Conversation: Jeff Burton

Four years ago, Jeff Burton finished third in the final standings, completing a four-year stretch in which he was never lower than fifth. Over the next three seasons, he finished 10th, 12th and 12th.

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But without a primary sponsor in 2004, it's been a struggle for Burton's No. 99 Ford team. He's 29th in the Nextel Cup standings after 11 races, with a best finish of seventh at Talladega. He was 14th Saturday night in the Chevy American Revolution 400.

NASCAR.COM's Marty Smith recently sat down with Burton to discuss NASCAR's westward expansion and how the sport has changed financially.

Q: NASCAR revised the 2005 schedule last weekend at Richmond. Let's start with some questions there. You've won at Rockingham, Darlington, Texas and Phoenix, so you've got a unique perspective on this situation. Which of those tracks deserve two dates, and why?

Burton: Well, that's a tough question. I don't know that tracks deserve two dates. The regions deserve two dates. To have two races at Rockingham and then also two races at Charlotte and two races at Darlington doesn't make much sense because you have an area of the country saturated with races.

To look at what we need to do to be successful as a sport, we need to look at it as a region rather than looking at it as a race track. The only exception to that might be a race track in a region that needs races but doesn't put on good races and doesn't bring fans in. You certainly wouldn't want to go there.

Short of that, going to Phoenix twice makes a whole lot of sense because it's a race track that typically sells out, it's a race track that people watch on TV and it's a race track that's in a region of the country that we need to be in as much as possible, although not too much.

I think that's how you have to look at it. I think Texas is in that same category. Rockingham and Darlington are getting hit here because No. 1, their attendance hasn't been that great, on TV or in person, and No. 2, where they happen to be, which years ago was their strength and is now their weakness.

They used to be very well-attended although they didn't have as many seats. They were in the part of the country where people wanted to go to racing. As that has expanded, being in the Southeast has actually become a detriment to them.

Q: What are your thoughts on going to California right after Daytona? NASCAR gets to take its 500 champion straight to the LA media market, but the crew guys will be worn out after preparing for Speedweeks, won't they?

Burton: Well, short of the truck drivers who have to go from Daytona to home to California, that's tough. The race after Daytona, quite honestly, is one of the easier races to prepare for because we're actually in Daytona for 10 days.

The problem with that is, the trucks have to leave so the crew chiefs and the people on the team that normally do the final little touches on the car before it leaves, they're going to be in Daytona when that is taking place.

Short of that, I don't think it's that big of an issue. As far as teams go, we won't go out there until Thursday anyway. Wherever we're going, we wouldn't go until Thursday anyway.

Q: I talked to you in the garage Friday night at Richmond, and you told me you don't think westward expansion with drastically effect teams financially.

Burton: I'm not completely educated to be saying this, but I believe the purses are better at California and at Phoenix than they are at Rockingham and Darlington. Maybe it's not, but I believe that to be true.

Certainly the more we travel, the more expensive it becomes and it's certainly easier to go to Rockingham and Darlington than it is to California and Phoenix.

Really the cost comes in when it's your travel costs. It's not necessarily your hotel costs. Most people go to Rockingham and Darlington and they stay there anyway, so it's the difference between how much it costs to get out there versus how much it costs to not get out there.

If the purses offset that, than I think it's OK.

Q: Fans are upset, think NASCAR's selling out to the almighty dollar and alienating tradition. What are your thoughts on that?

Burton: That does not mean that people who went to races in North Wilkesboro two times a year shouldn't be disappointed. They should be disappointed. That should be understood. The same time, NASCAR had to make the decision for the best interest of the sport.

And whenever you do that, there are a small group of people who are going to get hurt by it. I do not blame them. I have had things happen to me that I didn't think was right. But I look back on it and those things were done for the majority of the people.

And that is the world we live in. we live in a democracy and that is how it has to work.

Q: Speaking of innovators, Brian France ain't scared, is he?

Burton: Brian France should be commended in my opinion for not following 100 percent status quo. Brian France is strengthening the position NASCAR has had for a long time, and that is to make this sport accessible to as many people as possible. He is doing the things he and his group believe will nurture the sport and make it more exciting and more exhilarating.

	Brian France

He could have very easily walked into this thing and done it the way his father did and the way his uncle did it and the way his grandfather did it. He decided to try to do it better. And I think that is a hell of an accomplishment.

Bill (France) Jr. has really been progressive. Was really progressive, a lot of things people thought were crazy. And it worked out. The points system, for example. But now, even the harshest critics are saying it has some merit. But you're right. He ain't a bit scared. I think it's also important to note that he and Lisa (France Kennedy) grew up with this.

They probably have more understanding at how precious this sport is and how fragile it is. And they are taking that and using it for energy. And that is pretty cool. Lisa and Brian grew up with the people who made this sport. They have insight that we don't have.

I think they are using that insight for track development that will have long-term benefits for the sport. They still will have a long-term positive impact on this sport.

Q: On to this week's All-Star Challenge. You're the defending Open Winner, had to race your way into the big show last year. What's that pressure like?

Burton: In all honesty, it sucks. To be perfectly honest. I take a lot of pride in my competitiveness and my team's competitiveness.

We have never won a Winston. We came close to the championship a few times and didn't get it done. At a time where we are not as successful as we need to be, we have nothing to fall back on.

There are other teams that are in the race because they were successful. I am disappointed in two things: Disappointed that we didn't do something in the past to get it done and I am disappointed we didn't do something in the present to get it done.

That is a really neat event. It's heartbreaking to think there is a possibility I might not be in the event. I think I have been in it every year but once. I take a lot of pride in that.

Conversation runs every Monday at 3 p.m. on NASCAR.COM.