NASCAR WCUP: Jeff Burton Interview: Racing at Kansas

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

September 25, 2001

Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 99 Citgo SUPERGARD Taurus was one of many teams that tested at the Kansas Speedway in preparation for this weekend's inaugural Protection One 400. Burton, who shared the test with Roush Racing teammates Mark Martin and Kurt Busch, spoke about the rest of the 2001 season.

JEFF BURTON --99-- Citgo SUPERGARD Taurus -- AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AT DAYTONA, YOU SAID AT ROCKINGHAM THAT "THIS HAS ALREADY FELT LIKE A YEAR." WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE NOW WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAS HAPPENED RECENTLY? "I told Mike Helton the other day. I told him, 'You know, you don't feel like you're standing on your feet this year because everytime you get ready to get on your feet, something knocks you back on your butt.' That's the way it's felt. I feel bad for him. I mean, he's had the weirdest presidency of NASCAR anyone could ever expect. It's been an awful year. It's been one thing after another and I'll be glad when it gets done."

THERE ARE ONLY NINE OR 10 RACES LEFT. DOES IT FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO TAKE FOREVER TO GET THROUGH THOSE? "There are days I think, 'There are only 10 races left.' Then there are days I think, 'Oh my God, there are 10 races left.' A lot of that depends on how you finish. With all the stuff that's going on outside of racing, it's still gonna be going on. That adds to it, so the only thing that will effect it is what else in your life is going on and how? If you're racing is going well, then it will be only nine or 10 races. If it's not going well, it will be 'Oh my gosh, there are 10 races.'

WILL GOING TO A NEW PLACE LIKE KANSAS CITY MAKE IT EASIER OR MORE EXCITING BECAUSE IT'S SOME PLACE DIFFERENT? "Not right now. In the past it has, but I'm just ready to get this thing over. What's keeping me motivated is getting prepared for next year. I'm not writing this year off, don't get me wrong, but what I'm saying is what's got me motivated now is what we do in the next 10 races will determine a great deal of how we approach next year. So, I've got to stay on my toes because if we head down the wrong path right now, it will have lasting effects. We've got to stay on our toes the next 10 races to really understand. The other thing is I want to make a statement about where this team is and where we finish in the points will allow us to make a statement to our competitors. I want that to be a positive statement. If we can have the year we've had, and everybody has said it's been a terrible year and we haven't done this and haven't done that -- and all of those things are true -- but we can still come out with a pretty good point finish, then we've made a stand. We've stuck our finger in the dike and kept the water from coming out. We've made a stand and said, 'We are still a formidable force.' That's important to me because what I see in my competitors' eyes and how they look at me as a driver and how they respect me as a competitor is really important to me."

WHAT DID YOU TAKE FROM YOUR KANSAS CITY TEST? IS IT SIMILAR TO CHICAGO? "It reminds me of a combination between Las Vegas and Chicago. It¹s not exactly like Las Vegas and it's not exactly like Chicago, it seems to be a mix between the two. It's a really nice facility."

A LOT OF TEAMS HAVE SAID THAT WHEN IT COMES TO TIRES, SCUFFS WILL BE THE PREFERENCE, DID YOU WALK AWAY FROM TESTING WITH THAT INFORMATION? "We saw the same thing too and we saw it at Chicago too during testing. For whatever reason, those new race tracks and this new tire just doesn't feel good until after you run awhile. We saw that especially during testing, but when it came to the race it really wasn't like that. I think looking back on it, the situation changes the more rubber is put down on the race track and I think it will make things better all around."

DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE TWO GROOVES BEFORE THE WEEKEND IS OVER? "I think there is a possibility of two grooves. Odds are there won't, but eventually there will be. There is more of a chance for two grooves coming in at Kansas City than there was at Chicago."

Text provided by Greg Shea

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