DRIVER SPOTLIGHT
PRESENTED BY
MEET THE BURTONS: WARD & JEB Ward and Jeb Burton have a lot in common, but the father and son also have their own unique takes on various topics. NASCAR Pole Position interviewed the two Burtons – separately – and asked them the same questions. Here’s what they had to say. BY JARED TURNER
Jeb Burton
Ward Burton
FAVORITE FOOD: I’d have to go with ribeye steak.
FAVORITE FOOD: Wild game and things of that nature.
FAVORITE MOVIE: “Saving Private Ryan.”
FAVORITE MOVIE: “The Cowboys” with John Wayne.
RACING HERO: It was dad. When he wasn’t racing anymore, I leaned on
RACING HERO: Bobby Allison.
BIRTHDATE: Aug. 6, 1992.
BIRTHDATE: Oct. 25, 1961.
Jimmie Johnson when I first came into the sport. He took time with me and
PROUDEST LIFE ACCOMPLISHMENT: Probably all of the growth and
would talk to me a lot, to be honest.
difference we’ve made for others and land and youth outreach and veteran
PROUDEST LIFE ACCOMPLISHMENT: That’s a tough one. Probably No.
outreach with the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. I never would have
1 was locking down my wife to be with me. No. 2 is starting this outdoors
believed we would accomplish what we’ve accomplished and gotten to
show (“Crossroads with the Burtons” on the Sportsman Channel) and trying
where we’ve gotten with a sustained conservation effort.
to have a successful racing career at the same time.
PERSONAL VEHICLE: Chevrolet Duramax Diesel 2500 HD. It’s a 2015 with
PERSONAL VEHICLE: 2012 Chevy Silverado with 123,000 miles.
about 150,000 miles on it.
BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED: I would say my dad’s advice just
BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED: A dear friend of mine, C.R. Sanders,
to never give up on your dreams and just keep working hard. If you want to
told me when I was very young, on a piece of property he was letting me and
do something, keep trying to make it happen and you can do it.
his children use, “Even though I own the land, I’m just a steward of the land.”
BEST NASCAR MEMORY: Probably winning at Talladega in the Xfinity
BEST NASCAR MEMORY: My Daytona 500 and Southern 500 wins
Series, I would say.
FIRST NASCAR WIN: Feb. 29, 1992 (NASCAR Xfinity Series race at
FIRST NASCAR WIN: June 7, 2013 (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Rockingham Speedway).
race at Texas Motor Speedway).
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE JEB’S DRIVING STYLE: Aggressive, drives
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DAD’S DRIVING STYLE: I would just
every lap like the last lap, intense.
say aggressive.
WHO’S THE BETTER HUNTER: I would have to say right now Jeb is because
WHO’S THE BETTER HUNTER: I think I am now just because I put more
he spends a whole lot more time on it than I do.
effort into it than he does.
WHO WINS IN A FIVE-LAP RACE IN LATE MODELS AT HICKORY MOTOR
WHO WINS IN A FIVE-LAP LATE MODEL RACE AT HICKORY MOTOR
SPEEDWAY: Probably Jeb right now because I’m rusty since I haven’t been
SPEEDWAY: I think I would because he hasn’t been in one in so long, you know?
in a race in a long time.
WHAT IF YOU WERE GOING UP AGAINST 2002 WARD BURTON IN HIS
WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU WERE IN YOUR PRIME: I’d have to say I’m going to
PRIME: I’d say it would come down to whose car was handling better at that
win. I’m not going bend over on that one and take it for him or anybody else.
point, because I think it would be tough. I think we’d probably wreck each other.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED: Just as someone who
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED: Just a honest, hard-
lives by the code, with honesty and integrity, and I’ve always gone out
working guy that would treat you like you wanted to be treated and treat
of my way to treat others the way I wanted to be treated, and have a
everybody fairly.
damn strong work ethic.
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POLE POSITION 2022
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
