For Jeb, 25, and Harrison, 17, their age difference and their paths to the Truck Series level may give them different perspectives, but the competitive fire from within burns just as fiercely for both of them.
“We’re both fighters,” said Harrison. “We both want to win and we’re both determined to do the best we can in any situation.”
But which of them is the most competitive?
“That’s a tough question,” Harrison laughed. “I can remember Jeb and I being super competitive, but it’s never been on the track. It’s always been playing Madden on the Xbox and things like that….”
“We always talked about the day when this would happen,” added Jeb.
“Now we get to put that rivalry to the test, for real. It’s going to be wild, to say the least! (laughs) I think I’m going to race Jeb just like I do anyone else, and I’d expect the same from him. It doesn’t matter who you are; once you strap into that race car and put that helmet on, you’re there to do the best you can and race everyone the same.”
While both know that racing at Martinsville may require some contact, both are also well aware of the track’s storied history, having grown up in the shadows of the Virginia paper clip.
“Growing up here in the motorhome lot at a young age, and coming here … not far from home, was always a lot of fun,” said Jeb. “I’ve run some late model races here and feel like this is my home track. I really like the short track racing here, so hopefully we can do a solid job and have a Burton one-two … that’d be really special.”
“There’s always family that come out when we race at Martinsville, and the grandfather clocks are awesome; I’ve always wanted one,” added Harrison. “So many legends have run at this track … hopefully one day they’ll be talking about us as some of those legends.”
Should they find themselves battling one another for the win on Saturday, both Burton cousins agreed that while they’ll race each other hard, respect will be paramount as well.
“The goal is to keep off of each other,” affirmed Jeb. “My dad (Ward) and uncle (Jeff) have wrecked each other before in late models, and my grandpa had to get in the middle of it … so hopefully we don’t have any drama like that.”
“I’d be really pumped for Jeb if he got to win,” admitted Harrison. “He hasn’t had as many opportunities in really fast trucks and cars as I think he deserves.”
“To have Jeb win or have a Burton one-two would be really cool … but at the end of the day we’re both here for ourselves. It’s a selfish sport, and you have to be here for yourself. I think if I had to choose one person to beat me, it’d probably be Jeb … but I want that ‘W’ this weekend pretty bad and it’d be pretty cool to beat him for it Saturday.”
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 23-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: editor@racechaseronline.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
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