Jumping through hoops: Competition spurs Burton

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- His favorite college basketball team is poised to complete a run at a national championship.

And make no mistake, driver Jeff Burton is a passionate fan of Duke basketball. But that's not all that consumes him in his life away from the race. During a break between raindrops at Martinsville Speedway, Burton discussed not only Duke's Final Four chances and which of the other three remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament concern him the most, but also his passion for being a father to 14-year-old daughter, Paige, and 9-year-old son, Harrison.

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Q: Your Blue Devils should win the NCAA Tournament now, shouldn't they?

Burton: There are a bunch of teams that should have won it all when it started who aren't going to. What's cool about the tournament is that there is no second chance. If you win, you're in; if you lose, you're out. ... The teams are really evenly matched, no matter what people want to say about one being a No. 1 seed or another being a No. 10 seed. When you get to this point in the tournament, it's usually going to be two top-20 teams playing each other. In college basketball, 14 points usually is considered a blowout. That's seven made baskets, and that's pretty close. That's why I like college basketball so much. You never know what's going to happen.

Q: What other teams left in the Final Four worry you the most?

Burton: Well, in my pool I had West Virginia going to the final. From watching them, I thought West Virginia was really good. I had West Virginia and Kansas in the final, if that tells you anything.

Q: What do you like so much about West Virginia?

Burton: I don't want to say they play dirty, but they're real aggressive. They're in your face all the time -- and that causes other teams problems.

Q: Well, doesn't it seem like their coach, Bob Huggins, has them sort of playing with a chip on their shoulder?

Burton: He has a chip on his shoulder, doesn't he? But they're good.

Q: Transitioning to another subject, with a 14-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, are you going to be giving fatherly advice to any of these drivers currently participating in NASCAR's baby boom?

Burton: There used to be a lot of kids around the garage amongst drivers, and then, just because there was a shift in how old the drivers were, suddenly there were none. It's nice to see it come back around. It's good to see.

For my daughter, there were a lot more kids her age growing up in the garage vs. the way it is now. It's good to see it coming back -- because it's part of life, part of growing up. Having a family is pretty rewarding. I think it provides balance in your life. I don't know if I have any advice to offer, but I really enjoy being a father. It's fun; it's challenging; it's hard. But it's very rewarding. (Continued)