BOB BURMAN WILL BE HERE

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Auto Speed King Signs a Contract to Race in This City on July 9th.

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Bob Burman, Ed O'Donnell and Tom Alley, conceded as being three of the greatest of all automobile race driver, yesterday filed their entry in the Burlington 100-mile auto race on July 9. The entries of the last two named were received yesterday morning by Secretary and General Manager Holcombe of the Burlington Tri-State Fair Association and a wire was received yesterday afternoon from Bob Burman in which it was stated that the entry of the world's greatest driver had been mailed at the same time. The entry was received this morning and Secretary Holcombe is all smiles.

The entrance of the two Duesenberg cars driven by O'Donnell and Alley, of the Peugeot driven by Burman, and of the Sebring driven by Joe Cooper insures the success of the event here on July 9. Any one of the four cars named would be enough to insure a real auto race and with the four entered, coupled as they will be with three other cars, the people may feel certain that the Burlington auto race will remain long in the minds of those who are fortunate enough to be included among those present.

History is Interesting.

The signing of Burman is an interesting bit of finesse on the part of the local management. Some time ago a representative of the Tri-State Fair Association interviewed Burman in Chicago regarding the race and the possibility of securing the entry of the speed demon. Burman at that time made statements that have since been confirmed by others of the great racing fraternity.

He said the race here would be the most interesting auto race in the United States this year. He gave as his reasons for the statement that the track was only a half mile wide and that the race was for a distance of 100 miles. He called to attention the fact that a car would be required to negotiate the entire distance around the track 200 times and that there would be 400 difficult turns to be made by each car.

Danger on the Turns.

It is on the turns that the real danger to the car and the driver is found. It seldom occurs that a driver is injured on the straightaway unless there is some serious defect with the machine he is driving and something occurs that might happen were the car driving along at the ordinary touring clip. It is the turns that put the fear in the hearts of the drivers and where the man with the real tested nerve is able to nose out his weaker kneed opponent. On a half mile track the turns are far more difficult to negotiate and the chances for some interesting tilts of nerve and ability are for more likely.

Burman stated that he would be pleased to enter here were the conditions so that he could make it. There is no doubt about the quality of the nerve of the great driver and the chance for something peculiarly nerve racking and dangerous appealed to him as nothing else would. He welcomed the opportunity of getting mixed up with some of the greatest drivers of the world in the trials that might result in the serious injury or death of some of the contestants.

Excitement Is Necessary.

For a man like Burman excitement is a necessary adjunct to his daily routine. If there is no excitement Burman is not living. He is merely plodding along waiting for something worth while to appear so he will be enabled to get some real enjoyment. He is a set of finely strung nerves. There is apparently nothing that will excite or unnerve him, and it probably is that fact to whichhe owes his title of the "Speed King."

This title is no mere "nickname" either. It was won in competition with the greatest drivers the world has ever known, and in competition where each of them had equal chances to win. Superior driving coupled with superior knowledge of his machine enabled Burman to beat them out in many heart-breaking encounters and won for him the title. There is none other so well equipped for the responsibility of the name.

He is always ready and willing to defend the title. There is no doubt but that he could make more money in other places than at Burlington, but the danger and excitement here and the opportunity of pitting his own, almost matchless, nerve against another.

Burman Is Eager.

The eagerness with which Burman welcomed the chance of coming to Burlington is best illustrated by the things he will have to do to get here for the race. He is scheduled to race in Tacoma, Wash., July 6. In order to get to Burlington he will have to load his car and leave Tacoma on the night of the race. He will have to catch a 7:20 train out of that place, make a three-hour connection at Billings and another equally short one at Omaha to arrive in Burlington on Friday morning, the day of the race.

Does that not show that he is coming to Burlington for something else than the chance of winning the $1200 first money? He could make more than that sum by giving exhibitions near where the races are being held at Tacoma, but it is the innate love of excitement that brings him 3,000 miles for the races here.

Duesenbergs Win.

There is an added attraction to the entry of the Duesenberg cars that was not there even a week ago. The two cars entered here are the same two that won first and second money at the Galesburg 100-mile race Wednesday. They were followed by another car of the same make, and then came the Sebring, the car driven by Joe Cooper and entered here.

Eddie O'Donnell in the Duesenberg made the 100 miles on the dirt track at Galesburg in 1 hour, 36 minutes and 3/4 seconds. This time was made on a soft track, and there is not the slightest doubt but that he would have smashed some records had he been working on a good hard track. On the turns his car dug huge holes in the track and naturally were retarded to a great degree. Then, too, he was not reall pushed except by his teammmates, and did not have to do any very sensational driving.

Tom Alley, Pacemaker.

Tom Alley, the pacemaker of the Duesenberg team, is a former Burlington boy. He was employed here for a short time, and is well known and well liked by a number of the Burlington people. From Burlington he went to Chicago, where he worked for the Locomobile people in their branch house. From there he got the race fever and went to Indianapolis, where he raced as mechanician for Ralph DePalma. He soon branched out, and is now recognized as one of the foremost drivers, and is at the wheel of a car made in this state.

The fact that the Duesenberg engine was made in Des Moines adds to the interest in the cars, and there will be a large number of the people who attend the race who will be "pulling" for the "home boy" and his Iowa car.

Sebring a History Maker.

The Sebring, the first car to officially enter the Burlington 100-mile race has made history both of the times entered in this section. At Indianapolis the car turned over twice and did not injure either of the men. The spectacle was the feature of the speedway event and considerable space was devoted to an account of the seemingly miraculous escape of Cooper and his mechanician.

At Galesburg there was another sensation attached to the race. The sensation there was the grit shown by the driver and the ability to bring home his car in fourth place after having been forced to stop on numerous occasions for water to cool a defective engine. The engine trouble has been cared for, sated Sebring, the owner of the car, and Cooper is coming to Burlington to take the first money and also to cop the specials that are to be offered.

Copy of Entry.

The attached is a copy of the entry for the Duesenberg that is driven by Eddie O'Donnell and shows the things that are necessary before a car is allowed to start in a licensed race, a condition that make a "hippodrome" impossible and insures a real race in which the best driver and best machine wins:

Under rules and with the sanction of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association.

June 9, 1915

Geo. H. Holcombe
Sec'y and Gen'l Mgr.
Burlington, Iowa.

Enclosed find a check payable to Burlington Tri-State Fair Association for fifty dollars ($50) in payment of entry in fee for one car in the 100-mile Class E Automobile Race to be run at Burlington, Iowa, on Friday, July 9, 1915. It is understood that the $50 fee is to be returned in case car is ready to start in the race.

Name of Car, Duesenberg.

Manufactured by Duesenberg Motor Co.

Manufacturers Model and Year 1114

Manufacturers No. of Motor.

Minimum Weight 2000 lbs, Manufacturers No. of Chassis.

No. of Cylinders, 4. Bore, 3 63-64. Stroke, 6.

Piston Displacement in Cubic Inches, 299.

Name of Owner, F.S. Duesenberg.

Address of Owner, Minneapolis, Minn.

Name of Driver, Ed. O'Donnell, A.A.A. Register No. ..

Name of Mechanician, Pete Henderson, A.A.A. Register No. ..

The attention of entrants is especially called to rule No. 75 of the Contest Rules of the A.A.A. regarding advertising and any infraction of said rule shall be reported by the referee to the contest board.

A description of the prizes and awards to be given in this contest are incorporated as a part of this entry blank.

The undersigned hereby agrees to furnish any other data regarding the car above entered that may be required by the promoter or Technical Committee.

Make all chacks payable to Burlington Tri-State Fair Association.

The undersigned makes this entry subject to all of the rules of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association and the rules of the Burlington Tri-State Fair Association, and hereby accepts all stipulations and conditions made or action taken by the contest board of the American Automobile Association, the officers of the Burlington Tri-State Fair Association or the referee.

The undersigned in signing this agreement elects to use the track of said Burlington Tri-State Fair Association, at his own risk, and hereby releases and discharges said Burlington Tri-State Fair Association, together with its successors and assigns, officer, agents and employees, from all liability for personal injuries that may be received by said entrant, or claims and demands for damages to personal property or employee growing out of or resulting from said races or race, or event, or caused by the condition of the track of said Burlington Tri-State Fair Association.

Signature of Entrant

F.S. DUESENBERG
P.O. Address
Minneapolis.

A separate blank must be used for each car entered.

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