Burton leapfrogs Winston Cup title-chasers

Winston Cup points after round 26, New Hampshire
1 Bobby Labonte, Pontiac 3931
2 Jeff Burton, Ford, 3763
3 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 3757
4 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 3730
5= Rusty Wallace, Ford, 3462
5= Ricky Rudd, Ford, 3462
7 Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 3447
8 Mark Martin, Ford, 3429
9 Ward Burton, Pontiac, 3354
10 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 3320

Bobby Hamilton and the Morgan-McClure team will part company at the end of the 2000 season. Hamilton, joined the team in 1998, winning in Martinsville and taking 10th in the points, but currently languishes in 30th overall, with just one top 10 finish. Hamilton will finish the season in the team's Kodak Chevrolet Monte Carlo, but has been linked to a move to Jimmy Smith's Ultra Motorsports team for 2001, replacing the Dale Earnhardt Inc-bound Michael Waltrip.

Craftsman Truck Rookie of the Year stand-out Kurt Busch will join Jack Roush's Winston Cup stable for 2001 and will run seven out of the last eight 2000 races for the team in place of the outgoing Chad Little. Busch, third in the overall Truck points, will make his debut in the John Deeere Ford Taurus at Dover Downs this weekend, but will miss Talladega for a clashing Craftsman Truck race at Fontana, where Little will sub. Roush is currently looking for a sponsor to replace John Deere as the car's prime sponsor next year.