Harvick this weekend, with Lamar returning for next weekend's short track race at Martinsville Speedway.

"After reviewing the progress of our team the first half of the season, we felt like the assessment of an experienced driver could only help the development of our team and Burney Lamar," Harvick said. "I've watched Jeff's input have a very positive impact on RCR and I value and respect his opinion."

Lamar leads the Busch Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings by eight points over John Andretti after 19 races and he's 15th in the Busch Series standings.

But he's been in a tailspin of late. Lamar started the season like a house afire, eighth in the standings after five races. He fell out of the top 10 for the first time after race seven, when he had an accident at Texas.

He moved back into the top 10 for two races before he fell out for the last time, to date, after the race at Talladega Superspeedway, when he was 13th. His three DNFs this season have all been due to accidents, at Texas, Dover and Milwaukee -- the later two in the last six races.