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Bob Burman

Bob Burman
  • Surname
    Burman
  • First name
    Bob
  • Date of birth
    23.04.1884
  • Date of death
    08.04.1916

Born in Imlay City, Michigan, Burman was one of the most renowned US racing drivers of his time. in 1911, the American event manager Ernie Moross entrusted him with the famous "Blitzen-Benz", a record-breaking car with a 21.5-litre, 200 hp/147 kW four-cylinder engine. Moross acquired the car in 1910 from the Benz importer Hesse Froehlich and initially signed Barney Oldfield as driver. In March 1910 in Daytona Beach, Florida, he covered the mile with a flying start at 211.4 km/h and thus set a world speed record.

After quarrels with the American Automobile Association (AAA), which excluded Oldfield from all races, Moross relied on Bob Burman the following year. On 23 April 1911, he achieved new world bests on the beach at Daytona Beach: Over the kilometre with a flying start, he achieved 226.7 km/h, and completed the mile with a flying start at 228.1 km/h – the highest speed achieved to date with a road vehicle.

It also covered two miles at a speed of 225.9 km/h. He also set new US track records in the quarter mile and one, two, three, five and 20 miles for cars with no displacement limit. On 8 April 1916, Burman had a fatal accident at the wheel of a Peugeot in a road race in Corona, California. His world record, set five years earlier, was to outlive him by a good three years.

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