Burton Encourages Students to Follow Passions

 KEYSVILLE – Former Daytona 500 winner and 17-year NASCAR veteran Ward Burton of South Boston reminded students at Southside Virginia Community College to follow their passions during a recent talk on the John H. Daniel Campus.

Pictured (L to R):  Dr. Paula Gastenveld, Provost of the John H. Daniel Campus, Ward Burton, former NASCAR driver, Dr. Percy Richardson, Professor of Business & Coordinator of International Education.

Burton, a former NASCAR star who won five career races including the 2002 Daytona 500, told the students to seize the day and take advantage of the opportunities around them.

“If you seize today, it will help you tomorrow,” he said. “I didn’t take advantage of school growing up and when I got older my priorities were not in order.”

Burton said his racing career started running go-karts when he was eight years old before eventually running in car races at South Boston Speedway as a young adult.

Burton currently serves as a driver coach for the Turner Scott Motorsports team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series where his oldest son, Jeb, competes.

Burton said racing is one of his passions in life. “After I got in the car, everything else came second,” he said.

Burton said it took a lot of sacrifices to make it as a NASCAR driver.

“It’s a lot of hard work,” he said. “I had a cot in the shop where I would sleep one or two nights a week. I slept there because I didn’t have the money for a hotel room.”

Besides racing, the environment is another of Burton’s passions.

He used his success in racing to help start the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, which oversees groundbreaking projects focused on everything from renewable energy to enabling landowners to access government programs to allow their land to be passed down from generation to generation.

Burton spent much of his youth in the great outdoors at a place called The Cove, a 2000-acre wildlife reserve in Halifax County that is now managed by his foundation.

He is an advocate for environmental education, resource protection, and habitat restoration.

As for his Daytona 500 victory, Burton said he actually had a better car in the 2001 race and was on his way to victory before being hit from behind on lap 173.

The race was ultimately won by Michael Waltrip but is most remembered for the crash that tragically claimed Dale Earnhardt’s life on the final lap.

“I knew the only chance we had (in 2002) was avoiding the big one,” he said.

Burton did that and overcame leader Sterling Marlin on a red flag lap penalty that gave him the lead on his way to victory.

He said that during the two weeks of press in New York and across the country, he couldn’t wait to get back home to The Cove and enjoy some quiet time in his sanctuary outdoors. “It’s where I am at peace,” he said.

Burton reminded the students to take advantage of their opportunities. “We have to follow first to learn how to be a leader,” he said. “Surround yourselves with positive people. It’s all about following your passions and dreams.”

“We are lucky to have this institution right here in Southside Virginia and you should take advantage of it,” Burton said about SVCC.

Burton told the students to learn from their mistakes.

“There is no success without failure,” he said. “I’ve lost a hell of a lot more races than I’ve won. You are always going to have a few bumps in the road.”

Ward and his wife, Tabitha, have three children – Jeb, Sarah and Ashton.