NASCAR Driver Jeff Burton Greets Fans

On the final leg of his three stop tour, NASCAR driver Jeff Burton arrived at Prescott Park on Wednesday afternoon to waiting cheers and smiles of his devoted fans.

Burton brought his "Turn Left with Jeff" tour to Portsmouth after making stops earlier in the day at Boston's Faneuil Hall and Manchester City Hall. He traveled with ESPN announcer Allen Bestwick and New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials.

"It's great to be here," said Burton, who has won the NHMS race in Loudon four times and is known as the "Mayor of NASCAR."

Burton said the Sylvania 300 is an important race and he has always enjoyed racing on the Loudon track. "It means a lot to me that people come out and say hi."

Burton said his tour makes him feel like is a candidate on the campaign trail and in a sense he is playing that role as a way to help NHMS officials generate some pre-race excitement.

Burton's fans traveled from near and far for a chance to meet the NASCAR driver.

"I've been a big fan of NASCAR for a long time," said Brandon Dube of Rochester. He said he has watched the NHMS races in Loudon the past nine years and he along with his girlfriend, Dorothy Cote and his younger brother, Bryce, 11, enjoyed getting Burton's autograph and having their photo taken with him.

Klay Brewer and his wife, Hilda Taylor, both of Portland, Maine, couldn't wait to make the trip to Portsmouth once they learned that Burton would be in Prescott Park.

Portsmouth resident Ruth Griffin, a former New Hampshire Executive Councilor, also sported her NASCAR jacket and enjoyed meeting Burton. She also had her photo taken with him. Following his stop in Portsmouth, NHMS officials took Burton back to Boston so he could board a plane at Logan International Airport and head home to North Carolina.