Jaxon Burnett - Teenage Professional Race Car Driver

Jaxon Burnett is 13 year old professional race car driver that has been racing competitively since he was 6 years old. His family moved from Washington State to North Carolina in order for him to compete in more races with over 50 scheduled races for this year alone. He was the 2025 EPSTT Rookie of the Year and has continued compiling trophies and wins. We talk about navigating being a professional driver, his schedule, school, and some of his favorite moments on the track along with what he as learned along the way. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DZ_01cgwvw

Brian Harbin: Well, hello, welcome to today's episode of the grit.org podcast! Really excited about our youngest guest ever on today's podcast. 

So Jackson Burnett, welcome!

Jaxon Burnett: Hey, thank you for having me!

Brian Harbin: So I'm going to brag about you a little bit here before we get started, let our listeners know about your story. And so Jackson Burnett, his racing journey started in May of 2019 at just 6 and a half years old. He strapped in quarter midget car for the very first time. 

And his very first races, Jackson quickly climbed the podium, earning Rookie of the Year honors after only half a season. In his second season, he went from running a single car to managing 3 cars across junior divisions, securing podium finishes in all 3 cars for track championship standings. 

That same year, he traveled across the country to Texas, California, Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and even British Columbia. In his third year, he captured the Junior 60 Track Championship, and over the next two years, his success continued with titles like the 160 Cactus Nationals Champion and Duel in the Desert Champion, proving he could consistently run up against the very best racers in the country. 

In 2023, Jackson and his family made the strategic move to— from Seattle, Washington to North Carolina, which is the heart of American motorsports. That same year, Jackson was selected as a factory driver for Second Shift Motorsports and earned multiple podium finishes and captured the Carolina Clash victory. In addition to his on-track achievements, Jackson enrolled at Speed U, an accredited online school built for youth racers, and finished both 5th and 6th grade in a single year, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. 

His leadership and performance earned him the role of student ambassador, allowing him to travel and speak at events about STEM education, youth racing, and the importance of perseverance, which is a good fit since we're talking about the grit.org podcast today. He was also selected to drive a Speed U-sanctioned INEX Bandolero car. 

Despite stepping into a national event right out of the gate, he finished 3rd overall in his debut. Progressing through the ranks faster than most, he went on to claim another 3rd-place finish at Spring Nationals, consistently outdriving older and more experienced competitors. In the winter of 2024, he was honored to pilot the number 12B Legend Car for Wade Tractor and Adrenaline Powersports. He earned 7 wins during his rookie season, built multiple valued partnerships including Rhino Shield of the Carolinas, and capped off the year by winning Rookie of the Year at Echo Park Speedway, formerly the Atlanta Motor Speedway. So Jackson, welcome to today's episode.

Jaxon Burnett: Thank you!

Brian Harbin: Yes. So before we jump into our first question, just want to give a quick shout out to our sponsor for today's episode, escrow.com, the world's most secure payment method for online transactions. So whether your transaction is $100 or $100 million, escrow.com makes buying and selling online safe, secure, and trusted. So rest assured that your transaction for a motor vehicle, electronic equipment, business domain name, or anything significant to you is protected. Visit escrow.com today to learn more about how you can transact with confidence. 

So Jackson, first question I had for you, we always like to start at the beginning, but tell us about growing up, you know, life in Seattle, Washington, where you're born and raised. Any favorite memories you have as a kid growing up?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so back in Seattle, there was— it was a lot of fun, especially going there until I was 10. So 10 years of my life. When I— some of my favorite memories was probably in school. I went to the school of this my whole entire career, or my whole entire life until, up until we moved out here. A lot of them were probably with my friends, like doing the egg drop in the parking lot, doing those things. And there'll be times where it would just be my mom, my dad, and then some of my siblings, or just me. We would go by the water and we'd get like hot dogs or just sit by the water. It was a lot of fun. I had a lot of good memories.

Brian Harbin: And so I know you've got a number of siblings. So you're the youngest of how many?

Jaxon Burnett: 4 siblings.

Brian Harbin: So the youngest— 4 total siblings. Okay. And then your next, the sibling that's the next, I guess, youngest to you is, is how much older?

Jaxon Burnett: 9 years.

Brian Harbin: 9 years. Okay. And so tell us about your first experience ever getting in a car. I don't know if it was like one of those battery-powered cars as a kid, maybe you got for a birthday or Christmas, but you remember that first memory hopping into a car?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, it was probably, so my cousin, they used to have one of those Power Wheels and then I used to ride in one of those all the time. But my first time in like a quarter midget, it was since I was 6 and it was my first time. I was a little scared. So I would always like, you're supposed to go up by the wall, but I was down by the grass. But it was different when I was younger. To me, it was fun. I was like, okay, yeah, this is what I want to do from now on. Just like, it just lit the spark in me.

Brian Harbin: So, you know, what prompted you to get into a quarter midget car? I didn't even know that's something that, you know, kids could do. I mean, where, where did you do that?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so, back in Seattle, there's this track called Ever— or more in Monroe area, there's this track called Evergreen Speedway. It's kind of the— it's kind of a bigger track, but across from there, they have a quarter midget track. So my dad actually took me there to watch some of the races one day. I asked if I could race one, and about a couple of weeks later, I got surprised with quarter midget there. But yeah, a lot of people can just start based off of like asking someone if they have one for sale.

Brian Harbin: Wow! So, and just for our listeners that have never seen a quarter midget car, so this is basically about the size of a go-kart, a little bit bigger, but, you know, it's got like a contraption over the top? Or can you kind of describe what a quarter midget car would look like?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so it's about the same size as a go-kart, like as a smaller go-kart. But really, it's kind of just the way I think about it. It's like a go-kart that goes around in circles with a roll cage on top of it, and then with some extra panels and a little bit more power when, when you get up to the higher classes. But yeah, that's really kind of just the way that I like to think about it. I know some people like to think about it as a different way. But that's really just to me the simplest way to think about it.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And what kind of speeds are you getting up to in a quarter midget car?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so they can range anywhere from 10 miles an hour to 60 to 65 miles an hour.

Brian Harbin: Okay, and then when you're racing, you know, just to try and paint the picture is, you know, how wide is the track? And then how many kids are competing at the same time?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so I believe the max cars on track for national events, I believe it's 12. But for local events, I believe it's 10. But the tracks are semi-wide. I know there's tracks that are pretty narrow where you can only pass on the straight— pass on the straightaways. But there's also some tracks that I've raced at where you can go 5-wide, which is 5 cars horizontally, which is pretty crazy.

Brian Harbin: And so when you're competing in a race, I guess all the cars pretty much have the same speed, right? So then it just comes down to turns and, you know, your line and that sort of thing, right?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so all the cars in different classes will have the same exact engine. So example, Junior 160 or Light 160. Light 160 has a little bit more horsepower than Junior 160. But everyone in the light 160 class runs the same exact motor. But as in the junior 160, you run this junior 160 motor. But then it really just comes down to driver, your setup, and then your line.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And yes, do you remember your very first race ever? Anything you can share about that story?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so my first race ever, it was a doubleheader. So which means 2 races, 2 days. So my first race, I didn't do very well. I kind of finished in the back and I wasn't able to qualify for the next race. So I was a little bummed out after that one. But I believe the next weekend we went out and finished 5th and I believe 4th. So we were pretty happy with that. But yeah, my first race, it was— since we didn't qualify, I was a little bummed out. Just— but yeah.

Brian Harbin: And what was something you learned early on from that first race in terms of what you had to do better? Is it a lot of it just, you know, getting out to a better start and, you know, not getting too far behind, just kind of starting to figure out how to do the turns?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah. So one thing I really figured out is to not really pass on the outside. I mean, you can in the cars I'm racing right now, but the quarter midgets, you can't really. Just because you don't, you're not able to carry enough speed, but also, just really just to be more aggressive. I wasn't really, as like, I would say as aggressive as I should have been in that first race just because it was, well, my first race and I was 6.5. But yeah, those are really the key things I learned from that one.

Brian Harbin: So really not trying to pass on the outside and trying to wait to get that kind of inner edge. Yeah. And if you are behind someone trying to pass them, like, I'm just speaking from, you know, I grew up with a go-kart as a kid and would ride around the neighborhood and love going to like go-kart tracks. I've never done anything professional, but, you know, I know that, you know, you can get up to them and sometimes you can kind of nudge your way into the middle.

Jaxon Burnett: Are you allowed to touch their car at all or nudge them, or is that disqualification, or yeah, so a lot of people call it a bump and run, which is where you hit kind of like their rear bumper and kind of move them out of the way. But some people also kind of just get them loose on their left rear tire, which works too. But it's a little bit more risky. But, yeah, you're allowed to move people, you're allowed to rub against other people's cars. But yeah.

Brian Harbin: And so you've got bumpers that kind of protect your car, I guess, when you do that, right? So you're not like—

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so we have a pretty decent-sized front and a rear bumper, and then we have on the sides what's called, nerf bars, which are kind of just side bumpers, for the quarter midgets. But once we get up like the Banderoleros and the Legends, they don't have those, they just have front and rear bumpers.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And I know early on you had interest besides, you know, go-karts as well. I know you've played a good bit of football. What have been some other interests you've had even outside of sports?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so, really just the two, well, like, you said I played football for a little bit, and then, soccer and baseball. But also I kind of like doing some little bit of arts. And then, now I kind of like— there's a little bit of welding classes I do here and there. But yeah, those are really just some of those things that I do outside of sports and racing.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And with the welding, is that something that comes into play with racing, or is that just totally separate? Like, what, what type of stuff are you typically welding?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so I'm really just, it really helps a little bit with the racing. It's, to me, it's kind of like a secondary path if driving doesn't go well. But yeah, I'm kind of welding like steel, aluminum, what kind of like what would be on a, like an actual race car. It's actually put on by a company called Pitweld U that they do stuff with the racing as well, I believe.

Brian Harbin: And so going into that first year, was it your first year that you made the decision of like, hey, I really want to do this full time, or how deep into racing were you before you really, you know, made that commitment to going all in on racing?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, I think it was our second year that we went full in, that we knew like, okay, yeah, or that I knew that this was like what I wanted to do. Just because like coming off our first year, we did pretty good, especially for it to be in our first year. And I think we thought that we were just going to do really good going through our career. So far we have. But yeah, that second year is really just our commitment year that we figured out like, yeah, this is what we're going to do for as long a time as possible.

Brian Harbin: Yeah, because your rookie year you got Rookie of the Year. So how many races does it take to qualify for that or? What does it take to win that award?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so it's really, to win the award, I think it's really just to really just shine. Like the club that we race for, WQMA, that's how I got the Rookie of the Year Award or who I got the Rookie of the Year Award. And I think they kind of just saw me kind of growing through racing, learning a lot more than I probably should have been when I was 6. But yeah, we also did like 10 or 15 races. 

So I think that also helped us a lot. I think we level on a good amount of those. But yeah, really just the, what they look out for is learning your growth and like how you perform or how you perform and how you kind of like outstand yourself or like show yourself.

Brian Harbin: And so in that second season, you went from, you know, running one car to running three cars. So tell us about that. Are the cars bigger or why would you go from running one car to three?

Jaxon Burnett: So yeah, the cars are about this, or the cars are the same size. We really just went to 1 car to 3 cars just for 2 different classes. Because we moved up from Junior Novice, which is the rookie level, up to Junior Honda, Junior Animal, and I believe it was Junior 160. But really just, we went from 1 to 3 cars just for more classes. And since we moved up, we were like, okay, we can move up to different classes and we can just get different cars and run multiple, multiple races a day.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And so your second season, I'm guessing you're 7 years old at this time. Was that when you started doing this full-time and, and pretty much racing on a consistent basis? Did you start doing the online school at that point as well, or….

Jaxon Burnett:  Yeah, so I… we— sorry, we did a little bit of full schedule there at the local club there. I wasn't in online school yet just because we weren't traveling the country and we weren't racing like during the weeks. We were really just racing on the weekends. But yeah, we decided to go full schedule for the local club. Which was I believe almost every weekend up until, October or November. I'm not 100% sure, but we went, did a lot of those races. But yeah.

Brian Harbin: And, you know, looking back to early on in your career, maybe even that second season, because I know what you do now to prepare for races is a lot different than probably what you did back then, but what were some of the things that really helped you learn and grow and advance during those early years? You mentioned being part of a club, so you know, is there, was there weekly training back then? Was it just talking to, I don't know if you had like a track coach or tell us a little bit more about any mentorship or, or how you progressed early on.

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah. So really just how I progressed early on, is I like to, I did, I did have my dad back then as like my coach. He would tell me a lot like, what to do and like what lines to run. But I would also watch videos. Just on like YouTube and stuff from like the previous race or races before me, just like the same car, same track, and just learn from that. I would also like when we get there, I wouldn't race for a good bit, so I would watch from the stands and see what they're doing and see what I can change to make me faster or make my car faster, what I'm doing faster.

Brian Harbin: Okay. Now, and again, this is very basic knowledge of go-kart racing. So, you know, apologize for trying to understand that the lingo, but so I know with the line, you're basically trying to take the shortest, you know, course to get across the track. Right? So there's some that you can take pretty tight, right? Some turns that you can take tight. 

But then there's other sharp turns that would require you to brake as well. Right? So, you know, is that kind of part of the strategy is when you're talking about lines of just figuring out which ones you can go full speed and try and take the, the shortest path, and then understanding in the bigger turns, you know, where you might need to, you know, take a wider turn, possibly put on the brakes, want to put on the gas. Is that part of the art of the turns?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so some of those sharp, sharper turns will, In the quarter midgets, not a lot of the classes you'll hit the brakes or even let off just because they're a little bit underpowered. But what we're in now, a lot of the sharper corners, we will use a little bit, or we'll use brake. Some tracks we'll use a little bit, some tracks we'll use a lot. But the track we're coming up to next week in Atlanta in Legends, that's one where we have to use full brake. Just because it's the quarter mile, so it's a little bit smaller. But yeah, there's some tracks where we'll barely use any brake, like maybe 20 to 10%, just because it's bigger and it's more banked, so we can just carry more speed through it.

Brian Harbin: Okay. Yeah, good to know. I was curious about that. And then, so, and then tell us about, you know, your first win, you know, when that was and kind of what that felt like in that whole experience.

Jaxon Burnett: So Yeah, so my first win was in my rookie season up in Canada. That was one where I hadn't learned 100% that I needed to pass on the outside or on the inside. So I passed everyone. I think I lapped everyone at least 2 to 3 times on the outside. 

So that one, it was a little bit odd. Like my dad was kind of astonished when I came off just because I lapped everyone around the outside. in her— in my like third or fourth race. But, yeah, I felt— it felt good. Spark— like, again, it sparked like a— it sparked a spark in me, in my head thinking like, okay, let's go get the other one, let's go get the next one. And, that really just helped us for confidence-wise, I guess.

Brian Harbin: Absolutely. And so your third year, that was before you guys moved to North Carolina, right? That's when you won the Junior 60 track Championship. 

Jaxon Burnett: Sorry, go ahead.

Brian Harbin: But yeah, so in your third year, is that where things really started to progress for you? And it was like, that's when you kind of started to realize that you need— because I think you guys were traveling a good bit to go to, a lot of these races. That's when you guys kind of made the decision to move to North Carolina?

Jaxon Burnett: Yes, our third year was in 2021. We, that one really clicked for us. We won class, we were on the roll. I think we lost only 2 races that season in that class. That's how we ended up actually winning that championship. Rest of the classes we were still trying to figure out. 

But yeah, that season we decided to travel a little bit to like, I forgot what it's called, a little, the track is called the Wheels Q&A. We raced there a little bit. And also at that time I had a driving coach that helped out with like the cars, my line, all that stuff. So that helped a lot. 

But then the next year, sorry, the next year, that's when we really decided to travel a lot. That's when we started doing our national schedule. We still raced a little bit of club races, but most of the time we went out, we would go to California, I think one of them we went to Indiana. There's a couple races that we went to that are a little bit farther than, a little bit farther than a couple hour drive. But yeah, that's, the next year after that one is really when we decided to go, go full schedule and do national stuff.

Brian Harbin: And so yeah, on that note, walk us through just kind of a day in the life of what, you know, or week in the life of Jackson Burnett.

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so really my day starts off as like me basically getting up and getting ready. I'll start school right around 7:30-ish or 7 to 8-ish, just that way I can get it over with. And then after school, I either do the— or really, there'll be some days where I'll get done halfway through school just so that way we can go do some sponsorship stuff here in North Carolina or we'll be racing. And then when we're done with that, I'll either do some chores or some more sponsorship, sponsorship stuff. 

And then after that, I like to kind of just get some practice on the sim. And then most of the time I'll also race with my friends on the sim. And then Mondays I'll have training from 7 to 8, which is, Jillian strength training.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And then you mentioned having a coach as well. Is that something that You do like when you go to the track, you said between 7 and 8 on Mondays, is that like in-person training typically with your coach or?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so my racing coach, he actually went off to college a couple years ago. He's still in college now, which is in Arizona, unfortunately. But yeah, we still do. We just, we do call him sometimes. But yeah, that was Monday schedule is actually from my previous football coach from not this year, but the year before. He does like training, training a lot. So he helps out with that. 

And then really just, that's really just who our coaches are for that one. But yeah, our racing coach, he helps us help out sometimes. He mostly just comes out and watches just for now because he doesn't know a lot, or he doesn't know not know a lot, but we, we got— we're on a team now. But yeah.

Brian Harbin: And how does that work being on a team? So that means that, cause I know historically, I think if there's a race, there might be a couple, you know, two people on the same team. Are you working together for like team spots or is that how it works in your racing as well?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah. So the team I'm running on is called 77 Speed Shop. They're one of the best teams out there right now, just because, well, they have a guy named Doug Stevens. He's considered the godfather of Legends, just because he's been around them for so long. He knows almost everything about— or he knows everything about them. 

But yeah, that— we don't really fight for positions or on the team. We really just kind of go based off, like, the team will pick you just based off, like, your skill. And then also we we can, you can also join the team just 'cause if like, if you have a car or you can rent a car from them, like it kind of worked out for us 'cause how we got picked up, their deal was we run with 77 Speed Shop if we run that car, which helped us. But yeah, we really don't fight for any positions on the team. We can really, you can come and rent a car, you can see if you can join in with your own car or you can buy a car from them.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And so what do you feel like, and I'm guessing most of the kids on your team, are they kind of in that 11 to 13 age bracket, or?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so most of them are actually older. I believe almost all of them are above 15 to 17 or 18. I know there's, I believe there's a couple other kids that are 12 to 13, but none of them are really below 12.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And what do you feel like what's something you've learned from one of your teammates? Like, where do you feel like being part of a team has helped you individually, even as a driver and as a person?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, I've actually learned a lot from my teammates just from racing or just from a personal life, especially for like one of my teammates, Cole Denton. He's one of the fastest in the country. He's helped a lot with racing. And some with my life. He's also a really good kid, and that, he also helps me with being kind, and also learning a lot from that.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. So, and when you're in a race, are you talking out loud to yourself, or are you just so zoned in and thinking about your line? Are you listening to any coaches in your headset, or because a typical race, as an example, would last how long?

Jaxon Burnett: A typical race, as what circumstances? Like, there's some tracks that are big and will take— or there was one race I did, it was 40 laps around, I think, a 5/8 of a mile, or it was a big track. And it took about an hour and 15 minutes. Just because of cautions and red flags. But races at Atlanta would maybe take 10 to 15 minutes.

Brian Harbin: Okay. So a race can go anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour 15, right? So with no breaks in between, I'm guessing.

Jaxon Burnett: So our breaks would probably be under caution or under red flags, just because, well, if there's a wreck, we'll have a caution and red flag if it's super bad. But those are really just our brakes, just because we can't really come off the track unless we wreck, or else we won't be allowed back on track.

Brian Harbin: Yes, you're not getting out of your car even on brakes, right? I mean, you're still in the car. Okay, so yeah, go ahead.

Jaxon Burnett: Well, with the Legend cars, they have a little latch on the door, so you can like open the latch and just open it up and let air in. But most people will just leave them closed. I like to leave them closed for most of the time.

Brian Harbin: Okay. So yeah, tell me about then in that, you know, 15-minute to hour, 15-minute span, are you talking out loud to yourself? Are you mainly just, you know, if we had like a camera or microphone set up in your car, what kind of stuff would we hear either going between you and your coach or helping you kind of stay focused?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah. So, we actually don't have a coach into my ear. We have a race director, which kind of just directs the race, tells us what the lineup should be, what we should be doing, for black flag, if we got the blue flag, green flag, white flag, basically all that. But really just going— I like to sometimes think out loud, or really most of the time I like to think in my head.

Brian Harbin: Okay, about your next move and whatnot. You're totally focused on that next move. And yeah, it seems like too, you know, I know whenever I'm in a go-kart, like, you know, your adrenaline feels like it's pumping the whole time, right? It seems like…. is it like that even in an hour-long race where just the whole time you were just completely zoned in and your body's just totally amped up and, you know, focused? Or, it seems like it's kind of hard to stay that focused for that long. So any strategies that you do, either, you know, physically breathing techniques or anything like that, that kind of help you be able to have that type of stamina just mentally to be that focused?

Jaxon Burnett: Not really. Just really, like to try and stay calm when he's staying— when I'm, when I'm calm, I like to— it kind of just not really amps me up more, but it kind of just lowers the adrenaline in me. Just that way I'm not— I don't get super bored or run out of stamina mentally. I might get out— ran out of stamina for the longer races just because they're longer and I haven't done long races for a while now. But really just to stay focused is really just kind of focus on the car ahead of me thinking like, okay, well this, I'm just gonna think about it as this is the leader, I'm gonna go get this guy and I'm gonna take over this spot and I'm gonna go to the next one, next one, next one, next one. 

And my Quarter Midget coach, he actually came up with a saying: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So that's basically what it means is just one car at a time.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. And kind of helps you stay focused on the next mission in front of you, which is the next car, right? Very interesting. And so you made the move to North Carolina. Tell us what that has been like, because I think you've been there now for— you guys moved in 2023. 

So, you know, 2 years now in North Carolina. What has that been like so far? I mean, in terms of just, do you feel like, you know, being that the family has moved, that you've, you know, put that much more like focus on racing? Do you feel like it's really, you know, helped your ability exceed to the next level just by being part of a different team? I know you're still doing the online, you know, school. So that probably hasn't changed too much in that regard. But tell us what that move has been like for you and what you've learned in the process so far.

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so the move was very important for us just to help with racing. It has a lot that we wouldn't be here, we wouldn't be talking to you, we wouldn't be in the Legend Car right now if we wouldn't have moved out here just because of based off what we've been doing out here. But yeah, it was very important for me and our racing career and also to my family to help us or help me, which I'm very appreciative of. Sorry, I can't pronounce it. 

But yeah, a lot has changed when we moved out here, especially the weather. Back in Seattle, the weather was a little bit rainier. Rainy-ish. Out here it's hotter, more clear. But yeah, a lot of stuff has changed for racing-wise. Like, it just pushed me to think, guys, like, okay, we moved out here, we're gonna— I'm gonna show up and show what I can do since we're out here now. 

We were actually recommended to move out here since we were performing so well back in Seattle, to move out here because there's higher competition. which there has been. But yeah, that really just kind of changed my mindset to thinking, okay, it's time to really show up and show what I can do. So that way, because this move, I know a lot of NASCAR drivers are from North Carolina, all that. And I know if I show up, I can, hopefully get to NASCAR one day.

Brian Harbin: And in your opinion, where do you feel like you have showed the most improvement, or where do you feel like you've matured or gotten better as a driver over the last couple years? Anything specific that you feel like you do better now than you did 2 years ago?

Jaxon Burnett: Really just getting out of the car, calm or cool-headed after a bad race. Back then I used to get pretty upset, or not back then, but when I first started, I used to get really upset, sometimes even cry if it was that bad. But now it's not so bad. Sometimes I'll just come out. We do have a laptop where we look at data, and sometimes I'll just grab that, look what I did wrong, go to my engineer, see what I did wrong, and kind of just work on for the next race.

Brian Harbin: And, you know, you mentioned looking at the laptop. Is it basically looking at like your, your lap split times so you'll know, you know, which laps you maybe, you know, messed up on to be able to improve on for next time? Or what can you learn from looking at that?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so it's basically like a studio like a race studio. It kind of shows like your lap times, your laps, like your separate laps, and then it shows like your RPMs, your throttle percentage, your miles an hour, just a whole bunch of things that could help you on the track and off the track. Just— but it really just shows us our lap times, our lap lines, and throttle percentage and miles per hour.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And reflecting back, what would you say has been your most memorable race, favorite race, anything that you feel like really stands out in terms of when you came back? Or you, you know, any particular race in your mind that stands out above the others?

Jaxon Burnett: Probably this last race at Atlanta. We— that was my first Young Lion win. And that was a lot of fun. We had about 10 laps to go. I was about a straightaway behind the leader. I ended up running him down, moved him a little bit, very cleanly moved him, got him loose. It was a drag race to the line. We were both kind of drifting coming out of the corner, and I just beat him by maybe, 5 hundredths of a second. So that was a memorable race for me. That was one of my favorite races, just to run him down and, get the win.

Brian Harbin: That's fantastic! And won by half a second, or…

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, right around half a tenth, or close to like 5 hundredths, or even lower.

Brian Harbin: Wow! And you mentioned knocking him loose. You mean knocking him loose off his line, right? If he's the leader, I guess he's got a particular line. So you come up and try and knock him off that line a little bit to—

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so loose, what I mean by is I get the— I kind of like slide the car, like where the rear end would kick out and you're kind of just sideways. It's kind of what I did. I kind of got to his rear left corner of his bumper and I hit that I kind of like nudged him out of the way, got him loose up the track a little bit, and I was able to go underneath him and get the win.

Brian Harbin: And you know, that was something I wanted to ask you about too, because it's a different mindset in a race when you're chasing the leader, you're behind the leader, because your only goal is to, to get past that guy. But sometimes you're the lead car and you're basically, instead of looking at your, you know, windshield, you're looking in your rearview mirror, right? So, you know, how do you kind of manage that difference, and mentalities when you're chasing somebody down versus like when you're the leader?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so when I'm the leader, I really just kind of focus. I don't— sometimes I'll focus on the car behind me if they're like right there, but if I have a good enough gap, I won't, I won't focus on them and I'll kind of just focus what I'm doing out of the windshield. But most of the time when I'm chasing, it'd be like a mentality of, okay, let's go get this car. I need to get this car, in order to win. And most of the time it helps, especially that last race. But when I'm leading, I get— I just like to focus on what's ahead of me.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. And, where do you feel like— is it easier to— if you're behind someone like on their bumper, is it easier to pass them? Or do you feel like it's easier to race when you're already ahead of that person, in your opinion?

Jaxon Burnett: My opinion, it's a little bit different because I like to pass cars. I like the adrenaline of passing people. But a lot of people, it's easier to run up front and kind of just move their way around and just kind of move to somewhat block the second place. But for me, it's really just better if I can, it's easier for me to get around people, and pass people just cause like I can set it up. When I'm, but when I'm in the lead, it's a little bit more difficult for me.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. Cause it almost seems like if you're watching somebody from the rearview mirror, it's almost like you're trying to prevent from making a mistake, which seems like it makes it more likely in some ways. Right? So you want to stay more focused on. You know, your own line and taking each turn as tight as you can.

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, that's why I like to kind of focus on what's ahead of me. A lot of people drive like …. call like rearview mirror drive view, which is basically just them looking in your mirrors and just looking back at you or just looking in their mirrors trying to see where you're going and not where they're going. So that's what happens a lot and that's how I'm able to get around them sometimes. But most of the time, for me, it's just easier to just pass someone than really just mirror drive them.

Brian Harbin: Yeah, that makes sense. And, I know you mentioned too that part of your schedule and routine is finding sponsorships. And I know you've, you know, you've secured a sponsorship with us at grit.org. 

So I enjoyed getting to do our interview here a couple weeks ago. I've known your dad for a number of years through the domain industry, so really glad we've been able to connect here. But I know you set up a partnership with RhinoShield, and so part of what you do in addition to your training is getting sponsorships because, you know, obviously I don't— you know, you're not necessarily getting paid to win races yet, so you have to get corporate sponsors to come in and help fund you. So what, you know, how do you figure out which companies to go to, and then what's kind of your pitch on, on, you know, why sponsor you?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so we basically just kind of like go door knocking throughout the Albemarle area, Stanley County area, just really just local to us. We like to go door knocking and then sometimes when we're down in Atlanta, we like to go door knocking there too. And really just my pitch is just to basically it's like, hey, I'm Jackson Burnett with Jackson Burnett Racing. I'm a 12-year-old youth race car driver originally from Seattle, Washington. 

And I moved here from, for racing. And that's really just most— some of my pitch, just, basically that. And then also kind of listing off my teammates and, just seeing like if they could partner with us, if, with their— with the exposure they'll get, with the exposure I'll get, just basically what we can do for them.

Brian Harbin: And how do you determine which companies to go to? Do you feel like you kind of target companies that you feel like would be, you know, good alignment for you in the racing industry, or just at this point kind of anybody that you think would be open to sponsoring?

Jaxon Burnett: We'll really just kind of go to anyone. I think we've gone to a couple carpet places, we've gone to pet stores, we've gone to— gone to a lot of people, just not in like the motorsports or automotive industry, just kind of just people who we think could help us out.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And yeah, if there are, you know, potential sponsors that are listening, I guess, is there, what typically requires the most investment from you? Is it kind of just entry to the races? Is it, you know, just the normal wear and tear on the car of like new tires or different things like that? Or what typically do you feel like you need the most help with in terms of raising money?

Jaxon Burnett: Really just kind of with our racing, racing, expenses. Sorry. But really anyone can do any amount they want. We can range from $100 or $8 to, well, a million dollars if we're able to. But really just anyone who's able to help us out it would be awesome. We can put anything to anything, part of our racing, whether it be, travel to racing expenses, racing expenses.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. And on that note too, I mean, you guys have 51 races lined up for this year, right, for 2026. And so that's pretty much a race a week, right? I know you mentioned as well, and I find this super intriguing, that you have your own— in addition to going to the track, you have your own you know, VR headset simulator where you can get in and practice even the upcoming race. So, how long have you had that equipment? And maybe for our listeners, I know you mentioned to me before kind of the setup, but if you don't mind just kind of, you know, sharing for our listeners what your VR setup looks like and how that's helped you in your training as well.

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah. So basically like our setup's kind of like a tube, tube framed cockpit with a seat, then a mounted TV to it. And it's basically, I got it about 2 years ago. It helps a lot. I just upgraded the wheel from Christmas and then I recently got a shifter for it. But yeah, it's really, it's called the GTO Mega Art. It's just like an entry-level cockpit. It's right around $250. It's not bad. 

There's, I know they can range from $250 to $80,000. I've tried an $80,000 one and it looks like a spider. It's crazy. And but yeah, it's really just an entry-level cockpit that I got. I'm looking to upgrade, but they're just so expensive now. But yeah, it's kind of just a tube frame cockpit with like a kind of like mini desk for your wheel and your mouse and then just with a seat on it and a TV and then like the VR I'll plug into the computer and then I'll just hook it up to like iRacing, which I use.

Brian Harbin: And you were saying too, a big part of using that helps you kind of know the lines of the course before you race it.

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so that helps a lot with like the line, some throttle points and braking points for some tracks, not all of them. But yeah, it really just helps out with line and then sometimes setup.

Brian Harbin: What about in terms of like when you race against— because, you know, as you progress, you're racing harder and harder kids, each time you get on the track, which is great because obviously you're getting better and better as well. Is there anything that you've noticed when you're racing against, you know, some of the best kids in the country? Anything that they do differently that you're trying to emulate or incorporate into what you're doing?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, there— it just seems from their based off what I can see, just seems like they're more calm, they're more relaxed, they're more focused than I am, which I'm trying to work on. It's a little bit difficult for me. But, yeah, that's really just a key thing. I can't really tell a lot. But yeah, really just they're trying to be as calm as they possibly can. They're also on some of the best cars as you can in the Legends in the higher rankings. But yeah, that's really just the key thing, just trying to stay calm and more focused.

Brian Harbin: Yeah, it's interesting how that works with a lot of different, you know, sports and things in life that, you know, your skill set is so good that, you know, so much of it, you know, 90% is mental at this point and preparation and just kind of your own mindset towards it. And so with 51 races coming up this year, tell us about any goal setting that you do for that, or, you know, I know you have a certain number of races you want to win. you know, or you obviously want to win all of them, right? 

But kind of break down for us in terms of how you approach kind of going into the year, goal setting, anything that you're looking to achieve, or if you just take it one race at a time and trying to do the best you can at that race, and then you, you know, rinse and repeat into the next race. What's kind of your mentality with that?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so what our main season goal is, try and win— my two goals are to try and win as many races as I possibly can. Just that way we can get as many points as we can. And then my second one is go get a national championship because that's our main objective this year. 

That's why we're running so many races to go get a national championship. But for really, like, most of the time we'll just go race by race. Some bad races, we'll just rinse, rinse and repeat, go to the next one. But most of the goals for that race or for those races, try and at least get a top 3 or top our top 5 at least, but, again, as many points as we possibly can from those races.

Brian Harbin: And when you're going into a race, do you know exactly who you're going to be competing with? Is that something that you study as well, knowing that there's certain racers that are going to be in it and how you've kind of competed with them in the past? Or is it you just don't really know some of those details until you show up race day?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so some of those details, we don't, we don't know till race day. We'll know like the car count and stuff, but we just won't know till— or we just won't know who's there or until we get there.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And then what about, you know, kind of your own personal recovery from a race? You know, obviously I'm sure it takes a lot out of you, like once you've, you know, just preparing for a race mentally, emotionally, getting all the schoolwork done. Then you're done with a race, and then now you've got a little bit of free time. What do you do personally to kind of recover, rejuvenate, just relax, take your mind off racing a little bit? Or what had— you know, how do you keep yourself balanced in that way, if you will?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so really just coming off our race, whether it be good or bad, we like to kind of just chill out. Chill out. Most of the races will be on a Saturday, but most of the time, like if it's a fall race or even if it's a summertime spring race, well, the next day we'll either, we'll just chill out. I'll probably clean out some of my stuff if we're able to clean out the car if it's dirty or something. And then most of the time we'll watch some of the NASCAR races, kind of just chill for that day. Go out for dinner, we'll eat here at the house. But really it's just— and then we next day after that, we'll just, we'll go back to school and we'll go back to some sponsor stuff and training as well.

Brian Harbin: Very cool! And curious too, when you're racing, do you have like a water bottle or snacks in the car, or is it you're just straight up racing, don't even have time for that?

Jaxon Burnett: So as of right now, what I'm racing right now, I don't have any of that. And I know you're allowed to. I've seen people with water bottles and air tubes. All that stuff, even like their phones. I don't know why they would need that. 

But most of the time we're not able to, but the next steps you're able to, it's kind of like a mandatory thing to— most of the time it's mandatory just because of how hot they get in the car because it's a fully enclosed car. But also once I get into higher stuff, I'll be able to get snacks, water, air, all that stuff.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And so what do you feel like you're working towards at this point? Is it, basically getting more points so that you can— or kind of paint the picture of like, you know, what having a good year this year will mean for the next year and kind of moving forward for you?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so, really just what we're looking for is just to learn a lot learn a lot, grow a lot, kind of just, but yeah, really just those main things, go win as many as we can.

Brian Harbin: And, you know, the eventual goal for someone that does professional racing is to get into NASCAR. Is that kind of the eventual goal for a lot of drivers?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so for me it's NASCAR or IndyCar, one of the two, just because mostly it's ovals. But there's a lot of people that will want to get to IMSA, WEC, which is World Endurance Championship, or F1 is the most highest one. But yeah, my goal is to try and get to IndyCar or NASCAR.

Brian Harbin: Okay. And then is there a certain age that that typically would happen or would happen?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so I believe you have to be— I believe you have to be at least 15 to start in the ARCA Menards Series.

Brian Harbin: Okay.

Jaxon Burnett: And then it really just goes up from there. Like, you can start at 16 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, which is the step right below— believe it or no, that's 18, sorry. But NASCAR Truck Series is 16. But the level I'm at right now, you have to be 10 to start in Legends. And then the next step is 12 years old. So a lot of people just go from quarter midgets straight to late models. But that's really what we're not doing right now. We do have a late junior late model combine coming up. We'll leave tomorrow for it. But for right now, we're going to try and stay in Legends as long as we can, just learn a lot.

Brian Harbin: Okay. Yeah, good to know how all that, you know, works out. And then I wanted to ask too, favorite racing movie or TV show, and then maybe favorite non Racing movie, TV, or show? Anything that jumps out?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so some of my favorite movies are gotta be Ford vs. Ferrari or F1: The Movie. Those are definitely some of my favorites. And then my show is probably Full Speed by NASCAR. That's a really good one, just because it's, well, based off of like Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Ross Chastain, all those guys. They just came out with a new season, which is many more people. And then also F1: Drive to Survive, that's a really good show as well. 

And then also some of my favorite like non-racing shows, it's gotta be like Stitch and Lilo. I like to watch that one. I know they just came out with a new one, but I like the old one a little bit better. But yeah, there's some other stuff I can't really think about off the top of my head. Like I have the images, I just don't have the name unfortunately. But yeah, those are some of my favorite racing shows and movies.

Brian Harbin: I love it! Yeah, just recently, it's only been probably a month ago, we watched F1, and such a great movie. I like kind of the combination of like old school versus new school, and, yeah, it's good stuff. Let's see, and then in terms of, I think, you know, I might have mentioned this, but I'd love to hear kind of an additional feedback in terms of you know, you're talking about skills that you want to develop to kind of unlock that next level of success for you. 

I know you mentioned, you know, some of these other racers you've seen that are just, you know, cool, calm, collected. Anything that you personally feel like you're working on to, you know, kind of further enhance either your skills or mindset? Anything else that you feel like is a focus for you?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah. So really just, kind of like my agility and strength. just because like getting into the bigger stuff, it's going to be harder to drive, especially since those are anywhere from 100 to 500 laps. So those— that would be really just one of the main things. And also just staying calm, and then also focusing on school.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. And you mentioned agility and strength, and that's interesting because I know technically you're sitting at the same time. Is it preventing your, you know, being in a certain amount of shape that your body doesn't get cramps, or what is it you're trying to strengthen when you're doing these type workouts to be able to race that long?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so really just we're trying to focus on like our, like the arms and then also, really just our running agility, just because the steering, since there is no power steering, will wear us out a lot. Even in the Legends, it wears me out sometimes. 

And then also kind of just, just kind of also not try and get cramps. Like, we'll drink, I believe I've drank, close to half a gallon before a race before. So just, just to try and, of water just so that way I don't get cramps. But yeah, just trying to get agility, strength, just that way we can handle the wheel and handle how long the races are.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. Have to make sure you use the bathroom before you go, right? Holding your, holding it for 120 laps is not easy. The, well, very cool. No, and Jackson, I wanted to ask you as well, in terms of the GRIT Creed, these are 12 principles that we really, you know, use to— for our messaging to pour into the next generation. I know you're familiar with the 12 principles of the GRIT Creed, but which one resonates most with you and why?

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, I think the saying, I will follow through what— with what I will say I will do. Helps a lot just because like I say, I want to go to NASCAR, I want to go to late models, and I'm following through with that. I'm saying like, or I'm going through with that. I'm going to win races, I'm going to get at least top 3s, I'm gonna go talk to people, staying out there like the fan zone, talking to a lot of people and just doing all that just to help get to NASCAR and get to my goals.

Brian Harbin: Very cool! And in order to follow you, I know you've got Jackson Burnett Racing, so we'll put a link in the comments. So it's jaxonburnettracing.com, and then that's where you kind of do updates on upcoming races and finishes and things like that.

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, so that's where our like merch store is, I believe it'll take you to some of our Facebook too. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram. All that stuff. We'll link it all to there. But yeah, that's really where you can keep up to date with us.

Brian Harbin: Well, thank you again, Jackson! This has been a blast. You know, again, our youngest guest on the grit.org podcast. We're super excited to be, you know, sponsoring you for 2026. And, you know, just have enjoyed getting to know you and your passion for, you know, racing and just a very mature young man and seem You know, like you're just very focused and determined and the amount of time and effort you pour into your goals and dreams, it's going to be fun to watch. 

And I know that's going to be something you carry with you for the rest of your life. And, so we're just honored to have you on today. And, yeah, we'll look forward to seeing you again soon. So thanks for being on!

Jaxon Burnett: Yeah, thank you for having me!

Brian Harbin: Well, that's a wrap for today's episode of the Grit.org podcast. Appreciate you guys tuning in, and we'll see you guys next time!