Chat Transcript: Ward Burton

February 23, 2001
5:10 PM EST (2210 GMT)

[Nascar_Host1] Welcome to NASCAR.com's chat with Ward Burton!

[Ward_Burton] It's really nice to be on NASCAR.com's new site and I am looking forward to answering questions from the fans.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [rayzors] Ward, do you feel that NASCAR has taken too much control over the cars on the superspeedways, and do you feel that there are too many cars being able to stay in the lead draft at three-wide?

[Ward_Burton] Well, from the very beginning when we had some of the incidents where some of the cars went close to getting in the stands, NASCAR has been trying to find a solution so that they can have a competitive race. They have to slow the cars down. They have tried to do everything possible. We have had close tests with all kinds of different rules. Now, the nature of restrictor-plate racing, it is three-wide. We all know that when you run that close for that long, something can happen. NASCAR has open arms for all kinds of suggestions. We will have talks with Mr. Nelson and Mr. Helton in the next few weeks. We want to put on a great, safe show, and NASCAR wants the same.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [nimhskp1] Ward, since AthletesDirect has stopped operations, do you plan to post journals at your official Yahoo! site until you get your site back running? We miss hearing from you!

[Ward_Burton] I am not really sure but I am glad you brought that up. A lot of people go to that site. I could not understand why it was not being updated, and I found out it was being dissolved. I am trying to get a new site up with a lot of race footage. I want to keep the news fresh, and get up some things that the Wildlife Foundation is working on, too.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [earnhardt333] Ward, what was it like racing with Dale?

[Ward_Burton] Dale Earnhardt was "The Man" on the racetrack and off. He was a tough competitor and you had to show him a lot of respect. You had to be on your toes with him. If he was behind you, anything could happen, but when I came along, he was very aggressive but he had gotten a little bit better. He is truly "the Intimidator." I'd rather see anyone on my back bumper than him. At the same time, it was a lot of fun to race him. The first race I won at "The Rock," I passed Dale, and a few laps later I passed Davey. After the Victory Lane ceremony, Dale told me what a great job I had done. That really made an impact -- coming from Dale. Everyone remembers him as a mentor and leader.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [welovecat22] Ward, did you talk to your children about what happened last weekend? Do they ever ask you to not race?

[Ward_Burton] Yes, I did. Actually we have had quite a few conversations. It was very difficult. My little boy Jeb liked Adam Petty a lot. I can't explain it all. Jeb was with me -- just him and I -- when Kenny had his wreck. I was able to go to the motorhome and get to Jeb before he heard the news. To have this happen to Dale ... well, everyone felt like he was invincible. That has made this very difficult. I can't say it won't happen to me, but you have to tell him why you do this. There has been a lot of crying going on at my house. They have told me, 'when you want to quit, we will support you.' I do not want to quit. We are all a father and a husband, but it does make this awfully difficult.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Hogdaddy] Ward, have you ordered one of those HANS devices yet? If not, will you?

[Ward_Burton] I have received a helmet from Simpson and I am going to be with the developer of the HANS. I am going to run Atlanta on Tuesday and I am actually going to have a main man from HANS at the track with me. I am still not sure if the HANS device is the answer. There are some other things from Simpson that we are also going to try to implement.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [APPS22FAN] Ward, you said in the local paper that you feel NASCAR should be suspended from superspeedways until they are made safe. Do you think that is something that can be done? Also, do you think NASCAR is trying too hard to sell ads instead of safety?

[Ward_Burton] No, I think the sport was developed by having competitive racecars. If they did not have a good show, we would not be where we are. I feel like we need to come up with a solution where the cars can get away from each other. Obviously I do not think that NASCAR has the answer and I do not think that I have the answer. The one thing that could put the racing back in the race teams is taking some of the banking out of these racetracks. That could possibly be the answer. Once the handling comes in to place, you can run as fast at MIS as you do at Daytona, but the cars do not run three-wide.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Dalton454] Ward, do you think a Dodge will be able to compete for the Championship this year?

[Ward_Burton] I do not know but that is a good question. There was a bunch of us that were competitive at Daytona. We really worked hard and we worked 10 months for that race. Aero-wise, the car is the best car out there. I do not know if we have an advantage, but we have learned a lot -- it has balance like a Ford. We did have some stumbling blocks in motor development. We tested the stress of different motors. I have my fingers crossed for this weekend, and if anyone can do it, I know we can. We have to stay out of trouble and race smart. If we get by this without problems, we will be competitive all year.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Dalton454] Ward, do you think the #3 should be retired? Why or why not?

[Ward_Burton] I am not the right one to ask, I guess. I think Richard Childress is the man to make that call, as well as NASCAR. If I had to answer yes or no, I would probably say yes, out of respect for the man who had a big part of leading the sport to where we are today. If not for Dale, what I do today may not exist.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Melissa] Ward, talk a little bit about racing your brother. Any sibling race rivalry?

[Ward_Burton] Jeff and I have a little history as we have created a problem or two for each other on occasion. We respect each other on and off the track. He wants to beat me more than anyone and we have a lot of fun at it. We had a lot of close races in 1999. We had three 1-2 finishes that year, but we will be door-to-door again sometime this weekend.

[Nascar_Host1] Ward, in Sports Illustrated you are basically quoted as calling Robby Gordon an idiot. Did you mean that?

[Ward_Burton] Well, I do not know Robby enough to call him an idiot. What disheartened me was not the bump. In the care center he did not acknowledge that he made a touch. We are all human, but I thought he should have been more honest, you know? I am still very disappointed. In the big picture, it does not seem that important. We had an awesome car at Daytona, and maybe Robby will come up to me this weekend. I have looked at the tape numerous times, and from the picture you can see clearly what happened.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [RWhalen3] Ward, how does it feel to have Bill Elliott as a fellow Dodge driver?

[Ward_Burton] I feel great about it. He is a smart racer. He has been around years and years and I have already asked him a lot of things - like at Daytona, what I was doing and not doing. I am real excited about Dodge, Bill's, and my opportunities. We want some exciting runs.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Texmex] Ward, would you like to see NASCAR run at venues outside the United States like CART is now doing?

[Ward_Burton] If I had to answer yes/no, I would say no. I think of all the people of this sport and the fans and I just do not know how we could physically add them. Obviously NASCAR has a lot better grasp of that is good for the sport than I do.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [JonM] What did you think of the aero package that NASCAR brought? Was it easier to pull out and pass and get a run on people?

[Ward_Burton] It was easier to pass. You know, when you are racing, it's fun. I enjoyed it until I was in the wreck. The problem is if you took all the same racers, and they are only going 15 mph for 20 minutes, chances are someone will run into someone else. That is the only problem. I had a friend tell me they were scanning Dale's radio and when we had the wreck on the backstretch, he said, 'I told you it was gonna happen.'

[Nascar_Host1] What new plans do you have for your Wildlife Foundation this year?

[Ward_Burton] This year we are involved Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They have been working with the Smoky Mountain National Park to release elk. We had a small part to do with that and that was exciting. We are doing some other fund-raisers with some groups to sell some sculptures and we are working on getting orders for that. We have done a lot of ads with the State of Virginia with the Forestry Department and the Smokey the Bear emblem. We are also going to purchase 400 more acres pretty soon, and I have actually got some real important members to come see what I have been doing and hopefully we can do some joint conservation. We are always looking for partners. We need to get some corporations involved and work with companies to give them a marketing tool.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [raceman363] Did Ray Evernham ask for your input as far as how the Dodge program goes?

[Ward_Burton] No. When it all started with Bill Davis Racing, the season was already over when Bill got calls about going to Dodge. In the latter part of 2000, the conversations started. Ray has worked with the Pettys and Bill Davis, and we have all worked closely together. My motor builder and theirs worked closely together. We worked to make sure that we were within the guidelines so we could be competitive. Terry Elledge and Tommy Baldwin convinced me that it would be better for Bill Davis Racing. We could run better for CAT and other sponsors. We want to be a top-5 team instead of a top-10 team.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Randol] Ward, have you talked to Sterling? If so, how is he holding up?

[Ward_Burton] I talked to him today at the service. We talked a little bit about the race and we obviously talked about Dale. I told him that I was sorry about what I had been hearing about the threats and different stuff he has been getting. He said it was just a close incident and he feels horrible about it. There was no intention to hurt Dale and that is the way it is. Sterling is a good person and would not do anything to hurt anyone. It's kind of amazing when all of us drivers, who are so competitive, beating and banging, and even getting upset with each other at the track, will support each other, especially now when one of us has a need like the Earnhardts. We all rise to that occasion and Sterling is a member of that. He's a very caring person. I know that if we had any way to go back and do something differently, we would all do it.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Dale_JR_SR] What's your favorite thing about the NASCAR family?

[Ward_Burton] Sort of what I talked about a moment ago. We are all competitive, but when it comes down to it, we spend more time together than with our immediate family. We are all comrades, and whether I get hurt or someone else gets hurt, we all come together for each other's needs. It's truly a family sport, especially in the garage. There is nothing I would rather be doing than be involved in NASCAR. It has been so good for me and my family and that runs deep. We are all fiercely loyal.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [loyal] Ward, you had a good car at Daytona. How is the car for the Rock?

[Ward_Burton] It outta be pretty good. The CAT team has a brand-new car for me. We also have a new car for Las Vegas and Atlanta. I am excited to go to a normal race. This is really the start of worrying about handling. This will be the first time at a downforce track and I am really looking forward to it, but it's also going to be very subdued and hard to get excited about anything. I have a job to do. Dale would want us to do it. It is going to be a great race.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [mot] Ward, what was it like to see the #20 in the air?

[Ward_Burton] Horrible. It was very scary. One part of his car came down on my window. I was really glad to hear that he was at Halifax just for observation. It is a horrible feeling to be in the middle of that. Thankfully no one got seriously hurt. I called Tony and talked to him this week and I think he's still got a headache, but he sounded good. He told me he was supposed to be practicing a dirt car, but people told him he should not do it, but he did it anyway. It made him feel better.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [gordon_rules] Ward, how do you feel about the new tracks this year that you will be racing at?

[Ward_Burton] We are really excited about those new markets. It sounds like both places are great to run races. I am sure the track and NASCAR and the new TV package will make it exciting for everyone. We are real excited about it and it is going to be great for all of us. New markets have been real fun in the past.

[Nascar_Host1] How hard is it going to be to catch and dethrone Bobby Labonte?

[Ward_Burton] If he runs like he did last year, it will be hard for anyone. Bobby and Joe Gibbs' record was almost flawless. Even when they had a bad day, they'd still rack up a lot of points. Everyone is shooting at them this year. That has got to feel good for Joe Gibbs. You are going to have to be very consistent and very competitive. What happened Sunday -- that can't happen every week to us. It is too hard to catch up.

[Nascar_Host1] What are your Busch plans this season? Where will you be racing for Polaris?

[Ward_Burton] I do not really have any. Actually, Tommy Baldwin would like to own a Busch car. I am going to help find a sponsor so we can run maybe 5 races in the second half. I am looking forward to helping him and having some fun. The Busch Series is such a great series. Usually, the Busch guys try to beat the Cup guys. When I started, Dale, Davey and Sterling ran Busch. Now, the Cup guys have to beat the Busch teams. The Busch teams now have a lot more support and it's tough to beat them at their own game.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [dalejr_fan] Ward, what do you like to do in your off time?

[Ward_Burton] I love to spend time with my family of course, but if they are not with me, I like to get outdoors and fish and hunt. This week I needed to clear my head in light of what happened to Dale, so I went out and walked a new farm I have. I cleared some land and bush-hogged a bit. I got out and did a little project and that cleared my head.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Catfish] Why are so many young guys jumping to Winston Cup before winning on the Busch Series?

[Ward_Burton] That is a debate that can go on and on. It seems like the guys really want to come to Cup and make an impact. You can gather a lot of experience in the Busch Series, so as you gather seat time and as you run with Cup drivers, their confidence grows. I think a lot of Cup teams bring in people from all forms of racing. Dave started in the Busch and was successful there. I did it. Tony Stewart did it. A lot of us ran a few seasons in Busch. When opportunities arise, they simply bypass Busch.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [HomeDepot20] Ward, what was it like when you picked up your first victory? How did Michael Waltrip feel?

[Ward_Burton] It's an awesome feeling and hard to describe -- you feel gratitude. My first win came quickly and I did not savor it as much as my second one. It took a long time to get a good support group. For a lot of the guys we have on our team now, the win at Darlington was the best. I was talking to Darrell Waltrip about Dale, and he made a valid point. He said that Michael was able to put it all together, but it was overshadowed by the loss of his friend and owner. He has not had his time to bask in the sun. Michael has mixed emotions. He won the biggest race, but yet, so sad about Dale.

[Nascar_Host1] Are you concerned for the amount of pressure that Dale Jr. will be under now?

[Ward_Burton] I have given that quite a bit of thought. I think he has matured a lot, but he has had the best teacher at his disposal. We all aspire to be like Dale. He taught us all about supporting NASCAR. It's pretty amazing when you think about it what Dale Earnhardt did with his son. Dale Jr. never did much with Late Models, but Dale put him in with good people, and he'd rise to the occasion. Dale Earnhardt had built a huge support group, and everyone will support Little E in a big way. Everyone in NASCAR will support him to. I think he will make everyone proud and he will be amazingly popular. He's a chip off the old block.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [akdave] Are you planning to make any Caterpillar appearances this summer?

[Ward_Burton] Well, let's see. CAT is the second-largest sponsor that brings groups of customers to the racetrack. They bring 10,000 a year to the track. I do appearances every week. I know I have one Thursday night in Las Vegas and I also have one right across the street from the California Speedway on Friday night.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [farmboy28] Ward, how different is the Dodge to set up than the Pontiac?

[Ward_Burton] It really was not too different at Daytona. This weekend is the first real test. Goodyear has a harder, consistent tire, and the tire is taller. That is gonna make everyone work on this setup and it probably won't turn as good. We have a few things we are working on, but we finished third last year in the spring, and I want to get the tires working to my liking so I can have a good finish for CAT, Polaris and all my sponsors.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [cwbryao] Ward, are there any drivers in other divisions who haven't broken through yet that you think have the potential for greatness?

[Ward_Burton] I do not really know. I am so engulfed in NASCAR racing. I have been brought up watching stock car racing so I really do not follow any other form of racing.

[Nascar_Host1] Do you think that the penalties given out at Daytona were too harsh or not enough?

[Ward_Burton] Well, NASCAR has the authority to assess the penalties. If you try a little bit of something and it's not that blatant, they are lenient, but they are harsh on devices. I'll tell you one thing, if you try to put anything in the car that would take away from safety, they are very harsh on that, and rightfully so.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [DODGE_FAN] How do you think the lost of Dale Earnhardt will impact the racing community?

[Ward_Burton] It's the single worst thing that ever happened. It's like a friend of mine said, we were 1/4 mile away from having a competitive Daytona 500. The way FOX covered the race was good. We have a lot of exciting things going on, but this will have a lasting effect. In my generation, Dale was our leader. Dale Earnhardt was NASCAR. NASCAR listened to him. His presence alone was powerful, but the show will go on. NASCAR has smart, caring people and they will try to find answers to the Daytona issue. They will make sure it's not something that will hurt our sport, but with Dale being gone, the flag needs to fly half-mast. That will be the general attitude for a long, long time.

[Nascar_Host1] What are your thoughts as you head to Rockingham this weekend?

[Ward_Burton] I am excited about working with my CAT team and getting competitive. At the same time, I also have all kinds of feelings, stuff I can't put into words, like feelings of helplessness. You want to console the family, Richard and his group, but all you can do is be there and remember the fond memories. It's going to be hard and it will be hard to get excited. You have kind of a cloud hanging over and it is going to be a difficult week.

[Nascar_Host1] Which do you race harder for: the points or beating your brother Jeff?

[Ward_Burton] *laughs* Well, Jeff is my brother and we are close. First of all, I want him to be safe, but he is just one of 42 cars that we have to beat. We try to go to the track and hope to have the know-how to beat all of them. I am more concerned about my brother being safe. We do have a lot of fun at it though.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [did] Ward, when your kids get older do you want them to follow your footsteps and drive in NASCAR?

[Ward_Burton] I'll tell you what, these are all good questions and that is a pretty insightful one. I have been giving that a lot of thought and I think my son could do really well. I have raced go-karts and quarter midgets with him, but at the same time, I do not want to worry about him. There is a certain element of danger and as a father, I'd rather him be a doctor or lawyer. Whatever it is that what they want to do, I will support him.

[Nascar_Host1] That's all the time Ward has for us today. Thanks Ward! Ward, what are your final thoughts?

[Ward_Burton] Let me just say thanks to everyone for coming online. These were really good questions and I look forward to doing this again. Some of the questions about the organization of NASCAR are pretty tough ones. NASCAR is a company and they are looking hard at safety. They have tried countless things to make us safer. Whether I have an opinion or not, it's just that, an opinion. NASCAR has a lot of talented folks that are always looking out for us. I do not want anyone to think they are negligent. We are lucky to be involved with NASCAR and they have done a great job making it what it is today. The minister made some points today about NASCAR that spoke volumes. If Dale could be here now to see what kind of impact he made on the whole country, like with the fans putting flowers at DEI, it would make him proud. We as a group never wanted anything like this to happen. He was truly the leader and mentor for many of us. Good night.