PELL CITY, Ala. (AP) -- NASCAR driver Jeff Burton doesn't go through life with the narrow world view as seen through a windshield at 200 mph.
The 16-year Sprint Cup veteran is fluent in current events, a fan of C-SPAN and is as concerned about the state of the economy as the typical working Joe that makes up a big chunk of NASCAR's fan base.
He hardly fits the stereotype of the wealthy star athlete who is living inside a bubble, isolated from the real world inside his sport.
"I'm very interested in what's going on in the world," Burton said during a visit promoting next month's race at nearby Talladega Superspeedway. "I'm very interested in what's going on in the country, because it affects my family, it affects my friends, it affects my business associates.
"And by the way, it's very interesting. My personality is I'm not just here to be here. I'm here to be part of it. I like being part of stuff. I like being involved in it. It's a very interesting time, no question about it."
No wonder speculation exists that the affable Burton could eventually be clutching constituents' hands instead of the steering wheel in a run for senator in Virginia. Burton, who has said he's interested in running for office when his NASCAR career is over, had the diplomatic answer down pat when he was recently asked about a possible switch to politics someday.
"When I decide to retire, whenever that is, I'll look at my options then and I'll decide what to do," Burton said. "I don't need to know what it is. I'll figure that out when I get there."
The 42-year-old hardly seems ready to park it just yet. A 21-time Sprint Cup Series winner, he is currently 13th in the point standings and coming off an eighth-place finish at Bristol.
Burton also found time to demonstrate his real-world awareness in Bristol, lashing out at Congress over millions in employee bonuses paid out by troubled insurance giant AIG, which has received $182.5 billion in bailout money from the U.S. government.
"Congress is ripping all the lenders for screwing the country up -- guess what they are?" Burton said last week. "(Congress is) a lender that screwed that up. So how are they any different?"
Diplomatic? Sometimes. Opinionated? Certainly. Informed? Tries to be.
How many pro athletes say things like this: "I'll tell you what I really like, I like C-SPAN." Or feel strongly about where they find the most objective news reporting? (That would be POTUS on satellite radio). He doesn't want news that only turns to the left -- or the right.
Burton and his fellow drivers can't help but have noticed dwindling crowds at races as fans cut back, and the 16-year Cup veteran certainly understands. He doesn't have to live paycheck to paycheck or fret about finding work, but knows plenty do.
"I want race fans here, but it's more important for their kids to have food," he said. "This is fun, this is entertainment.
"I'm nervous about it because our sport is so reliant on the fans. But I want the fans to make the right decision to them. Life's more important than going to a race."
NASCAR chairman Brian France ordered a companywide hiring freeze in January and suspended executive bonuses at the sanctioning body. NASCAR also suspended all testing at its sanctioned tracks in a measure designed to save the teams money.
It doesn't take hours of watching C-Span and CNN to sense the pain. Doesn't hurt, though.
"Anybody that's in NASCAR that doesn't have a real clear picture of the economic status right now is an idiot," Burton said. "Our sport works because of fans being able to go to racetracks. Our sport works because of corporate America being able to sponsor these cars, sponsor races, buy TV time, all those things. If anybody is looking around thinking we're immune to this, they're pretty stupid."
