Burney Lamar
A versatile NASCAR driver who found success in the lower series and famously married country music star Nicole Kidman.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American racing driver·Birthday: August 21·Generation X
Biography
Burney Lamar scored five top-five finishes in what is now the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving for teams like Kevin Harvick Incorporated. Born in 1980, the California native cut his teeth on short tracks before breaking into national competition. A victory at that level proved elusive, but he demonstrated smooth, capable talent. His career trajectory shifted with his 2006 marriage to actress Nicole Kidman, which brought intense media scrutiny to his previously low-profile racing life. The marriage ended in 2007, and Lamar eventually stepped back from full-time competition. His story is one of a skilled driver whose personal narrative captured public attention in a way few from the racing world ever do.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Burney was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Burney Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Burney's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned a career-best 2nd place finish in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park in 2005.
- Competed full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series during the 2006 season.
- Made multiple starts in the NASCAR Truck Series, with a best finish of 6th at Texas in 2005.
Did You Know?
He was married to actress Nicole Kidman for less than a year in 2006-2007.
Lamar's racing number in the Xfinity Series was often 77.
He is a licensed pilot and enjoys flying.
“You have to be aggressive on these short tracks to get any respect.”
