Driver Q & A Harrison Burton

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.

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.

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 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.

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

wanted to be a race car driver since I was 5 years old. Whenever kids say their crazy dream job, I was lucky enough to get it. Having fun is the easy part for me. Whether I’m working out or watching film, I enjoy it. I like finding ways to be better than the people I compete against. If you lose the fun of it, you’re not going to put in the effort and you’re not going to get the results. You’re going to flame out of the sport pretty quickly.

What’s awesome for me is I’ve been around it my whole life. I grew up around my dad always working and racing. I saw how hard it was for him, especially toward the end of his career with how hard he worked and how badly he wanted it. The results were there, but they weren’t championships. For me, watching my dad work as hard as he did and be as good as he was, but not win a championship kind of made it clear how tough this sport is.

It’s going to take everything you got to be the best you can be, and the people around you are going to have to give everything they’ve got. I have the best support system like my dad did, and most of them are the same people. I think I’m prepared for it because of how I grew up and I’ve been around it my whole life.

I don’t know. Racing is really tough because there’s no blueprint. There’s no, “If you do this and this, work on this, then you’ll be a winner.” It’s a lot different than basketball, where you can work on three-point shots and free throws. You can’t drive a race car every day and work on every little thing. Choosing what to focus on and how to focus on that thing is really tough. The thing that separates me is my work ethic and the people who are around me that point me in the right direction. I’m fully committed to the sport and I want to be the greatest that I can possibly be. I have people around me who have seen people and know what it takes. They point me toward that direction, and then I go at it with a full head of steam. That’s been a good formula so far.

It’s awesome because I can learn from them all. I’ve worked with Kyle (Busch), who’s obviously fantastic. Coach (Joe Gibbs) never drove, but he’s a great leader and a guy who can teach you how to lead. He’s led teams to Super Bowls and NASCAR championships. That’s not a coincidence. Going to the Wood Brothers, I’m not sure what the main lesson I’ll take away from them is yet. Looking on the outside, I think they’re great people who do things the right way. I think all of those people together make me a better driver and a better person. I’m able to take things from each place where I’ve been and the great people from these places to be better from it. I’m really thankful for the exposure I’ve had to amazing people like that. Even out of racing, it made me a better person and it’s a privilege to be around those people.

I think my dad is a top candidate for that one. My dad has taught me the ways of success and the work that needs to be put in. I’ve learned a lot from my mom, too, because she was the one willing to sacrifice for my dad. She was willing to be on the other side of the country with my sister or myself while my dad was on the other side. My sister and I didn’t make it easy on them. The Cup Series schedule itself is busy. My sister was riding horses and I was driving race cars. They were split in the middle between us, trying to figure out how to make it work. Watching them sacrifice time with each other for us has made me understand how important it is to make the most of time.

Hopefully, I’m not watching it (laughs). I like to watch it after races, though. I never understood that. I’m always like, “Hey, I’m going to be OK. I got this.” I don’t know if she doesn’t trust me yet, but she’s definitely nervous. That’s OK because that’s who she is and she doesn’t hide it. It’s going to be funny, that’s for sure. I enjoy looking at Twitter afterward and seeing her jump up and down. It’s fun.

Use as directed. *with headache or body aches and pains ©2021 Bayer