DRIVER Q & A
Q&A WITH
HARRISON BURTON RISING XFINITY SERIES STAR GREW UP IN THE SPORT BY JOSEPH WOLKIN
Harrison Burton is a racer’s racer. He eats, breathes and sleeps racing. The young man won four races during his rookie NASCAR Xfinity Series season with Joe Gibbs Racing a year ago, impressing everyone around him. It was enough to earn a second year with JGR, even making his Cup Series debut with Gaunt Brothers Racing at Talladega Superspeedway. Now, he’s ready to tackle the NASCAR Cup Series next year with Wood Brothers Racing.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND YOUR ROOKIE SEASON IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES? The way I attack the sport is different. The way I prepare for things, the way I treat every race is different and I’ve evolved in that way. I’m a better race car driver because of it. My driver coach Blake Koch is always working on us, trying to make us better. When you put those things together and apply yourself to it, you’re going to get results. I feel like I’ve prepared better this year than I have in my whole career. Seeing the results is awesome. WHAT’S YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE LIKE AS YOU TRAIN FOR RACES? It’s fun. When you have something to work for every day and you have a passion, it’s hard to beat that. I wake
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POLE POSITION 2021
up every morning and think of how I can be the best race car driver that I can be. I go to the gym, watch race film, study data and analytics, and work with a lot of amazing people. I’m having a lot of amazing opportunities because of this work. The day-to-day, at times, can get to be a routine. I do the same things every day and work on the same things. But when the results show the work you put in for the weekend, which is the most fun part, it makes the event more fun and makes you a better driver. That always keeps me motivated. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO KEEP THINGS FUN? It’s important. Even if it doesn’t work out and I have to find another job, I have to find something I like to do. For me, it’s easy because I like racing. It was an easy decision for me to make. I’ve PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
