Harrison Burton Bio
Harrison Brian Burton (born October 9, 2000) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 24 Toyota GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing. Burton is the son of former NASCAR driver and current analyst Jeff Burton, and the nephew of former driver Ward Burton. He is widely recognized as a generational talent, becoming the first driver born in the 2000s to win a race in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series.
Early Life and Background
Harrison Burton was born on October 9, 2000, in Huntersville, North Carolina. He grew up surrounded by motorsports, with his father, Jeff Burton, building a long career as a NASCAR driver and his uncle, Ward Burton, also competing at the highest levels of the sport. This deep family connection to racing shaped his path from an early age and gave him access to garages, tracks, and mentors that few young drivers ever see.
Burton received his first go-kart at the age of two, and by four he had moved into a quarter midget. He won three USAC quarter midget championships during his childhood, showing early promise behind the wheel. At eleven, he earned his first late model pole at Ace Speedway, and at twelve he picked up two wins in pro late model competition, demonstrating that his talent went well beyond his years.
Path to NASCAR
Burton won his first late model race in early 2014 and his first super late model race in early 2015 at New Smyrna Speedway. He stepped into stock car touring series competition in 2015 with the CARS Super Late Model Tour, running six of the series’ ten races as a teenager. The following year, he became the youngest driver ever to start a race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
In 2016, Burton also made his national series debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway, becoming one of the first drivers born in the 2000s to compete in a NASCAR national event. He balanced partial schedules in K&N, ARCA, and the Truck Series over the next two seasons, building a reputation as a polished young racer before moving to a full-time ride.
Harrison Burton Career
Early Career (2016-2018)
Burton’s early national series career centered on Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he ran a limited schedule in 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2017, he finished all of his scheduled races and scored a fourth-place run at Martinsville in the fall. The next year, he earned his first Truck Series pole at the M&M’s 200 and captured his first stage win in NASCAR national series competition at ISM Raceway.
Outside the Truck Series, Burton was dominant in the ARCA Menards Series East, winning five of fourteen races in 2017 and beating Todd Gilliland for the series championship. He also won the 2017 ARCA Menards Series race at Toledo Speedway, dedicating a later superspeedway victory at Pocono in 2018 to John Andretti, who was battling cancer at the time. These strong development results earned him a full-time opportunity at the next level.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2019-2021)
Burton debuted in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing, running eight races in the No. 18 Toyota Supra. On October 17, 2019, JGR announced that he would take over the No. 20 Supra full-time in 2020 following Christopher Bell’s promotion to the Cup Series. The move gave Burton a top-tier ride and a clear path to chase a championship.
On February 29, 2020, Burton won his first career Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway, holding off teammate Riley Herbst in overtime. The win made him the first driver born in the 2000s to win an Xfinity Series race and made he and his father Jeff the only son-and-father duo to win at Auto Club. He qualified for the Xfinity Series playoffs with two regular-season wins and added a post-elimination victory at Texas Motor Speedway, then won again at Martinsville in the Draft Top 250. He was named the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year.
Burton returned to JGR in 2021, advanced one round deeper in the playoffs, and finished eighth in the standings despite going winless. Across his full-time Xfinity run with JGR, he built a strong record of consistency, racking up 60 top-ten finishes and earning four career wins in the series.
NASCAR Cup Series (2021-2024)
Burton made his NASCAR Cup Series debut on April 15, 2021, driving the No. 96 Toyota for Gaunt Brothers Racing at Talladega Superspeedway, where he became the first driver born in the 2000s to start a Cup race. On July 15, 2021, he was announced as the driver of the No. 21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing beginning in 2022, replacing Matt DiBenedetto in one of NASCAR’s most historic rides.
Burton’s first full Cup season in 2022 was highlighted by a third-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a tenth-place run at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his first top-ten in the series. The 2023 season was tougher, with only two top-ten results and a 31st-place finish in the final standings. Things turned around in dramatic fashion on July 3 announcement that Josh Berry would replace him in 2025, but Burton answered by winning the summer race at Daytona, beating Kyle Busch by 0.047 seconds. The win was his first in the Cup Series, the 100th Cup victory for Wood Brothers Racing, and their first win since 2017. He finished sixteenth in the 2024 Cup standings.
Sam Hunt Racing Era (2026-Present)
On September 20, 2024, AM Racing announced that Burton would return to the Xfinity Series in 2025 with the No. 25 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, giving the team its first playoff appearance. He posted nine top-ten finishes during the regular season and was eliminated from the playoffs at the end of the Round of 12. On October 8, it was announced that he and AM Racing would part ways after the season.
On October 25, 2025, Sam Hunt Racing announced that Burton would drive the No. 24 Toyota GR Supra full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series beginning in 2026. The move pairs him with one of the Xfinity Series’ most respected independent teams and returns him to Toyota equipment. He is also listed as a reserve driver for Legacy Motor Club in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2026.
Notable Races and Milestones
Burton owns a long list of historic firsts. In 2020, he became the first driver born in the 2000s to win an Xfinity Series race, scoring his first victory at Auto Club Speedway. In 2024, he became the first such driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, taking the summer Daytona event in a thrilling finish over Kyle Busch. His Daytona win was also the 100th Cup Series victory for the legendary Wood Brothers Racing organization, a fitting milestone given his family ties to the sport.
Harrison Burton Career Wins
Harrison Burton has built a strong and versatile win record across NASCAR’s developmental and national series. His first major victory came in 2017 with a K&N Pro Series East championship, followed by Truck Series and Xfinity Series success in the years that followed. He has won races in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Cup Series, and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Burton’s lone Cup Series victory came at the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, where he edged Kyle Busch by 0.047 seconds. The win locked him into the 2024 Cup Series playoffs and gave Wood Brothers Racing its 100th career Cup victory, a remarkable achievement for one of NASCAR’s oldest teams. He was eliminated in the Round of 16 and finished sixteenth in the final standings.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Burton has four career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, all scored between 2020 and his time with Joe Gibbs Racing. His first came at Auto Club Speedway on February 29, 2020, followed by additional victories at Texas Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway later that same season. Across his full-time Xfinity run, he recorded 60 top-ten finishes and one pole position.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of the national series, Burton has enjoyed major success in ARCA competition. He won the 2017 ARCA Menards Series East championship with five victories in fourteen starts, and he picked up three ARCA Menards Series wins, including a 2017 win at Toledo Speedway and a 2019 superspeedway victory at Daytona. In 2023, he also co-drove with Zane Smith to win the Daytona opener of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, adding a sports car trophy to his resume.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 4 | 60 | 1 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 3 | 15 | 1 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 5 | 24 | 4 |
Harrison Burton Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Harrison Burton comes from one of the most well-known families in American motorsports. His father, Jeff Burton, was a longtime NASCAR driver and is now an analyst for NASCAR on NBC, and his uncle, Ward Burton, also had a successful NASCAR career. Burton is also a cousin of current NASCAR driver Jeb Burton, extending the family’s deep roots in stock car racing.
Personal Life
Burton attended the Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina, and graduated in 2019 before taking a gap semester to focus on his racing career. He is married to Jenna Petty, and the couple has been supportive of his racing journey. Burton has also been involved with the Celebratory Cause, a charity organization, reflecting his commitment to giving back off the track.
2025 Season Performance
Burton’s 2025 season was a story of fresh beginnings and rebuilding momentum. After being replaced in the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 for 2025, he returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time with AM Racing, driving the No. 25 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. He stayed consistent throughout the regular season, posting nine top-ten finishes and helping AM Racing reach the playoffs for the first time as an organization. He was eliminated from postseason contention at the end of the Round of 12, ending his run with the team.
On May 12, 2025, Rick Ware Racing announced that Burton would drive their No. 51 car in the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, qualifying through his 2024 Daytona win. He finished twentieth out of twenty-three participants in the exhibition event. Off the track, Burton’s future was already taking shape, as Sam Hunt Racing announced on October 25, 2025, that he would join the team full-time in 2026.
Looking ahead, Burton enters 2026 with renewed stability, a competitive Toyota GR Supra ride at Sam Hunt Racing, and a reserve role with Legacy Motor Club in the Cup Series. His mix of Xfinity Series experience and recent Cup success gives him a strong foundation to chase more wins and a deeper playoff run in the seasons to come.
