Recently, Kim Burton, mother of racer Harrison Burton, expressed her admiration for Kyle Busch’s sportsmanship during the nail-biting conclusion of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The 23-year-old Burton clinched his inaugural Cup Series win by passing Busch in a dramatic last-lap maneuver, earning himself a spot in the playoffs.
In a recent update on X (formerly Twitter), Kim, who is married to former driver and commentator Jeff Burton, shared a post-race interview featuring Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion. Busch candidly acknowledged that to secure a win, he would have had to take out Burton, who drives for Wood Brothers Racing. A victory at Daytona would have marked a significant highlight in what has been a challenging season for him.
“I really appreciate Kyle admitting that his only shot was to turn someone right rear at Daytona, which would have been a poor choice. His decision to refrain from doing that, even with the playoffs on the line, speaks volumes about his racing ethics,” Kim remarked.
Busch has faced a tough season, recording five DNFs and only four top-five finishes. He narrowly missed out on a Victory Lane celebration by just 0.047 seconds. In his post-race comments, Busch stated, “Aside from outright wrecking him, there was nothing else I could do.”
Busch, on the other hand, opted not to take out Burton, which earned him the admiration of Burton’s mother.
“I always believed he could do it,” Kim Burton expressed after witnessing her son Harrison Burton’s triumph at Daytona.
Kim Burton was ecstatic as her son, Harrison Burton, secured his inaugural Cup Series victory at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. With just one race remaining in the regular season, he became the 13th different driver to win this season, while also marking WBR’s 100th overall win.
In a post-race chat, Kim Burton shared her overwhelming emotions after seeing #21 Ford driver Burton achieve his long-awaited success in his 98th Cup Series race. She remarked,
“I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet. It’s just incredible. I always knew he could do it. I’ve believed in him since he was just four years old. I’ve watched him grow and progress through the ranks, and I’m just so thrilled I can hardly find the words.”
“I can hardly believe it, but deep down, I do. He truly deserves this as much as anyone… I kept hearing Jason advising him to block low and high, and I was so worried he might get turned around and flip. I finally opened my eyes just as they crossed the finish line, and I saw he was in the lead,” Kim continued.
NASCAR will return for the final race of the regular season at Darlington Raceway on September 1, before heading into the playoffs.
