"For young drivers, it's hard to take that stand" - NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton on balancing personal improvement with car development in Next-Gen era

Jeff Burton recently discussed how being a better race car driver and building a better race car go hand in hand. The 57-year-old emphasized how Next-Gen drivers have increased opportunities to improve and develop than he had in his racing days.

Burton is a former NASCAR driver turned racing commentator. He is the father of Wood Brothers Racing driver Harrison Burton. The senior Burton hails from a racing family. His brother, Ward Burton, competed in the Cup and Xfinity Series. Moreover, his nephew, Jeb Burton, currently competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for Jordan Anderson Racing.

In a recent episode of Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast, Burton, who won 21 Cup Series races, spoke about young drivers not having enough "clout" to have a say in building a race car and instead solely focusing on being a better driver. He said:

"There's a danger in the focus being just on the driver being better when the car needs to be better too, because no matter who drives a race car, a faster race car goes faster." [0:24]

Burton claimed that a driver has more influence once they win races. He said:

"When you win a certain amount of races you have enough clout to get what you need but as you're as you're working away through this journey. How can you find a way to be integrated into the team in a way that you have a say." [0:57]

"And that it's more than just you trying to be a better race car driver is you trying to help build a better race car and be a better race car driver because the two go hand in hand. And there is no right or wrong way. There's a lot of different ways. If you're a young driver it's hard to take that stand," Burton added.

Harrison, Jeff Burton's son, has been the center of attention after the #21 Ford driver claimed his maiden Cup Series triumph in a thrilling last-lap battle at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race. This win was also Wood Brothers Racing's official 100th overall win.

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"He did it" - Jeff Burton's heartfelt reaction to his son's first Cup Series victory

The 25th Cup Series race of the season witnessed Harrison Burton claiming his first win in his third full-time season in the Cup Series competing for the historic Wood Brothers Racing.

In the final lap of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race at Daytona International Speedway, Burton edged past the two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch to book a spot in the 2024 playoff rounds.

In a conversation on Kevin Harvick's podcast, Jeff Burton opened up on his emotions after his son claimed victory at the esteemed Daytona track. He said:

"Watching Harrison struggle the last three years, watching what's going on with him and how that's affected him and the fight he's continued to bring, those last two laps were just incredible because, you know, he's spent a lot of time watching video and talking and studying, and everything that he had been working on, the opportunity was in front of him." [2:05]

"And then he did it, um, you know, after he's lost his job, and he did it for the Wood Brothers," Jeff added.

As things stand, Harrison Burton is being replaced by Josh Berry in the #21 Ford at WBR for the 2025 season. However, a win in the penultimate race of the regular season might have opened up opportunities for the 23-year-old's future in the Cup Series.