- Bob Burdick
Infobox NASCAR driver
Name = Robert Burdick
Birthdate = birth date|1936|10|20|mf=y | Birthplace = flagicon|USA Omaha,Nebraska
Died = death date and age|2007|10|04|1936|10|20
Best_Cup_Pos = 21st - 1959 (Grand National)
Cup_Wins = 1
Cup_Top_Tens = 9
Cup_Poles = 2
First_Cup_Race = 1959Trenton Speedway
First_Cup_Win = 1961Atlanta 500 (Atlanta)
Last_Cup_Win = 1961Atlanta 500 (Atlanta)
Last_Cup_Race = 1962Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Total_Cup_Races = 15
Years_In_Cup = 4Bob Burdick (
October 20 ,1936 –October 4 ,2007 ) was aNASCAR driver from Omaha,Nebraska . He competed in fifteenGrand National Series events in his career. His win in Atlanta in 1961 made him the onlyNebraska -born driver to win a race on the NASCAR circuit.Burdick made his debut in 1959, where he won the pole at
Trenton Speedway in his first career NASCAR start. Although a fire took Burdick out of the event early, he earned his first career top-10 finish with a 9th place effort in the next race atNashville Speedway USA . After a crash atAtlanta Motor Speedway , Burdick ended the year with finishes of 6th, 6th and 2nd, including a pole atColumbia Speedway . During the entire year, Burdick led 25 laps (when he finished 2nd at Darlington) and never started worse than 9th. In addition, the 21st place finish in points was Burdick's career best.Burdick had a scant schedule in 1960, only competing in two events, both at
Daytona International Speedway . Burdick made it into the prestigiousDaytona 500 field after finishing 7th in the qualifier race (the Daytona qualifiers were points races until 1971), but only managed to finish 60th in the actual 500.Burdick was able to rebound in 1961, finishing in the top-ten (8th) once again in the Daytona qualifier event. After another dismal finish in the 500, Burdick made up for it at
Atlanta Motor Speedway . Burdick led 43 of the 334 laps and held offRex White for Burdick's lone career victory. Following the triumph, Burdick ended the year with a 4th place atDarlington Speedway and 27th atCharlotte Motor Speedway , now namedLowe's Motor Speedway .Burdick once again was left to the Daytona races in 1962, as his career wound down. He finished 7th in the qualifying race, his final career top-ten, easily making the Daytona 500. Burdick then had a dismal 35th place finish in the 500, and never again made another Cup event.
On October 4, 2007, Burdick died. [http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1200&u_sid=10151051]
References
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=burdibo01 Driving Statistics]
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