John Edward (Ward) Burton
Birthdate: October 25th, 1961
Spouse: Tabitha
Children: Sarah, Jeb and Ashton
Hometown: South Boston, VA
Resides: Halifax, VA
Ward Burton was ready to face the challenges of the new Dodge Intrepid, the new Dodge engine and the two new races added to the 2001 season. He approached the season with the desire to quiet all the doubters about him and his new Dodge program.
At the season opener, Burton almost made it possible to silence the critics when his new Dodge took to the track and showed its strength. Dodges occupied the front row and he wasnt far behind. During the race he could pull away from the competition and maintain the lead in the most notorious event of the season. Until his day came to an end after a 20 car melee forced him and several other drivers to the infield care center and their machines to the garage. Burtons hopes of the Daytona 500 victory had washed away in the Daytona Beach sand.
But, that wasnt the worst that happened. Dale Earnhardt was killed in a last lap crash in turn four, while his two drivers, Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., went on to finish one - two. It was the most devastating blow in the history of NASCAR.
That was certainly the lowest point in my career. Dale Earnhardt was NASCAR. He had helped build the sport to where it is today. He revolutionized the way we market teams, drivers and sponsors.
We picked ourselves up and moved on to Rockingham, probably one of the hardest things to do. We spent a lot of time gathered with our families and tried to make sense out of something we thought would never happen. Its just when you lose somebody of Dales caliber, you realize it can happen to you.
Burtons promising showing in the season opener with his new Dodge didnt transfer on to other tracks immediately. Burton and the Caterpillar Racing team found themselves struggling to grasp the new Goodyear tire along with the new-found downforce with the new Dodge. It caused for a dismal first half of the season. Burton had just two top fives, two top 10s and four DNFs in the first half of the 2001 season, not exactly where he had hoped to be.
Things turned around for the No. 22 team after a test session at Indianapolis in July. Baldwin and Burton stumbled on some very valuable information that helped them turn things around for the Bill Davis Racing team. Burton had promising showings at Pocono and Indianapolis before capturing his third-career victory at Darlington Raceway.
That was a very special win for me and the entire team. I messed up qualifying and had to take provisional. The car was damaged during qualifying and the guys had to fix it. I felt terrible because that was a great car and I thought I had ruined my chances for the win. We fought all day and came from the back twice and won the Southern 500. It was just awesome. Especially since I used to go to Darlington and watch David Pearson and Bobby Allison get around there with such finesse.
The second half of the season brought new hope to the team for a better 2002. They ran competitively at every race they werent eliminated by mechanical failure or by another driver on the track.
If we had started the season the way we finished, we could have been right up there in the points. We got taken out a lot by other drivers and that frustrates you when you cant prevent it. I hope we can pick up in 2002 right where we left off in 2001.
If there is one thing the CAT team has on their side, its the fact that Burton can drive a race car. His talent can be traced back to his youth where he showed signs of greatness at the tender age of eight. Racing is something for which the Virginia-native has always had a knack.
I started racing go-karts when I was eight years old, said Burton. I raced around South Boston (Va.) with my dads help. We did that for a while until we joined the Virginia Karting Association. We raced on that circuit until I was 16 years old. I guess I finally got bored with it. Wed led just about every race and won a lot. We just outgrew the series and I became bored with it.
Burton took a break from the racing business to attend Hargrave Military Academy starting in the 10th grade. It was there that Burton became a First Lieutenant and was ranked first on the schools rifle team before graduating in 1979. Burton then attended Elon College for more than two years, before he decided he needed to develop a new outlook on life.
It was no surprise that Burton decided to remove himself and retreat to the woods, a place hed spent a lot of time with his grandfather, Ed Burton. He eventually returned to civilization and went to work for the family-owned construction company.
I returned to the construction company while my father had started taking Jeff to late model stock car races, said Burton. When I went to the races with them one night, I was offered a mini-stock race car to drive. I raced the mini-stock twice and was then offered a street stock ride.
Burton experienced phenomenal success when he raced street stocks full-time at South Boston Speedway in 1985. After accomplishing everything there was to accomplish, he made the move to late models in 1986.
Once I started racing late models full-time, everything came second to me, said Burton. We raced around Virginia, but mostly at Orange County and South Boston. We raced at each track about 10-15 times a year. At that point I had no idea that I could ever make a living through racing, I was doing it because I loved it. Although I was racing full-time, I still had to work to support my racing habits.
Burton had accomplished everything hed set out to do, so he made the move to the Busch Series full-time after Ed Free loaned him a race car. Burton had moderate success in the Busch Series, where he captured four victories at North Carolina Speedway (1992), Martinsville Speedway (1993), Orange County (1993) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (1993). In addition to his four victories, Burton scored 31 top-10 finishes in 111 starts. Burton competed in the NASCAR Busch Series for four seasons until making the move to NASCAR Winston Cup in 1994.
Burton drove for the A.G. Dillard Racing team through mid-season of 1995. He joined Bill Davis Racing in September 1995, where he committed to complete the season. In their first race together, Burton and car owner Bill Davis finished fourth at the Pepsi Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. After just seven races, Burton gave Bill Davis Racing their first NASCAR Winston Cup victory at North Carolina Speedway on October 22, 1995.
After mediocre seasons in 1996 and 1997, Burton got a boost in the form of crew chief Tommy Baldwin. Baldwin joined Bill Davis Racing in September 1998. Ultimately, Baldwin elevated the No. 22 Caterpillar Racing team to the next level.
1999 saw the No. 22 team continue up the ladder to the top. Burton and Baldwin led Bill Davis Racing to a career-best ninth-place finish in the point standings in 1999. In addition, they had six top-fives including three second-place finishes and 16 top-10 finishes and a Bud Pole Award. The No. 22 team became a quiet contender, slipped in the standings, but recovered with a strong end to the 2000 season. 2001 brought uncertainty with the new Dodge Intrepid, but the team capitalized on their situation and wrote it off as a learning year.
