Jeff Burton's racing career began at the age of seven when he began racing go-karts at South Boston Speedway in his hometown of South Boston, Va. Before he was done, Burton had notched a pair of Virginia state go-kart championships and four runner-up efforts.
He graduated to pure stock class at South Boston in 1984. In 1986, his second full season in the class, Burton won six late model races. Two years later, Burton won seven of 21 features at South Boston and was named the track's most popular driver.
Burton's first NASCAR victory came in the Busch Series at Martinsville in 1990. He finished 15th in the series points that season. In 1991 and '92, Burton improved slightly, finishing 12th in the Busch Series standings in both years.
He debuted in the Cup Series in 1993, making his only start that season at New Hampshire International Speedway in July. He finished 37th after an accident took him out of contention after just 52 laps.
In 1994, Burton raced a full schedule and earned rookie of the year honors with two top-five and three top-10 finishes. Two years later, Burton joined Roush Racing and finished 13th in the Cup standings with six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes.
Burton didn't just enter Victory Lane in 1997, he made himself feel at home, winning at Texas, New Hampshire and Martinsville en route to his first top-10 points finish -- a third-place effort.
Burton is one of the most outspoken drivers on the circuit on safety matters and is also a huge fan of the Duke University basketball team.
