Gilbert J. Andersen (born Gulbrand, November 27, 1879[1] – September 20, 1930) was an American racing driver active during the formative years of auto racing.
| Gil Andersen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Andersen at the 1915 Indianapolis 500 | |||||||
| Born | Gulbrand J. Andersen November 27, 1879 Horten, Vestfold, Norway | ||||||
| Died | September 20, 1930 (aged 50) Logansport, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 31 races run over 8 years | |||||||
| First race | 1910 Remy Brassard #1 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 1917 Uniontown Race #3 (Uniontown) | ||||||
| First win | 1913 Elgin National Trophy (Elgin) | ||||||
| Last win | 1915 Astor Cup (Sheepshead Bay) | ||||||
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Biography
editAndersen was born on November 27, 1879, in Horten, Vestfold county, Norway.[2] Andersen and his family emigrated to Chicago, Illinois, in 1895, whereupon Andersen took the name Gilbert. He later became a citizen of the United States. He married Elsie Olsen on March 3, 1909, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[3] He competed in the first six Indianapolis 500 races, appearing in annual races from 1911 through 1916.[2]
One of Andersen's major victories was in the 1913 Elgin National Road Races, which he won at an average speed of 71 mph.[4] On October 9, 1915, he set a new auto speed record of 102.6 mph, winning the first Astor Cup race at Sheepshead Bay. New York.[5] In 1928 Andersen established a new American stock car speed record, when he clocked 106.52 mph in a Stutz Blackhawk on the measured mile at Daytona Beach, Florida.[6]
Andersen worked as an engineer for the Stutz Motor Company. Stutz was in operation from 1911 and continued through 1935. He also was an engineer for the ReVere Motor Company,[7] located in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana.[8]
Andersen died of pulmonary tuberculosis on September 20, 1930, in Logansport, Indiana, at age 50.[2]
Motorsports career results
editIndianapolis 500 results
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Gallery
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Gil Andersen's crashed Stutz at T3 in the 1912 Indianapolis 500 -
Gil Andersen at the 1915 Indianapolis 500 -
Andersen's #28 car (second from left), preparing for the 1916 Indianapolis 500
References
edit- ^ "Info Taken From WWI Draft Registration". familysearch.org. Retrieved June 3, 2017.[dead link]
- ^ a b c "Gil Andersen Dies: Was Famous Auto Racer Years Ago". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, IN. September 21, 1930. pp. 1, 7. Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Minnesota Marriages 1849 - 1950". FamilySearch.
- ^ "STUTZ WINS ELGIN RACE.; Anderson Drives Winning Car at 71 1/2 Miles an Hour". New York Times. August 31, 1913. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ^ The Encyclopedia of American Facts & Dates, Gordon Carruth, Eighth Edition, Harper & Row
- ^ "Andersen to Pilot Stutz in Dual Stock Car Race". Milwaukee Sentinel. March 18, 1928. Retrieved January 28, 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "History of the ReVere Automobile Company from Hemming's Auto Magazine". www.hemmings.com. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ Gil Andersen (The Indy 500 drivers — Where are they now?[1])
- ^ Gil Andersen, Extended driver stats (ChampCarStats.com)
External links
edit- Gil Andersen driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- The ReVere Motor Company
- Stutz Club