Jeff Burton dismissed claims that today’s NASCAR drivers are not as talented as those from the past. In a recent interview, he spoke about the current state of the sport, the level of competition, and how drivers are adapting to today’s challenges.A clip from the interview was shared on X by reporter Taylor Kitchen. In the video, Burton responded to a question about his outlook on the present condition of NASCAR. He described the competition as unusually tight, explaining that the difficulty of passing cars comes from the closeness of the field. According to him, when most teams get the basics right, smaller details make all the difference. Burton added that he enjoys that aspect of racing because it shows the precision needed to win.The part of the video highlighted was when Burton confronted a claim he often hears, that current drivers aren’t as talented as those from earlier eras. As he described it,“I promise you this: a lot of people say that to me, "hey those guys aren't as good as y'all were." That's bullshit, excuse my language. It is. These guys are damn good at what they do. And there's some us who couldn't do it in this environment. [1:35 onwards]"There're some that could and there's some of these (current drivers) that couldn't have done it in our environment. And there's some that could.”He also admitted that while some drivers from earlier eras might succeed under modern conditions, others would struggle. Burton said what matters is that the current field is highly skilled, and dismissing them only undermines the progress the sport has made.Jeff Burton raced in the Cup Series from 1993 to 2014, winning 21 races along with 27 Xfinity races. Nicknamed “The Mayor of NASCAR” for his leadership and focus on safety, he was one of the most consistent drivers of his era, with standout seasons at Roush Fenway Racing. Since 2015, Burton has been working as an analyst for NBC Sports.Jeff Burton nearly took the 1997 Southern 500 from Jeff GordonJeff Burton came close to one of the biggest wins of his career at Darlington Raceway in 1997. Racing against Jeff Gordon in the Southern 500, Burton nearly snatched the victory after Gordon scraped the wall in the closing laps. Gordon later admitted,"I look at that and that actually makes me mad because I almost lost that race. He ran me down, and then I got in the wall. And then he really ran me down. One more lap and it would've been over."Jeff Burton’s No. 99 car went side by side with Gordon’s No. 24 on the straightaway. He even tapped Gordon’s door with two laps left, but never got another chance to pass. Gordon held on for the win and the Winston Million bonus, but Burton’s charge made the finish a memorable one.