Over the years, Jeff Burton has carved himself a reputation as a highly-regarded racing analyst. But when he joined the NBC Sports broadcast booth in 2015 after an illustrious career in the NASCAR Cup Series, there were plenty of surprises waiting for him.
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One of the first things Burton realized as he began his media stint alongside Rick Allen and Steve Letarte was the heavy work that went behind the scenes in broadcasting an event. He had never realized it as a driver.
In a 2024 interview with Fronstretch, Burton was asked about the things he observed as a commentator that he missed out as a driver. He responded by highlighting how, as a driver, his focus was always on what went on in the race track and garage, and nothing else.
“My first few races on the other side of the fence, I was shocked at all the things that were going on, all it took to put a race on, all it took to put a broadcast on. There’s just a lot more happening than I ever recognized,” Burton said.
“Now, I knew people were selling tickets, I knew broadcasts were there, and I knew there were concessions, but I never paid attention to ‘how.’ I just knew it was there,” he added.
Burton was well-versed in how things operated within a race team. But he had no clue what went on with race tracks, broadcasts, or hospitality events. That changed as a broadcaster when he got fully immersed in all the happenings around a race, beyond racing.
Burton retired from racing as a true icon of the sport. He had 21 Cup Series wins that included two Coca-Cola 600s and one Southern 500. The former Richard Childress Racing driver believes he could have done even better if one thing had transpired.
The missing element in Burton’s racing career
After spending years in the booth, Burton has now realized that he could have done a better job as a driver if he’d taken the time to watch races from above.
“I think I would’ve been a better racecar driver had I looked at and listened to what teams are dealing with and how they were dealing with it,” said Burton.
“There’s a lot to learn from watching what other people do, and I wish I had done that more. Because now that I watch from above, I have a different perspective, just in regard to how you’re successful, what are the things you can’t do, and how do you try to overcome them,” he added.
In 2025, Burton worked with Leigh Diffey and Letarte, putting on an impressive season for NASCAR fans.
