On 19 August 1909, “Wild” Bob Burman won the Prest-O-Lite Trophy, the feature event on the opening day of automobile racing at the newly built Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Driving a Buick, Burman completed the 100-lap, 250-mile race in 4 hours, 38 minutes and 57.4 seconds, averaging 53.77 mph. He finished ahead of Jap Clemens in a Stoddard-Dayton and Charles Merz in a National.
The race was a gruelling test on the Speedway's original 2.5-mile dirt oval, where dust, ruts and mechanical failures made high-speed racing particularly hazardous. Nine cars started, but only three completed the full distance. Tragically, Knox driver William Bourque and his riding mechanic Harry Holcomb were killed in a crash on the 58th lap.
Burman's victory was significant beyond the result: it came in the first automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and helped establish the venue as a major centre of American motorsport. The following year, the Speedway hosted further long-distance races, paving the way for the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
