The Burton Continuum

2021 was a huge year for the Burton Racing Legacy. Between career-defining wins, game-changing opportunities, and heartbreaking news, Jeb and Harrison Burton experienced it all. On the season finale of the Burton Continuum, we take a look back at some of the biggest Burton moments from the 2021 season: A historic weekend where both Jeb and Harrison experienced major career milestones, milestones that ultimately helped them secure new opportunities for the 2022 season; and a winner-take-all scenario where one Burton moves on to fight for a championship and the other goes home heartbroken.

Known for his aggressive style on the track and southern mannerisms off the track, NASCAR legend Ward Burton has been leading two separate lives all along. Understanding who Ward is at his core requires a return visit to the place he still calls home, South Boston, Virginia. Throughout their entire careers, he and his brother Jeff faced constant comparison. They openly discuss the jealousy and fight for attention that separated them emotionally. Learn how loyalty brought Ward great success but consequently served as one of his biggest flaws. Ultimately, discover why the 2002 Daytona 500 Champion's legend runs deeper than previously imagined and that his greater purpose in life has nothing to do with racing.

When racing against your brother every single week, eventually somebody has to lose. The story of how brothers Jeff and Ward Burton, both made it to stock car racing's most elite level in completely different fashions is remarkable. To fully understand the positions Jeb and Harrison are currently in, we must trace the family's racing roots back to the very beginning. We start by meeting Jeff Burton, the 21-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner and one of the most well-respected voices in the garage. And you've never heard him like this before. Rarely do athletes provide such raw, detailed and transparent retrospections on their careers. Jeff doesn't hide anything and vividly retells his climb to the top of the sport and untimely descent out of the driver's seat.

It's time to meet the other side of the Burton family. We travel to the Burton residence in Huntersville, N.C. to meet Harrison Burton, son of the well-respected former NASCAR Cup Series driver Jeff Burton. From an outside perspective, Harrison's path to the top of the sport appears as smooth as all children of famous racing parents seem to have it. However, the real, raw and emotional stories that his family shares in this episode reveals otherwise: Being pushed to his physical limits; A Cup Series champion questioning his ability; Standing up for himself when a rival takes a swing. Harrison's journey has lacked explanation until now and it isn't anything like you're expecting.

The story of the Burton family has deep roots in small-town South Boston, Virginia. It's where we travel to meet Jeb Burton for a brutally honest reflection of his upbringing and racing career. Growing up as the son of NASCAR legend Ward Burton, Jeb's childhood was bound to be different. Spending his formative years in the driver motorhome lot at race tracks steered his life's direction, while also getting him in trouble. Most racers these days climb behind the wheel at an extremely young age but Jeb started competing later than most, and it's something that Ward regrets. Once he made it on track, Jeb proved that he shares his family's racing talents and quickly ascended to NASCAR's top ranks. However, as quickly as he rose and experienced success, he descended as racing's cutthroat nature and challenging economic climate set in. The path back to a stable, competitive opportunity wasn't easy, and shines a light on an under-told story in the NASCAR world of struggle and hardship. This process took an extreme emotional toll on his family, leading them to question everything while facing a grim reality.

Racing has room for only one winner. One champion. One cream of the crop. What does that do to families that compete against each other? For brothers Jeff and Ward Burton, it led to jealousy, bitterness and decades-long tension. Now that their sons, Jeb and Harrison Burton, are competing at NASCAR's highest levels, the question is will they avoid what their fathers could not? This episodic podcast series examines how these cousins will face the pressures of continuing the Burton racing legacy, and the still-palpable remnants of a decades-long family tension.

Coming soon: The boldest, most transparent podcast series ever produced by Dirty Mo Media. A preview to The Burton Continuum.