Driver of the #99 Roush Racing Ford Taurus

For the last 28 years, Jeff Burton has been crossing the finish line in a racecar. From go-karts to NASCAR Winston Cup cars, Burton has seen plenty of success along the way. He's become one of the sports most outspoken safety advocates and continues to dominate both on the track, with 17 total Winston Cup career wins and 20 Busch Series wins, and off the track, with his charitable work at Duke Children's Hospital and continued dedication to his family.

His racing career began at the ripe age of seven when he began driving go-karts at South Boston Speedway in his hometown of South Boston, VA. It wasn't long before Burton became the go-kart champion and soon began climbing the racing ranks in search of more success on the track. Burton's Winston Cup career began in 1993 when he ran one race for owner Filbert Martocci. In 1994, Burton went on to join the Stavola Brothers team where he earned Rookie of the Year honors and finished 24th in the final point standing. That same year, he claimed two top-five and three top-10 finishes. Burton spent a second year with the Stavola Brothers in 1995 then joined owner Jack Roush in 1996.

In his first year with Roush Racing, Burton chalked up six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Burton saw victory lane for the first time in a Winston Cup car in 1997 during the inaugural race at Texas Motor Speedway. He visited victory lane two more times and collected 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes while closing out his second year with Roush, finishing fourth in the overall Winston Cup point standings. Nineteen ninety-seven also placed Burton into a Busch Series car for the first time under the ownership of Jack Roush. He began his Busch career in 1988 in a car owned by his father John Burton, winning his first Busch Series race in 1990 in a car owned by Sam Ard. From 1997 to 2002, Burton has run the No. 9 Busch car part time. He's racked up 16 wins, 46 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes in just 79 Busch Series races with Roush Racing.

Burton continued his Winston Cup success with Roush by driving to victory lane twice in 1998 and six times in 1999 while accruing 18 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes each year. Continuing his consistency from 1998 to 1999, Burton finished fifth in the overall Winston Cup point standings for two consecutive years. Burton continued his success in 2000 making a strong run at the championship by winning four races and posting 15 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes. Burton would settle for third in the overall Winston Cup point standings.

Two thousand-one proved to be challenging for Burton and the No. 99 CITGO team. In the end, the team overcame the odds and made two trips to victory lane, once at the Coca-Cola 600 and for the second year in a row at Phoenix. The No. 99 CITGO team finished a strong 10th in the overall Winston Cup point standings and Burton also claimed eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

Burton and the No. 99 team got off to a slow start in 2002 and finished the season 12th in the overall Winston Cup point standings. Burton took home five top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, almost half of which came during the last 11 races of the season under the new direction of crew chief Paul Andrews. Burton would have success in the No. 9 Busch Series car chalking up five wins, two poles, eight top-five and nine top-10 finishes in only 14 races.

"Two thousand-two was certainly disappointing," said Burton. "The CITGO team went into the year feeling pretty good based on 2001 but as soon as we got started, we knew we were behind. We never got caught up, the desire was there, but the results were never there. The thing we have lacked the last two years is speed. We have to find our way back to going fast. If you don't go fast you can't accomplish your goals. The primary goal is to go fast. It's not that other things are secondary, but if you aren't going fast it doesn't matter.

"My biggest goal as a driver is to go faster. If that car will speak to me and tell me what it wants, we'll win. If it won't, we won't. I'm looking for that racecar to talk to me."

Burton and the No. 99 CITGO team have re-vamped headed into 2003 and are looking to be a championship contending team with one goal in mind, to win. Posting the fourth most points in the last six races of 2002 is a clear indication that they are headed in that direction.

"Paul coming on board was the first step towards a championship," says Burton. "Paul's calmness and collectiveness, his attitude about how to run a team, all those things are conducive to winning races and that's what you have to do first is win races. We have to build confidence in ourselves, improve our pit stops, reliability and go faster. I'm convinced Paul knows how to do that. We've repositioned some people and expanded our company to allow people to concentrate on their jobs and I think all of that together will enable us to win races and a championship in 2003."

Jeff Burton “Through the Years”
Career Highlights

2002

* Five top-five and 14 top-10 finishes
* Finished 12th in the overall Winston Cup point standings
* Accrued the fourth most points in the last six races of the 2002 Winston Cup season
* Five Busch Series victories: Las Vegas (March); Darlington (March & August); Kansas City (September); Charlotte (October)
* Back to back wins and poles in the Busch Series: Las Vegas (March) and Darlington (March)
* Eight top-five and nine top-10 Busch finishes in 14 races

2001

* Two Winston Cup victories: Charlotte (May); Phoenix (October)
* One Busch Series victory: Darlington (September)
* Finished with eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in the Winston Cup Series
* Finished with four top-five and nine top-10 finishes in the Busch Series out of 11 starts
* Wrapped up 2001 with a 10th-place finish in the Winston Cup point standings

2000

* Four Winston Cup victories: Las Vegas; Daytona (July); Loudon (September); Phoenix
* Second career Winston Cup pole: Richmond (September)
* Finished with 15 top-five finishes and 22 top-10 finishes in the Winston Cup Series
* Concluded the 2000 season third in the Winston Cup point standings
* Four Busch Series victories: Las Vegas; Charlotte (May); Richmond (September); Phoenix
* Finished with 11 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in the Busch Series (14 races competed in)

1999

* Six Winston Cup victories: Las Vegas; Darlington (March & September); Charlotte (May); New Hampshire (July); Rockingham (October)
* Finished fifth in the Winston Cup point standings
* Had 18 top-five finishes and 23 top-10 finishes in the Winston Cup Series
* One Busch Series victory: Rockingham
* Finished with seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes (14 races competed in)
* One Busch Series pole: Richmond

1998

* Two Winston Cup victories: Loudon (July); Richmond (September)
* Finished fifth in the Winston Cup points standings
* Three Busch Series victories: Richmond; Michigan; Homestead
* Finished with seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes (13 races competed in)
* Two Busch Series poles: Darlington; Michigan
* IROC Victory in Michigan

1997

* Three Winston Cup victories: Texas (April); Loudon (July); Martinsville (September)
* Finished fourth in the Winston Cup points standings
* Two Busch Series victories: Bristol; Darlington
* Finished with nine top-five and 10 top-10 finishes (13 races competed in)
* One Busch Series pole: Rockingham

1996

* First Winston Cup pole: Michigan (August)
* Six top-five finishes: Daytona (February); Richmond (March, September); Loudon; North Wilkesboro (September); Rockingham (October)
* First year driving for Roush Racing

1995

* Two top-10 finishes: Bristol (ninth); Rockingham (fifth)

1994

* NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie-of-the-Year Award
* Posted three top-10 finishes, including fourth at Atlanta (March) and Pocono (July)

1993

* Fourth career Busch Grand National win at Myrtle Beach
* Three top-five finishes and 10 top-10 finishes in the Busch Series
* First Winston Cup Series race (Loudon)

1992

* Third career Busch Grand National win at Loudon
* Four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in the Busch Series

1991

* Second career Busch Grand National win at South Boston
* Three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in the Busch Series
* Two Busch Series poles: Richmond; Bristol

1990

* First career Busch Grand National win at Martinsville
* Three top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes in the Busch Series
* One Busch Series pole: Orange

1989

* Two top-five and six top-10 finishes in the Busch Series
* Team was owned by father, John Burton

1988

* First season in the Busch Series (competed in five races)
* Team was owned by father, John Burton