OK, I've begun my research on the '71 Bird that Scott Burton was driving at the 2004 US Nats.
The first thing I found was that at that race, Scott made it to the quarterfinal round, and Sal Biondo made it to the semifinal round. I mention this because going rounds at Indy seems to mean a little more than at a small race, Same with winning your class, especially if there are several cars in your class.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2004#indextop
Next, in '03, Scott had run the Bird as a '72 model.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2003#indextop
He also won his class, along with Mike McGinley & Don Himes.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2003#indextop
And, Sal Biondo had also made it to semifinal that year. Hey, 2 semifinals in a row at the Big GO, ain't bad. It beat what most have done there.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2003#indextop
In '02, Scott also ran the Bird as a '72. I noticed something on this Q-list. Tim Gillespie's '68 GTO was bumped from the field, by much slower class winners. That don't seem right.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2002#indextop
Scott also won class that year.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2002#indextop
Scott was not on the '01 or earlier lists. But, while I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd go ahead & check out those years, anyhow. I did find the '00 list interesting. Don Holmes was #2 @ 1.265 under. 5 of the top 15 were Pontiac. 2 of those were '74 GTO's. #15 was Danny Ashley. And Tim Gillespie's '68 GTO did make the field. There were a couple of Pontiac names I don't know.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2000#indextop
Don Holmes, Dave Edwards, & Danny Ashley won class.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2000#indextop
In '99, Don Holmes was #4 @ 1.264 under. Bill Rink was # 7 @ 1.154 under. Dave Ribeiro was on the list. Peter Biondo was driving Sal's Bird.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r1999#indextop
In '98, Bob Michael was #12 on the list with a '78 T/A. There was a '71 Bird driven by Alton Minchey. Anybody know this guy/car ? I was glad to see that Todd Kuhn's '70 GTO made the field. Love those old GTO's.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r1998#indextop
Bob Michael got the only Pontiac class win.
https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r1998#indextop
I also noticed that Lee Banister was there a couple of years, but didn't go quick enuff to make the field.
That's as far back as the DRC records go, as far as I know. But, the Burtons do most of their racing in the West, even all the way to the coast, sometimes. So, I'll began combing thru the DRC files & see what else I can learn about this 71/72 Bird. I assume it's the one Brad drives now. But I don't know that.