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 | |||||||
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Born | Gulbrand J. Andersen November 27, 1879 Horten, Vestfold, Norway | ||||||
Died | September 20, 1930 Logansport, Indiana, U.S. | (aged 50)||||||
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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Andersen 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]
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