The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 started with good results into the 2011 season of the VLN series (Nürburgring Endurance Championships). Two of the gullwing cars finished third and fourth respectively. It was the first time after the development and test programme of the SLS AMG GT3, that the customer teams entered the car without factory support.
After 28 laps over the Nordschleife and the shortened Grand Prix circuit, Black Falcon was the most successful gullwing team: Former DTM driver Thomas Jäger, Kenneth Heyer, Jan Seyffarth and Jeroen Bleekemolen finished third overall and first of the GT3 cars. Horn Motorsport with David Horn and Sascha Bert with another SLS AMG GT3 came home fourth, despite a spin at the Mercedes-Arena on lap 24; they had started 18th on the grid. Two other gullwing cars of Black Falcon with drivers Andrii Lebed/Ralf Schall/Hannes Plesse and Vimal Mehta/Sean Paul Breslin/Sean Patrick Bresling ended up 7th 19th respectively.
Mamerow Racing with former DTM driver Armin Hahne and Chris Mamerow retired due to a technical problem. When Hahne pitted from the lead on lap 21, Mamerow was not able to continue. ROWE RACING did not start following an accident of Dominik Schwager in qualifying. He had damaged his car so badly, that the team was not able to repair it in time for the race.
The best SLS AMG GT3 in qualifying was the Black Falcon team car with Thomas Jäger/Kenneth Heyer/Jan Seyffarth/Jeroen Bleekemolen in third position; followed by Armin Hahne/Chris Mamerow in the Mamerow Racing car in seventh place. Hahne’s fast lap was disrupted by yellow flags so that he wasn’t able to benefit from the improving conditions towards the end of the session.
It was an exciting and close race right from the start. After three laps, Jäger was third with 1.3sec behind the leader. Four different teams were in the lead with three different makes.
Thomas Jäger, third: “A good start of the Mercedes-AMG customer sports programme. Today, the SLS AMG GT3 proved fast and well-engineered. Also for our colleagues of Mamerow Racing a podium finish was possible. It’s a shame that they retired from the lead. However, this was just the beginning of a long season and with the SLS’s potential I expect many good results.” In the course of the best possible support of Mercedes-AMG for their customer teams, test driver Thomas Jäger is racing alternately for the teams.
Customer Sports: SLS AMG GT3s entered by private teams
The SLS AMG GT3s have been entered exclusively by private teams. Black Falcon took part with three cars while Mamerow Racing, Horn Motorsport and ROWE RACING were at the start with one car each.
The VLN Nürburgring Endurance Championship has been held since 1977, and is seen as Europe’s most successful broad-based motorsport series. The ten races of the 2011 season will be held exclusively on the Nürburgring’s legendary Nordschleife (North Loop) and the short link to the Grand Prix circuit. The field, with different vehicle models ranging from near-series compact cars to recent classics and right up to thoroughbred super-sports cars, guarantees attractive and exciting races.
The next event will be staged on 30 April 2011.
The SLS AMG GT3 will shortly be embarking on its first racing season, when Saturday, 2 April 2011 sees the start of the new VLN season (Nürburgring Endurance Championships). Six customer teams will be competing on the North Loop with the racing version of the gull-wing model. The SLS AMG GT3 is perfectly prepared for use on the racetrack, as its safety concept transfers the exemplary safety level of Mercedes-Benz on‑road models to the racetrack. Extensive, sophisticated crash tests and trials have confirmed these high standards.
Compliance with the stringent safety standards of Mercedes-Benz was a central consideration for the SLS AMG GT3. The development focus was on the greatest possible protection for the driver in the event of an accident. Accordingly its construction creates outstandingly favourable conditions in this respect – both in terms of the structural safety of the aluminium spaceframe, direct protection of the driver against impact loads and fire protection.
One prominent feature in the interior of the SLS AMG GT3 is the bucket seat, which is positioned within a safety cell of high-strength CFRP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic) as in the DTM cars from Mercedes-Benz. Thanks to its special shape the safety cell, which is bolted to the rollover cage and the aluminium spaceframe, provides considerably higher protection for the driver’s shoulders, hips and legs. It is also compatible with the HANS system (Head and Neck Support). The HANS system helps to prevent serious head, neck and spinal injuries, and is mandatory in many race series. The bucket seat is individually foam-contoured for each driver, features a six-point seat belt with reinforced anchorages and provides occupant protection to the highest level.
Additional protection is ensured by the rollover cage of high-strength steel, which is bolted to the aluminium spaceframe and gives this further rigidity. The 120-litre CFRP safety fuel tank is located directly over the rear axle for optimal crash protection, and features an elastic inner fuel bladder.
Crash verification tests at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center
The exemplary safety standard of the SLS AMG GT3 was verified with the help of numerous crash tests at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center in Sindelfingen – where the passive safety features of all series-production AMG and Mercedes-Benz models are also developed and tested. Such extensive and sophisticated crash tests were previously unprecedented in the GT3 segment.
The safety specialists carried out three crash tests and a static test with the racing version of the gull-wing model: a front, side and rear impact plus a roof deformation test. All the test configurations were specifically chosen to reflect typical racetrack accident situations as closely as possible.
The frontal impact simulated a collision with a wall, such as might occur in the pit lane or – as may typically happen on urban circuits – with the side barrier marking the course. The vehicle impacted the rigid test barrier at an angle of 30 degrees. During this oblique impact only the left side member of the aluminium spaceframe collided, which placed greater stresses on the bodyshell structure. The impact speed was 50 km/h.
In the side impact test the SLS AMG GT3 was rammed by an identical car of the same model at an angle of 90 degrees, and exactly at door height. The impact speed was 50 km/h.
In the rear collision test the gull-wing was likewise struck by a rigid barrier at 50 km/h, with 100% overlap.
The static roof deformation test simulated the loads that may occur during a rollover. In this cased a ram impacted the so-called A-pillar node with a precisely defined force. The rollover cage beneath the roof skin is of high-strength steel, and after the test it practically returned to its original shape.
The results underline the exemplary safety standard of the SLS AMG GT3: during every crash and impact test the driver’s survival space was maintained, which confirms the rigidity of the vehicle structure. Moreover, the measured loads acting on the GT3 driver were all below the biomechanical limits considered to be critical.
Automatic release of the roof hinges
Like every series-production SLS AMG, the GT3 version is equipped with four pyrotechnical elements on the hinges of the gull-wing doors. These allow a rapid exit for the driver, or fast access by emergency personnel, should the vehicle be lying on its roof after an accident. They are activated by the driver, using a switch on the centre console. Should he be incapable of doing this himself, the emergency personnel are able to pull on a ring easily located on the lower edge of the windscreen and marked “Emergency Exit”. The four pyrotechnical elements are then triggered, and release two roof hinges retaining each of the two gull-wing doors. When the interior door catch or external door handle is operated, the driver is able to exit or receive emergency care.
In addition the SLS AMG GT3 has polycarbonate side windows which can be easily removed by the driver or emergency personnel after an accident. The crash-protected location of the battery next to the centre tunnel, as well as the interior and exterior switches cutting off the power circuit, further demonstrate the efforts made for the greatest possible protection of the SLS AMG GT3’s driver.
Fire-extinguishing tests in the engine compartment and interior
The driver of the SLS AMG GT3 is also well protected in the event of a fire, with flame-retardant material and an effective fire extinguisher system preventing or putting out fires in the engine compartment and interior. Using a switch on the centre console and a ring attached to the windscreen, the system can be activated by the driver or by emergency personnel. To ensure the greatest possible effectiveness of the fire extinguisher system, sophisticated and realistic tests were carried out by the research department for fire protection equipment at the Institute of Technology in Karlsruhe.
All the tests conducted by the Mercedes Benz safety specialists are more stringent by far than those prescribed for racing cars by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile). As a result, the SLS AMG GT3 achieves an exemplary level of safety that is at present probably unmatched by any other GT3 car.
Eight SLS AMG GT3s competing in the first VLN race on 2 April 2011
The eight SLS AMG GT3s taking part in the first race of the VLN season have been entered exclusively by private teams. At the 58th ADAC Westphalia race on Saturday, 2 April 2011, Black Falcon will take part with three cars while Mamerow Racing, Heico Motorsport, Horn Motorsport, ROWE RACING and Race & Events GmbH will be at the starting line with one gull-wing each. Training begins at 8:30 a.m., and the race starts at 12:00 noon. During the development and test programme the SLS AMG GT3 already demonstrated its potential: with one victory and one third place in the VLN races held in autumn 2010, the Black Falcon and Mamerow Racing teams were immediately able to establish themselves among the top GT3 contenders.
The ten races of the new season will be held exclusively on the North Loop of the Nürburgring and the short link to the Grand Prix circuit. The VLN Nürburgring Endurance Championship has been held since 1977, and is seen as Europe’s most successful broad-based motorsport series. It has created a loyal following for itself with a wide variety of competitors, easily accessible paddocks and low entry prices. The colourful lineup, with different vehicle models ranging from near-series compact cars to recent classics and right up to thoroughbred super-sports cars, guarantees fast-changing and exciting races. Depending on the event, more than 190 racing cars can be at the starting line. The races take between four and six hours.
All the VLN races at a glance:
2 April 2011: 58th ADAC Westphalia race
30 April 2011: 36th DMV 4-hour race
14 May 2011: 42nd Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy
28 May 2011: 53rd ADAC ACAS H&R Cup
11 June 2011: 51st ADAC Reinoldus endurance race
30 July 2011: 34th RCM DMV Grenzland race
27 August 2011: ADAC Ruhr Trophy six-hour race
24 September 2011: 43rd ADAC Barbarossa Prize
15 October 2011: 35th DMV 250-mile race
29 October 2011: 36th DMV Münsterland Trophy
10 December 2011: VLN annual prizegiving
Following the successful conclusion of the development and test program, deliveries of the SLS AMG GT3 to customer teams are moving forward as planned. A total of 31 orders have been received for the 2011 racing season, and all the vehicles will be in the hands of the customers by early July. During configuration runs on the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet (France), the teams and racing drivers were able to familiarise themselves with the racing version of the gull-wing model and commence their setup work for the 2011 motor sport season. Bernd Schneider, five-time DTM Champion for Mercedes-Benz, and Thomas Jäger, also a Mercedes-Benz DTM driver from 2000 to 2003, were on hand together with the AMG Customer Sports Team to provide knowledgeable support.
“This year the SLS AMG GT3 will appear in numerous national and international race series. All our AMG personnel are looking forward to this immensely,” says Ola Källenius, General Manager of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. “With the SLS AMG GT3, AMG is once again demonstrating its enormous experience from more than 40 years of motorsport, and its great expertise in the development of unique high-performance cars.”
The focus of the configuration runs in Le Castellet was not only on different suspension and aerodynamic setups, as the engineers and technicians also had the opportunity to practice pitstops and tyre-changes by way of intensive preparation for the 2011 motorsport season. And it was not only technical aspects that were important during the two-day event in Le Castellet, as an attractive media and PR package was also presented for the customer teams and drivers. Professional photographers and film teams produced extensive material which will be freely available to the teams during the 2011 season.
Backup by the AMG Customer Sports Team during the season
The AMG Customer Sports Team will also give support to the customer teams on matters of servicing and replacement parts within Europe. This support concept for the 2011 motorsport season envisages comprehensive backup during the ADAC GT Masters, the Nürburgring VLN Endurance Championship, the FIA GT3 European Championship and the 24-hour races at Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). A 24-hour parts service and a technical hotline will be provided for all other racing events and test runs. As the AMG customer sports coordinator, Thomas Jäger will support the teams and provide a central point of contact for all organisational and technical matters.
Expert support from Bernd Schneider and Thomas Jäger
During the rollout event in Le Castellet organised by Mercedes-AMG, record-holding DTM Champion Bernd Schneider and Thomas Jäger were on hand to give advice and assistance to the teams. Schneider and Jäger have absolved the entire development and test programme for the SLS AMG GT3, and took part in four races with it in autumn 2010 and January 2011. With one victory and two third places, the racing version of the gull-wing model amply demonstrated its potential.
In 2011 a total of 16 customer teams from 8 nations will be at the starting lines with the SLS AMG GT3:
Well-known drivers in the racing gull-wing will include Kenneth Heyer (Wegberg, 31, Black Falcon), Lance David Arnold (Duisburg, 24, Heico Motorsport), Olivier Panis (France, 44, Graff Racing), Jarek Janis (Czech Republic, 27, Gravity Charouz Racing) and Anthony Kumpen (Belgium, 32, Viage KRK Racing).
In 2011 the SLS AMG GT3 will compete in 14 different race series conducted under FIA GT3 rules in 8 countries, and the race calendar also includes three prestigious 24-hour races.
The racing version of the SLS AMG is developed and produced by AMG in close collaboration with HWA AG. The HWA team is one of the most successful in international motorsport, as witness 10 driver’s titles in the DTM and ITC, as well as two FIA GT Championship titles. No other brand has won as many DTM races and DTM titles as AMG-Mercedes.
The SLS AMG GT3 is built by HWA AG, while its AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine is produced in the AMG custom shop. Both the car and engine are assembled completely by hand.
The start of the 2011 DTM season will mark the ninth DTM season that Bruno Spengler will line up on the track behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz AMG C-Class and his seventh season as a Mercedes DTM racer.
Mercedes-Benz and Bruno Spengler first worked together eight years ago when he was recruited into the Mercedes-Benz Young Driver Program for the 2003 Formula 3 Euroseries. A serious testing accident left him sidelined for the first six rounds of the year but, in just his second race back, Spengler took his Dallara Mercedes to a third-place podium finish at Le Mans. His combination of talent and fighting spirit set the mould for what was to follow, as he grew with Mercedes to become one of the stars of the DTM.
Following his series debut in 2005, Spengler graduated to the HWA works Mercedes-Benz team for 2006. His first win came that year at the Norisring, when he became one of the youngest winners in the championship’s history at just 22 years and 334 days old. Three more victories followed that year, on the way to a runner-up spot in the championship. He mounted another strong title challenge in 2007, taking one race win and again claiming second place in the championship. Further top-five finishes in the standings followed in 2008 and 2009.
Last season, a hard-fought title battle went right down to the wire, and Spengler was firmly in the hunt until the final race in Shanghai. The crown was ultimately claimed by his Mercedes-Benz team-mate Paul Di Resta, a fellow graduate of the Young Driver Programme, with Spengler finishing third overall. For 2011, Bruno will be aiming to add to his career total of seven DTM wins and mount another strong championship challenge.
Bruno Spengler: “I am delighted to be starting my seventh DTM season with Mercedes-Benz. During the winter, I spent nearly a month in Canada recharging my batteries and preparing for the new season. There’s never a guarantee of success in motorsport, especially in such a closely fought series as DTM, but I’ll be giving it everything I’ve got this year and, together with my team, we’ll be pushing all the way.”
Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “At 27 years old, Bruno Spengler is still a young driver – but he’s already a ‘veteran’ with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport in the very best sense of the word. Bruno gets better every year, and 2011 will mark our ninth year working together. We began back in 2003, when Bruno joined our Formula 3 Junior Programme but immediately suffered an extremely serious testing accident that could, at worst, have meant the end of his career. However, Bruno kept faith in us, and we in him, and that made the joy and satisfaction of his successes after his recovery all the sweeter. Today, he is one of the highest-profile and most successful DTM competitors, but also one of the nicest drivers in the field – and a favourite with the fans. There is still much that Mercedes-Benz Motorsport and Bruno want to achieve together, in order to celebrate a relationship that has now lasted nearly ten years.”
It’s not just the cars that undergo constant development in Formula One. The rules and regulations governing the sport evolve from year to year and 2011 sees major changes introduced to the Sporting and Technical Regulations. In addition to measures improving safety, this season sees changes designed to enhance the sporting spectacle, primarily the new adjustable rear wing (RFA). Here’s our guide to what’s changed and what it means…
Additional powers for the stewards
Sporting Regulations, Article 16.3
Previously, the stewards’ powers to impose penalties after an incident were limited to three options: a drive-through penalty, a ten-second time penalty or a drop of grid position at the next event. These powers have been boosted for the 2011 season to include four more sanctions.
The new penalties are: a time penalty, to be decided at the stewards’ discretion; a reprimand; exclusion from the results; or suspension from the next event.
Stricter driving standards
Sporting Regulations, Article 20
Formal driving standards have now been written into the rules rather than forming the object of a gentleman’s agreement, and standards of behaviour when being lapped have also been tightened up.
Enhanced pit lane safety
Sporting Regulations, Article 23
Following an incident in Monza last year when a mechanic was injured in the pit lane, there was no mechanism for closing the pit lane to other cars. This has now been introduced, along with other measures to improve safety.
Tyres
Sporting Regulations, Article 25
Pirelli will be the sole tyre supplier for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons. Drivers will be allocated a total of 11 sets of tyres for the race weekend. At selected events, drivers may be given either an additional set of ‘prime’ tyres for use on Friday only, or be asked to test experimental compounds to assist the tyre development process. Tyre usage is governed as follows:
| Prime | Option | Tyre usage | |
| P1 & P2 | 2 sets | 1 set | · 1 prime returned before P2 · 1 prime and 1 option returned before P3 |
| P3 | 1 set | 1 set | · 8 sets of tyres, four of each specification, allocated for the remainder of the event · 1 prime and 1 option returned before Qualifying |
| Qualifying | 3 sets | 3 sets | · Drivers who reach Q3 must start the race on the set of tyres used to set their fastest lap · Drivers must use both types of dry tyres in the race, unless wet-weather tyres have been used · Failure to use both types of dry weather tyres in the race will result in exclusion from the results |
| Race |
Gearbox life
Sporting Regulations, Article 28.6
Gearboxes must now last for five consecutive races instead of four. A replacement gearbox may be used without penalty if a driver retired from the previous event for reasons beyond his or the team’s control. For 2011 only, drivers will not be penalised for their first unscheduled gearbox change during the season. After this, a five-place grid penalty will be imposed for each replacement gearbox used outside of the normal cycle.
Curfew for team personnel
Sporting Regulations, Article 30.19
From 2011, no team personnel connected with the operation of the cars may enter the circuit during the six-hour periods beginning ten hours before P1 and P3. Teams are permitted four individual exceptions to this rule.
The return of the 107% rule
Sporting Regulations, Article 36.3
For the first time since 2002, the 107% rule returns to the sport. The rule is valid during Q1, and states that any driver whose best lap exceeds 107% of the fastest lap in Q1 will not be allowed to take part in the race. Exemptions are possible in ‘exceptional circumstances’.
Driver adjustable bodywork
Driver adjustable bodywork now refers to the RFA; the front-wing flap may no longer be adjusted by the driver. When activated, the RFA increases the slot gap between the flap and main plane by rotating the flap upwards, thereby reducing drag and enabling a significant gain in straightline speed. The RFA is deactivated automatically as soon as a driver brakes , can be deactivated manually and, in the event of a failure, the system design ensures the flap will return to its closed position. The RFA may be used freely in practice and qualifying . In the race, the RFA may only be used two complete laps after the start or a Safety Car period, and only when the control electronics indicate a driver is less than one second behind the car ahead , at pre-determined points.
Car weight & weight distribution
Minimum car weight has been raised to 640kg for the 2011 season and, for this season only, the front and rear weight distribution of the cars must be between 45.5/54.5% and 46.5/53.5%.
KERS
Although KERS remained in the 2010 Technical Regulations, a collective agreement between the teams meant it was not used during last season. However, it makes a welcome comeback for 2011. The rules governing KERS remain unchanged: the maximum power in and out of the system may not exceed 60kW, and the maximum energy released may not exceed 400kJ in one lap.
On April 23, 1911 in Datona Beach Florida, Bob Burman set the world speed record in a Benz 200 hp. The record attempt occured over a mile with flying start allowing the Blitzen-Benz to reach the world record speed of 228.1 km/h (141.7 mph) and and equaly impressive 226.7 km/h (140.8 mph) with only a kilometer flying start.
The “Blitzen-Benz”, as the record-breaking car was called in the USA, finally proved in Daytona that it was the fastest car in the world: Burman drove the Benz 200 hp at a speed which was twice as fast as that of the aircraft of the time. The rail vehicle record of 210 km/h, set in 1903, was also overtaken: thanks to the Benz 200 hp, the motor car succeeded in superseding the railway as the fastest mode of transport. And the white record-breaking car – now decorated in America with a German Imperial Eagle as its logo – was so fast that no-one was able to challenge its position. Burman’s world record with the “Blitzen-Benz” was to remain unbeaten by any other vehicle for a period of eight years. It was not until 12 February 1919 that Ralph de Palma was able to set a new world record, reaching a speed of 241.2 km/h (149.875 mph) over the mile with flying start in his Packard at Daytona Beach.
The record-breaking car driven by Burman in 1911 made for highly effective publicity in North America, despite the fact that it could actually be viewed as the automotive antithesis to the stipulation put forward by company founder Carl Benz for a sensible vehicle capable of travelling at a maximum speed of 50 km/h. Indeed, it was precisely the successes of this car, initially baptised by American events manager Ernie Moross as the “Lightning Benz” – a name subsequently Germanised into the “Blitzen-Benz” – which at the start of the 20th century helped to reinforce the Mannheim-based brand even more firmly in the consciousness of a public which was now fascinated by motor sport.
The initial records of the Benz 200 hp were set in Europe: on 8 November 1909, Victor Héméry succeeded in breaking through the 200 km/h barrier not only for the first time in Europe, but also for the first time in a car with an internal combustion engine. At what was then the high-speed circuit of Brooklands in England, he achieved a speed on 202.648 km/h over the kilometre with flying start, and even attained 205.7 km/h for the half mile (804.65 metres) with flying start. However, the European race circuits were just not big enough to enable the record-breaking Benz 200 hp to demonstrate its full potential. This is why it was not until attempts were made at Daytona Beach that it came down to Bob Burman to achieve the goal of the absolute record for land vehicles of 228.1 km/h.
The car driven by Bob Burman was just one of a total of six examples of the Benz 200 hp which were actually built. Development of the vehicle started in 1909 at Benz & Cie. in Mannheim, under the guidance of Victor Héméry. Powered by an engine with a displacement of 21.5 litres, the powerful 147-kW (200-hp) car was based on the 150-hp Benz Grand Prix car. The four-cylinder in-line engine is still the engine with the largest displacement ever to be used in a racing car or record-breaking car by Mercedes-Benz and its preceding brands. The engine’s power was transferred to the rear axle by a four-speed manual transmission via an idler shaft and chain. In design terms, the car harked back to the successful Benz Grand Prix cars of 1908.
The competition car used in Daytona was sold to Stoughton Fletcher in 1913. He hired Bob Burman to rebuild the car during the course of 1914, and then sold “Blitzen-Benz” to Harry Harkness in 1915. On 2 November 1915, the significantly rebuilt vehicle re-emerged as the “Burman Special” to line up on the starting line in a race against Ralph de Palma’s Sunbeam at Sheepshead Bay, New York/USA. In 1916 Burman was killed whilst at the wheel of a Peugeot, heralding the return of the “Blitzen-Benz” to England. In Easter 1922 it appeared at Brooklands, where it sported white paintwork, a modified engine cover and a new radiator. Count Louis Vorow Zborowski had taken over the reins, but was unable to pilot the “Blitzen-Benz” to any further success, and in 1923 he tore the car apart.
Yet the legend of the “Blitzen-Benz” lives on. Witnesses to this age include several examples of the model as well as two high-quality replicas which have been preserved. One of the record-breaking Benz 200 hp cars is on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
A driver from the formative years of motor racing: Bob Burman
The racing driver Robert “Bob” Burman was born on 23 April 1884 in Imlay City, Michigan. His world record run in the “Blitzen-Benz” in 1911 took place on his 27th birthday. In 1909 Burman had already won the Prest-O-Lite Trophy Race at the newly-opened Indianapolis Speedway, driving a Buick. He also lined up on the starting grid in 1911 for the premiere of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Ernie Moross, owner of the “Blitzen-Benz”, engaged the Buick driver for the 1911 season to take over at the wheel of the record-breaking German car in place of Barney Oldfield. In addition to the record attempts at Daytona Beach on 23 April, in the same year Burman also made record attempts in Indianapolis, on 29 May.
The man who had set the absolute speed record for land vehicles regularly took part in the Indianapolis 500 up until 1915. His best result was 6th place in 1915.
A few days prior to his 32nd birthday, on 8 April 1916, Burman was involved in an accident at the Corona Road Race in Corona, California. His Peugeot lost a wheel in the 79th lap, left the track and flipped over. Unfortunately the driver died as a result of severe head injuries. In addition to Burman and his co-driver Eric Schroeder, a track marshal also lost his life in the accident.