KEEPING UP WITH THE CARDASHIANS
CAITLYN JENNER’S SON RUNNING HIS OWN RACE AT THE GC600
BURT Jenner is a member of arguably the world’s best-known celebrity family, but the son of Caitlyn Jenner is happiest when he is behind the wheel of his Stadium Super Truck. Yesterday he opened up about his famous dad, the Kardashian clan and life in general. Burt will compete this weekend at the GC600, but yesterday his priorities were kangaroos and kite surfing.
HE’S a member of the world’s most famous family but Burt Jenner is thankful he was sidelined from the reality TV juggernaut that made his siblings household names.
On the Gold Coast, literally running his own race for the Stadium Super Trucks today, Jenner spoke candidly about his father Caitlyn Jenner, who famously completed a transition from a man – famed Olympian Bruce Jenner – this year.
“It’s been a wild ride and not because of the transition – I’m fully supportive of that,” he said. “The honesty has grown exponentially with that and that is the upside. It’s something I’ve become very comfortable with but for years I was always guessing who my father was and, now that Caitlyn has decided to take that next step and be more honest, I’m finally getting to learn about who my father is.”
Burt has carved himself a successful motorsport career while somehow sidestepping the relentless public circus that has surrounded others with his surname. His family photos feature some of the most recognisable, if constantly changing, faces of popular culture – Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West. Kourtney, Rob and Khloe Kardashian, Brody, Brandon, Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
Between them they have more than 60 million Instagram followers – it’s a fishbowl from which Burt Jenner is happy to keep his feet dry.
He said he owed Kris Jenner, Bruce’s third wife, an apology for blaming her for changing his relationship with his father, with whom he now speaks regularly. MY DAD CAITLYN JENNER
IN an interview for Vanity Fair in July Jenner said he had “high hopes that Caitlyn is a better person than Bruce. I’m very much looking forward to that”.
Asked yesterday whether he thought she was better than he, Burt said: “In many ways, yes,” paused for 33 thoughtful seconds and added, “But in a few ways, no.”
“I think that process did make me realise that there was a lot of stuff that I had initially blamed Kris for,” he said.
“I guess that I realise I was wrong. I owe her an apology.”
Jenner said Caitlyn’s transition took undeniable courage – particularly under the glare of the public.
“I think about the people who are transgender, who are worried about coming out,” he said. “That, to me, is a big leap of faith to take in your friends, your family, in your town, your work.
“I’ve heard a lot of negativity: ‘ Oh, your father’s not a hero’. I can agree that my father’s not a hero but my father’s got guts – that’s not debatable.
“For everyone who risks family, friends, work, their city, their town ... but all those people also have the opportunity to pick up and move to the next state and start all over fresh and clean.
“My dad will never have that opportunity.
“I don’t know how my father’s made it so far.” KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS
THE reality show that turned a complex family into a worldwide, money-making phenomenon didn’t want a bar of Caitlyn Jenner’s eldest kids, Burt and Casey.
“We were just not invited,” he said. “For us, the notion that we even existed meant that the family dynamic of the show was BS.
“Simply, I was hidden and my sister was hidden. “I’m so thankful for that. “There were times – when I didn’t have a racing career and would have done anything to start one – that I would have been desperate enough to make that mistake. I’m far enough removed and thankfully, not well-known enough so I can walk the streets like any normal man.” HIS OWN RACE
“DOGS don’t care.”
When he’s not racing trucks or Polaris RZRs, Burt Jenner runs a dog hotel where he lives in LA with girlfriend Valerie Pitalo, their pit bull Happy and American bulldog Margarita.
“It’s Valerie’s first time to Australia as well,” he said.
After our interview, the pair set off in search of kangaroos. The search was successful – as Instagram can attest. THE TRUCKS
STADIUM Super Trucks, on their first visit to the Gold Coast with the V8 Supercars, also have Burt Jenner hooked.
The sport is a spectacular combination of all the best bits of V8 Supercars, motocross and a demolition derby, adding five metal jumps to the already-treacherous GC600 street track.
“In Australia (a win) would be so huge. I am definitely hoping for that. If we end up with that opportunity on the last lap, then we’ll risk the truck and everything to get that done but, up until that point, it’s just keep your truck alive.”