Evening star., 1911-06-04

were broken last week. The mile RECORD
was lowered from 30. .63 to 50 81. The new
| quarter-mile record Is SIG. and for the
half-mile. 1888 seconds. The kilometel
now stands at 2I.4O. as against 21. Al
made by Oldfield. Burman is now enti-
tied to the honor OF speed king" which
honor came to him few weeks ago al
Daytona Beach. Fla.
A word or two about the new record
holders at this time would not be out OF
place, in view of the wonderful feats
which they have performed behind the
throttle.
Robert Burman, acknowledged speed
King. is but twenty-seven years old
Born near Inlay City. Mich, In 1854. Bur
man lived on the farm until about sew
enteen years Of age. Then he went to
testing automobiles. and tested the first
car ever made by. the Buick Motor Com
pany. when the factory was located at
jackson. Mich. Later he entered the en-
ploy OF the jackson Automobile Company,
and soon became head tester. While he
was thus employed a freak racing car
was built in Jackson. and the builder in
vited Burnan to a five-mile match race
on the mile horse track at the fair
grounds. Burman took the chance of be-
ing shown up, and won the race by al
most a mile
This started the speed career of tn. pres
ent monarch of them all After much per-
suasion and the offer to pay his own ex-
penses II the company would let him have
a car he was allowed to enter a fifty-mile
race at Detroit in 1905 All of the big
bows of the game were in, but Bob start
ed out to beat it, and Won the race
hands down. His next experience was to
drive twenty-five and half hours of a
twenty-four-hour race In st. Louis the
same year and win by eighty-two miles,
Then the Buick company got him and
his career which gained him the name of
wild Bob" started. He was but twenty
three years old, but he proved his ability
and his nerve. and his promotion was
Iast A list OF Burmans winnings would
fill fair-sized volume His most notable
victory of 1910 was first American car
IN the Savannah grand prize race and
third in the race. He won several long
races at the Indianapolis motor speed
way In July. 1910 but the disqualification
of the Marquette Buick cars lost him the
credits he gained by clever driving.
Burman left the Buick team early this
year to drive the cars formerly owned by
Barney Oldf1eld. He Immediately drove
the 2O-horsepower Bitten Benz faster
than Oldfeld ever had dared, thereby
breaking all records for the kilometer.
mile and two-mile distances. The rec
ords made by Burman in the Benz at
Daytona April q, 1911, were: kilometer,
1888: mile. 25.4O. and two miles, 81. .2S.
This is faster than man ever travelled be-
fore.
Ray Harroun was born at Spartans-
burg. Pa, and is twenty-nine years old.
He has driven in practically all Of the
great automobile races during the last
three or four years. He holds a long list
of records and has won many trophies.
Harroun won more firsts than any other
driver during 1910. Following are some of
his records. regardless of class: % miles.
42:033j: 60 miles. 4J:5t 20: 6j miles
49:3S-34: 40 miles, 53:2J 2S: Is miles,
51:1519: so miles. 1:01:4.17; So miles,
:4 :53.12. 90 miles, 1:oS:i1.2; ~ miles,
1:12:32.9S: 100 miles. 1:16:219; 10 miles.
1:23:25: 12o miles. 1:37:1S; 13O miles,
1880. 40 miles, 1:43:5I; $50 miles,
2:02:16: 1fO miles, 2:10:J4: 10 miles,
2:19.31: $50 miles. 2:2S:1S; 190 miles,
2:31 :O9: 200 miles, 2:46:32.
He has won, among other trophies, 200
mile Wheeler & Schebler trophy, the At
lanta speedway trophy, Los Angeles
motordrome 100-mile stock chassis
trophy. the Remy Brassard, Atlanta Au