Bob Burman

Robert R. Burman (23 April 1884 – 8 April 1916) was an American racecar driver who participated in the 1911 Indianapolis 500.

Bob Burman
Burman in 1911
Nationality	American
Born	Robert R. Burman April 23, 1884 Imlay City, Michigan, U.S.
Died	April 8, 1916 (aged 31) Riverside, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Injuries from racing accident

Biography

Burman was born in Imlay City, Michigan on April 23, 1884. He was the winner of the Prest-O-Lite Trophy Race in 1909. He competed at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Racing for racing promoter Ernest Moross, Burman set world records in his 200-horsepower Blitzen Benz racecar on the sands of Daytona Beach and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1911.[1]

Death

Bob Burman was killed in a road race in Corona, California on April 8, 1916 along with his riding mechanic Erick Schrader and a policeman on duty, when he rolled over in his open-cockpit Peugeot car.[2] Three spectators were also killed, and five others were seriously injured.[3] His death caused his friends Barney Oldfield and Harry Arminius Miller to join forces to build a race car that incorporated a roll cage inside a streamlined driver's compartment that completely enclosed the driver. It was called the Golden Submarine.

Awards

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2011.[4]

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired 1911 45 39 — — 19 126 0 Flagged 1912 15 12 84.110 7 12 157 0 Crash T2 1913 4 21 84.170 7 11 188 41 Flagged 1914 17 22 90.410 12 24 47 0 Rod 1915 8 7 92.400 7 6 200 0 Running Totals 718 41

Starts 5 Poles 0 Front Row 0 Wins 0 Top 5 0 Top 10 1 Retired 2

Images

• 
  Bob Burman, Louis Disbrow, Jack Tower, and Joe Grennon at the 1911 Indianapolis 500
• 
  Burman's crashed Cutting racer, built by the Clark-Carter Automobile Company at the 1912 Indianapolis 500
• 
  Bob Burman's Keeton racer finished 11th place at Indianapolis in 1913
• 
  Bob Burman's Keeton racer photo taken by George L Mooney in 1913

References

1. "Bob Burman's Crown". First Super Speedway. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
2. "'Bob' Burman Killed in California Race. His Mechanician and a Track Guard Also Die When Machine Overturns". The New York Times. April 9, 1916. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Bob Burman of Detroit, noted automobile racer; his mechanician, Eric Schroeder of Chicago, and a track guard are dead tonight as a result of the overturning of Burman's car in the Corona road race here today. Five spectators were injured, several seriously.
3. "'Wild Bob' Burman and Chicago Boy Die in Auto Crash. Corona Guard also Killed When Demon Plunges into Crowd; 5 Hurt". Chicago Tribune. April 9, 1916. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. 'Wild Bob' Burman of Detroit, Mechanician Eric Schrader of Chicago, and Track Policeman W. H. Speer, dead, and five spectators injured three of whom may die ...
4. "13 Inductees set as Class of 2011 for National Sprint Car Hall of Fame". National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2011.

External links

• Bob Burman at Find a Grave