- 1890s Cars
- Barney Oldfield Images
- Oldfield - Petersen
- Beer
- Early Auto Industry
- Uniontown - Marci McGuinness
- General Period Clip Art
- Early Race Related Clip Art
- Advertising and Editorial Cartoons
- Early Indianapolis
- IMS Construction
- Indianapolis Speedway
- First IMS Auto Races
- Failed 1909 Air Show
- 1909 IMS Balloon Races
- 1909 IMS Motorcycle Meet
- 1910 Indianapolis Auto Show
- 1913 Indianapolis 500
- 1919 Indianapolis 500
- Joe Dawson
- WWI "500" Winner Draft Cards
- Frank Di Buglione (off the wall art, LLC)
- Gilbert Art
- Carl Graham Fisher
- IMS Hall of Fame Museum
- Alco at 100th Anniversary
- Frederic Matile - Morris Park
- Miami-Fulford Speedway
- Paul Sheedy Collection
- Early Wyoming Racing - 1909 - 1919
- Personalities
- Early Racing Images
- Glidden Tour
- 1909 Cobe Trophy
- Fairmount Park & Belmont Estates
- Early Santa Monica
- Don Radbruch Collection
- Jeroen de Boer Collection 1910
- Jeroen de Boer Collection 1912
- Jeroen de Boer Collection 1913
- Jeroen de Boer Collection 1914
- Georges Boillot
- Story's Indianapolis 500 Cars
- Story's Sports Cars
- Story's Grand Prix Cars
- Old School
- Story's Brickyard Sketchbook
Bob Burman After Prest-O-Lite Win
Photo Gallery Categories
Search
Featured Article
Image of The Week
![](https://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/img_med/Burman82009.jpg)
This image of one of Buick's star race drivers, "Wild" Bob Burman was originally published in the August 20, 1909 Indianapolis Star. It was part of the coverage of the first auto races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that began the previous day. Burman won the first major race at the Speedway, the 250 mile Prest-O-Lite Trophy.
These races were both historic and tragic as driver William Bourque and mechanic Harry Holcomb lost their lives during the Prest-O-Lite event. The two men drove for the Knox Automobile Company who decided to withdraw from the duration of the race meet. Burman also elected to withdraw from the second day of racing not out of mourning but exhaustion from the strain of his challenging drive.
Burman was one of the most feared drivers of his era. He competed in all the major events of his time, the Indianapolis 500, the Vanderbilt Cup and the American Grand Prize. Burman set the world land speed record (141+ mph) at Ormond-Daytona Beach in 1911 as well as the mile speed record at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the day before the first Indianapolis 500. Bob Burman died April 8, 1916 at the Carona, California road race. You can see a creative photo of his headstone elsewhere on First Super Speedway.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
Burman82009.jpg | 596.81 KB |