Braun Racing's Burney Lamar gets a foothold on fashion and fatherhood
Braun Racing's Burney Lamar competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. // LaDon George, NASCAR Scene
Braun Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Burney Lamar recently showed up at an appearance for Toyota wearing the requisite sponsor’s polo shirt but also with a snazzy pair of Hugo Boss jeans. These ain’t your dad’s Wranglers, folks.
It’s not that Lamar is that into fashion, not like Sprint Cup driver Scott Speed, anyway. Lamar, you see, is married to fashion, as it were. Wife Niki Taylor is a former model who could easily be classified as a “supermodel.”
Taylor still does some modeling, in fact, and recently did a photo shoot for Skechers Footwear – with Lamar and Taylor’s twin sons from her first marriage.
“I got these on a Skechers shoot, so when you're married to somebody like her, it does have its perks,” Lamar said. “You get really cool clothes for nothing, and that’s how I ended up with these.”
Yes, but how does Lamar know they’re cool? He’s just a simple race car driver.
“Somebody who gets paid to pick out clothes picked them out, so they’ve got to be cool, you know?” Lamar said.
Lamar is told that seems to be one of the many perks to being married to a supermodel.
“I guess that would be one of the smaller perks, yeah,” Lamar said. “She’s pretty hot – I guess that’s a bigger perk.”
Well, yes, Taylor is an attractive woman, one could say.
“And she makes beautiful babies, too,” Lamar points out.
In 2006, Lamar and Taylor were married, and on March 4 of this year, the couple had their first child, Ciel Taylor Lamar – a day before Taylor’s birthday.
Ciel, pronounced “C L,” is French for sky, Lamar says. And clearly the driver is head over heels for his daughter.
“I was late to this appearance because I was holding her in my arms,” Lamar said.
Oh, man. We’re sorry.
“She was passed out on me,” said Lamar, who has made five starts this season and is 36th in the series standings. “My wife and I were hanging out. It’s tough to leave, but once you leave the house, it’s always business as normal. When you get to the race track, it’s business as normal.
“When it’s all said and done, I really look forward to coming home now to see her. It’s a really cool experience.”
Lamar and Taylor live in Brentwood, Tenn., where Lamar is anything but an absentee father. Sure, he travels most every weekend, including the 21 weekends where he’ll drive for Braun this year.
No, Lamar is a hands-on father, one who even changes diapers – happily.
“The first time I changed her diaper, I was one of the first ones to change her in the hospital,” Lamar said. “When you first change a diaper, the diapers don’t stink at all. Their systems are just getting going. But since then, it has changed. I’m not going to lie.
“But when it’s your own, it’s not a problem. You’ll do anything for them. I love everything about her, everything. So it’s cool.”
Yes, life is good for Lamar. And he looks good, too, apparently.
