Jerry Lee
09-28-2009, 09:59 AM
Known mostly for being a top Late Model/Pro Truck contender at Colorado National Speedway, not many remember it was Richard Burton who won back-to-back Figure 8 championships at Englewood Speedway in 1977 and 1978.
Sharing the name of the famous actor has only sharpened Richard's sense of humor, like listing 'Liz Taylor' as owner in a '76 roster. The only local driver I know who has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I was lucky enough to get this quick interview with the champ at C.N.S. in 1997 as he was just getting ready to run the Late Model A-main.
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JL: "Excuse me Richard, while I stick this recorder in your face!"
RB: "(laughs) In yo' face!"
JL: "How did you first get into Figure 8's?"
RB: "Why such hard questions?"
JL: "(laughs) Was that a hard one?"
RB: "Um, just looking for some way to get into racing. It was a cheap way to go. I ran Demolition Derbies first and started Figure 8's in 1970."
JL: "One of the first times you really got noticed was when you smacked the pit wall in '74 during time trials. The car caught fire and you jumped out and did a dramatic roll down the East turn into the infield."
RB: "Yeah, the throttle stuck and I hit the wall about as hard as you could hit it. Broke the wall and the car caught fire. The accident knocked me goofy, but I saw the fire and thought "I'm not staying here!"."
JL: "What was that first championship year like for you?"
RB: "Oh, it was fantastic! We got nominated for the Motor Sports Hall of Fame but didn't win."
JL: "Didn't you set a record of Figure 8 main event wins?"
RB: "Yeah, that was the most memorable, winning that 14th main event in '78."
JL: "Did you ever think you'd progress this far, back when you were starting out?"
RB: "At the time the Figure 8's was the only thing I could do. I always wanted to be a "big guy", y'know, and I never thought I'd get there. Now it's pretty exciting. And the neat thing, I started at the same time Roger Avants started. He's always been two or three steps ahead of me all the way through this. Now we're pretty even and we're still the best of friends, and competing against each other is the greatest. It's just cool! Been that way for years and years." (laughs)
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Richard then climbed into his Late Model, and as if to make a perfect ending to this story, battled with Roger Avants to take the win in the A-main.**
**NOTE: That was 1997. Some 12 years later Richard still thrills the crowds out at C.N.S. Recently, Richard suffered a set back. There are a lot of good people who are doing things to raise money to help out the Burton family. Please contribute if you can. Thoughts and prayers your way Richard.
Sharing the name of the famous actor has only sharpened Richard's sense of humor, like listing 'Liz Taylor' as owner in a '76 roster. The only local driver I know who has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I was lucky enough to get this quick interview with the champ at C.N.S. in 1997 as he was just getting ready to run the Late Model A-main.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
JL: "Excuse me Richard, while I stick this recorder in your face!"
RB: "(laughs) In yo' face!"
JL: "How did you first get into Figure 8's?"
RB: "Why such hard questions?"
JL: "(laughs) Was that a hard one?"
RB: "Um, just looking for some way to get into racing. It was a cheap way to go. I ran Demolition Derbies first and started Figure 8's in 1970."
JL: "One of the first times you really got noticed was when you smacked the pit wall in '74 during time trials. The car caught fire and you jumped out and did a dramatic roll down the East turn into the infield."
RB: "Yeah, the throttle stuck and I hit the wall about as hard as you could hit it. Broke the wall and the car caught fire. The accident knocked me goofy, but I saw the fire and thought "I'm not staying here!"."
JL: "What was that first championship year like for you?"
RB: "Oh, it was fantastic! We got nominated for the Motor Sports Hall of Fame but didn't win."
JL: "Didn't you set a record of Figure 8 main event wins?"
RB: "Yeah, that was the most memorable, winning that 14th main event in '78."
JL: "Did you ever think you'd progress this far, back when you were starting out?"
RB: "At the time the Figure 8's was the only thing I could do. I always wanted to be a "big guy", y'know, and I never thought I'd get there. Now it's pretty exciting. And the neat thing, I started at the same time Roger Avants started. He's always been two or three steps ahead of me all the way through this. Now we're pretty even and we're still the best of friends, and competing against each other is the greatest. It's just cool! Been that way for years and years." (laughs)
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Richard then climbed into his Late Model, and as if to make a perfect ending to this story, battled with Roger Avants to take the win in the A-main.**
**NOTE: That was 1997. Some 12 years later Richard still thrills the crowds out at C.N.S. Recently, Richard suffered a set back. There are a lot of good people who are doing things to raise money to help out the Burton family. Please contribute if you can. Thoughts and prayers your way Richard.