John Edward"Ward"Burton III(born October 25, 1961) is an American former professionalstock car racingdriver. He has five career wins in theNASCAR Winston Cup Series,including the2002 Daytona 500and the 2001Southern 500.A member of the Burton racing family, he is the older brother of fellow NASCAR driver andNASCAR on NBCbroadcasterJeff Burton,the father of currentNASCAR Xfinity SeriesdriverJeb Burton,and the uncle of currentNASCAR Cup SeriesdriverHarrison Burton.He currently operates the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, a conservation and sportsmans' organization.
| Ward Burton | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Burton in 2019 | |||||||
| Born | John Edward Burton III October 25, 1961 South Boston, Virginia,U.S. | ||||||
| Achievements | 2002Daytona 500Winner 2001Southern 500Winner LedBusch Seriesin poles in1993 | ||||||
| NASCARCup Seriescareer | |||||||
| 375 races run over 13 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 9th (1999) | ||||||
| First race | 1994Pontiac Excitement 400(Richmond) | ||||||
| Last race | 2007Subway 500(Martinsville) | ||||||
| First win | 1995AC Delco 400(Rockingham) | ||||||
| Last win | 2002New England 300(Loudon) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCARXfinity Seriescareer | |||||||
| 161 races run over 10 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 6th (1993) | ||||||
| First race | 1990Pontiac 200(Richmond) | ||||||
| Last race | 2007Carfax 250(Michigan) | ||||||
| First win | 1992Goodwrench 200(Rockingham) | ||||||
| Last win | 1993Slick 50 300(Atlanta) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCARCraftsman Truck Seriescareer | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| Best finish | 59th (2012) | ||||||
| First race | 2012NextEra Energy Resources 250(Daytona) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics current as of April 17, 2013. | |||||||
NASCAR career
editNASCAR Busch Series career
editBurton began his NASCARBusch Seriescareer in the1990 seasonand competed full-time for four seasons. In his first season, he had 23 starts with three Top 10 finishes, ending the season in 21st place. His results improved steadily over the next three years. For his second season, he had 29 starts with two Top 5 finishes and 10 Top 10 finishes, completing the season in 18th place.
Burton's third season in 1992 brought his first win on February 29 atRockinghamin the number 27Gwaltneycar owned by Alan Dillard. He completed the season in eighth place overall with one win, three Top 5 finishes and 10 Top 10 finishes. His final full-time season in 1993 brought three more wins, nine Top’s 5, and 10 Top 10’s, ending up in sixth place in the final points standings. In 1995, Burton started driving for Buz McCall in the No. 95Caterpillar, Inc.-sponsored Chevrolet after John Tanner was released. He drove for Bill Davis Racing in 1996 for eight starts in the No. 22MBNA-sponsored Pontiac. Burton did not start another Busch Series race until 1999 when he ran five more races forBill Daviswith a sponsorship fromSiemens.He accumulated three Top 5 and five Top 10 finishes including a second-place finish atDover International Speedway.He also ran one race forInnovative Motorsportsand their No. 47Chevrolet.
In 2000, Burton ran five more races for Davis with a sponsorship fromPolaris Industriesand one race with Innovative Motorsports. He then ran two races in 2001 forTommy Baldwin Jr.'s new team with aPillsburysponsorship.
On January 2, 2007Brewco Motorsports Inc.announced Burton would drive the No. 27Kleenex-sponsoredFord Fusionin the Busch Series in 2007. Burton was to drive 20 races for Brewco Motorsports and Kleenex, beginning with the Orbitz 300 atDaytona International Speedway.He was released late in the season.
NASCAR Cup career
edit
1994–1999
editBurton moved up to the Winston Cup Series in 1994. He ran 26 of 31 races in the No. 31Hardee's-sponsoredChevyforA.G. Dillard Motorsports,winning his first career pole atCharlotte Motor Speedwayand finishing 35th in standings. He returned to the No. 31 ride in 1995 but he was released on August 20, one day after finishing 6th at Michigan. The next weekend at Bristol, he moved to the No. 22Bill Davis RacingMBNA-sponsoredPontiacafter 21 races, and he won the AC-Delco 400 at Rockingham toward the end of that season.Caterpillarbecame the new primary sponsor for the car in 1999, when he picked up a career high 9th-place points finish, with 6 top five finishes and 16 top ten finishes. He scored three second place finishes that season, at Las Vegas, Darlington and Rockingham, and on all three occasions brother Jeff won the race.
2000–2007
editIn the2000 season,he won theMall 400atDarlington Racewayand had seventeen Top 10 finishes to finish 10th in the final points standings. Bill Davis Racing switched toDodgein thenext season,when he won theMountain Dew Southern 500atDarlington Racewayand had ten Top 10 finishes to finish 14th in the final points standings. Burton had also led the most laps inthat year's Daytona 500but retired after 173 laps after having been involved in the Big One.
In the2002 Daytona 500,Burton drove among the lead cars and was among the lead pack late in the race. However, he took the lead becauseSterling Marlin,who was in front of him at the time, climbed out of his car and tried to fix a damaged right-front fender during a red flag, drawing a penalty as repairs are prohibited during red flag conditions except for non-points paying races. As Marlin was sent to the back of the field at the restart, Burton inherited the lead and maintained it, holding offElliott SadlerandGeoffrey Bodinefor the win.[1]
He also won theNew England 300atNew Hampshirebut due to numerous mechanical failures, he fell to 25th in the point standings, but after his win in Loudon, however, 2002 would mark the first and only time in his career that he would win multiple races in a single season. At Bristol, he was involved in a wreck where he threw his brakepads atDale Earnhardt Jr.for wrecking him in turn 3 late in the race.2003was a season of poorer finishes for Burton. He only had four Top 10s, and he left Bill Davis Racing with four races left in the season to begin driving the No. 0NetZero-sponsored Pontiac forHaas CNC Racing.He finished the season 21st in the final points standings.
In the2004 season,Burton raced Haas CNC Racing's No. 0NetZeroHiSpeed-sponsored car to three Top 10 finishes but was released from the team with two races left in the season. He spent the next two seasons as a free agent. He returned to the Sprint Cup series late in the2006 season,driving the No. 4Lucas Oil-sponsored Chevrolet forMorgan-McClure Motorsports.His first race with the team was theSubway 500at Martinsville Speedway on October 22, 2006. He started 35th and finished 26th as the last car on the lead lap. On November 5, 2006 atTexas Motor Speedwayin his next driving opportunity, he started 37th and finished 25th. On December 12, Burton signed with Morgan-McClure Motorsports to drive the No. 4 car full-time in 2007. That year, his performance was lackluster, posting a best finish of 14th. On November 12, he was released from Morgan-McClure Motorsports so that the team could "evaluate performance." Morgan-McClure closed up shop shortly afterward.
Following his release, Burton did not officially retire; however, it was not until 2012 that he returned to NASCAR, signing withHillman Racingto run in the season-openingCamping World Truck Seriesrace atDaytona International Speedway,as well as selected races later in the year as a teammate to his sonJeb.[2]
Burton joinedTurner Scott Motorsportsas a driver coach for the team starting in 2013, where he assisted with driver development for the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series teams. However, just prior to the start of the 2014 season, the primary sponsor of the team defaulted on a payment, and the team was shut down.[3]
Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries
edit
On November 1, 2005, then Virginia GovernorMark Warnerappointed Burton to theVirginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries.[4]As a resident ofHalifax County, Virginia,Burton assumed the seat on the board for Virginia's 5th Congressional District that was formerly held by C. Wilson McNeely, IV, who resigned after six years of service.
Burton, an avid sportsman and conservationist, is the founder and president of the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, and he has been a spokesperson for Virginia's 34 state parks since 2003.
Further achievements in conservation
edit- The Governor's Environmental Excellence Award, 2008.
- Honorary co-leader of theVirginia Natural History Museumin Martinsville fundraising efforts.
- Partner with theNatural Resources Conservation Serviceto create awareness for the need to protect and create additional wetlands in America.
- Involved with the 4-H clubs in Alabama and Virginia through PSAs and assisting4-Hclubs to conduct wildlife enhancement programs on Foundation land.
Personal life
editBurton was born inDanville, Virginiabut considersSouth Boston, Virginiahis hometown. In January of 1990, Burton married a young widower named Tabitha Conner (née Throckmorton). Burton and Tabitha, have three children: Sarah (Tabitha's daughter whom Burton adopted),Jeb,and Ashton. His nephew is Alexander Burton. He owns several thousand acres of hunting land in rural Virginia close to his hometown of South Boston, Virginia. He also has a home inNags Head, North Carolina.
Burton's family ancestry can be traced back through Colonial Virginia where the landing of his earliest ancestor Richard Burton came over to theJamestown Colony.He currently serves as a member of theBoard of Directorsfor thePatrick Henry Memorial FoundationinBrookneal, Virginia.[5]
Motorsports career results
editNASCAR
edit(key) (Bold– Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics– Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Nextel Cup Series
editDaytona 500
edit| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | A.G. Dillard Motorsports | Chevrolet | DNQ | |
| 1995 | 21 | 15 | ||
| 1996 | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 13 | 26 |
| 1997 | 17 | 8 | ||
| 1998 | 9 | 25 | ||
| 1999 | 18 | 24 | ||
| 2000 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2001 | Dodge | 10 | 35 | |
| 2002 | 19 | 1 | ||
| 2003 | 17 | 38 | ||
| 2004 | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 19 | 17 |
| 2007 | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | DNQ | |
Busch Series
editCamping World Truck Series
edit| NASCARCamping World Truck Seriesresults | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | NCWTC | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Hillman Racing | 27 | Chevy | DAY 8 |
MAR | CAR | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | KEN | IOW | CHI | POC | MCH | BRI | ATL | IOW | KEN | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 59th | 36 | [30] | ||||||||||||||||
References
edit- ^"Marlin's tale confirms weird ending of Great American Race".CNN-Sports Illustrated.February 17, 2002. Archived fromthe originalon April 10, 2013.RetrievedMarch 20,2013.
- ^Fellin, Billy (January 26, 2012)."Ward Burton returns to race at Daytona".Richmond Times-Dispatch.Richmond, Virginia. Archived fromthe originalon February 5, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 27,2012.
- ^"Jeb Burton loses Truck Series ride after sponsor defaults".USA Today.
- ^"USATODAY - NASCAR's Ward Burton picked for Va. fish, game board".Usatoday30.usatoday. November 1, 2005.RetrievedAugust 1,2022.
- ^Hill, Patrick Henry's Red."Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation".Patrick Henry's Red Hill.RetrievedDecember 10,2022.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1990 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1991 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1992 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1993 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1995 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1996 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1998 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 1999 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2000 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2001 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- ^"Ward Burton – 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedAugust 24,2015.
- The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan Guide 1998–99,by Bill Fleischman and Al Pearce (1999)
- wardburton
External links
edit
- Official website
- Ward Burtondriver statistics at Racing-Reference
- The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation