The Automobile

Burman Stars at Burlington

Averages 47.06 M.P.H. in First 100-Mile Race on 1/2-Mile Dirt Track

Burlington, Iowa, July 9 -- In the first 100-mile race held on a banked 1/2-mile dirt track under the A.A.A. sanction, Burman, driving his Peugeot, captured first money this afternoon, covering the distance in 2 hr. 7 min., 29.66 sec., averaging 47.06 m.p.h. for the century. At the Kalamazoo 100-mile race last September, Burman made the distance in 1:34:29 2-5, an average of 63.6 m.p.h. O'Donnell's Duesneberg made the distance at Galesburg, June 9, in 1:36 or at 62.5 m.p.h.

The three Duesenbergs, driven by Chandler, O'Donnell and Alley ran second, third and fourth and annexed $1,350, the major portion of the $2,550 prize money. O'Donnell also won three purses of $100 each for leading at 25, 50 and 75 miles.

O'Donnell was more than a serious contender at the crack of the starter's pistol; he and Alley jumped to the front and at the completion of 25 miles had a commanding lead over their rivals. O'Donnell kept increasing this advantage and was four laps ahead of Burman when he was forced to stop at his pits after covering 86 miles because of a cracked hub and a broken bearing. This stop lost the race for O'Donnell while he was repairing his car. Burman made up the lost ground and passed him, although he had to make a tire change, while the Duesenberg was at the pits. Burman finished almost 7 min. ahead of Chandler, who captured second place from O'Donnell by the narrow margin of 22 sec. Seconds only separated O'Donnell and Alley, making the race one of the most spectacular held on a dirt track this season.

Three other cars started, Joe Cooper's Sebring; Brown's Du Chesneau and Dall's Buick; the Sebring was put out of commission with a water-flooded carbureter when the car went through a fence and plunged into a pond on its ninety-eighth lap. The Du Chesneau made 199 circuits of the track but did not cross the finishing line. The buick was distanced. The Summary:

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