Bios: Burman, Chevrolet

The article in the attachment below was originally published in the May 8, 1910 Indianapolis Star. This brief article provides some wonderful biographical information on drivers Bob Burman and Louis Chevrolet. This report was part of the build-up to the upcoming American Automobile Association (AAA) "national championships" during the May 1910 race meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
 
The article may have been the first to confirm that as they had in 1909, drivers Bob Burman and Louis Chevrolet would be teammates for Buick. This was under the umbrella of the then-newly formed General Motors Company.
 
The article reports that Chevrolet was pressed into work as a boy to assist his family while they lived in Beaume, Switzerland. He apprenticed as a machinist. In 1897 he went to Paris and began riding early motorcycles. He worked for the Mors factory in Paris and rode six to eight horsepower tricycles.
 
While the article says Chevrolet immigrated to the United States in 1900 I believe he spent time in Canada first. Regardless, he had acquired mechanical skills which earned him positions with car companies. In 1905 he entered his first auto race as a driver at the Morris Park track and created a stir by scoring a victory with a Fiat over Barney Oldfield in the Peerless Green Dragon.
 
Burman is reported to be from Michigan and 26 years old at the time in his fifth full season of racing. The article asserts that Burman had won 31 events between July 1, 1909 and the date of publication. It shares the following victories, all but the first occurring since the July 1909 date:

• Twenty-four-hour race at St. Louis (1906)
• Lowell, Massachusettes 250-mile road race
• Prest-O-Lite Trophy
• New Orleans
• Dallas 100-mile race