Gilbert J. Andersen (born Gulbrand, November 27, 1879 – September 20, 1930) was an American

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

active during the formative years of auto racing.

Biography

Andersen was born on November 27, 1879, in

Horten Horten () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Jarlsberg. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Horten (town) ...

Vestfold Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. Andersen and his family emigrated to

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, in 1895, whereupon Andersen took the name Gilbert. He became a citizen of the United States in 1900. He married Elsie Olsen on March 3, 1909, in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

. He competed in the first six

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...

races, appearing in annual races from 1911 through 1916. One of Andersen's major victories was in the 1913

Elgin National Road Races The Elgin Road Races were a series of automobile races that took place on closed public roads in Elgin, Illinois between 1910 and 1920.Blackhawk Black Hawk and Blackhawk may refer to: Animals * Common black hawk, ''Buteogallus anthracinus'' * Cuban black hawk, ''Buteogallus gundlachii'' * Great black hawk, ''Buteogallus urubitinga'' * Mangrove black hawk, ''Buteogallus (anthracinus) s ...

on the measured mile at

Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona� ...

. Andersen worked as an engineer for the

Stutz Motor Company The Stutz Motor Car Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Indianapolis, Indiana that produced high-end sports and luxury cars. The company was founded in 1911 as the Ideal Motor Car Company before merging with the Stutz ...

. Stutz was in operation from 1911 and continued through 1935. He also was an engineer for the ReVere Motor Company, located in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana. Andersen died of pulmonary tuberculosis on September 20, 1930, in

Logansport, Indiana Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,366 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana at the junction of the Wabash River, Wabash an ...

, at age 50.

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

''Gil Andersen, Extended driver stats'' (ChampCarStats.com)
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Gallery

File:Stutz wrecked - Indianapolis LCCN2014690425.jpg, Gil Andersen's crashed

Stutz The Stutz Motor Car Company was an American automobile Automotive industry, manufacturer based in Indianapolis, Indiana that produced high-end Sports cars, sports and Luxury vehicle, luxury cars. The company was founded in 1911 as the Idea ...

at T3 in the

1912 Indianapolis 500 The 1912 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race, the second such race in history, was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1912. Indiana-born driver Joe Dawson won the race, leading onl ...

File:Gil Andersen in 1910s.jpg, Gil Andersen at the

1915 Indianapolis 500 The 5th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1915. The traditional race date of May 30 fell on a Sunday, but race organizers declined to schedule the race for Sunday. The race was ...

File:1916Indianapolis500Field.jpg, Andersen's #28 car (second from left), preparing for the

1916 Indianapolis 500 The 6th International 300-Mile Sweepstakes Race was the sixth running of the Indianapolis 500. It was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1916. The management scheduled the race for 120 laps, , the only Indianapolis 500 s ...

References

External links

*
The ReVere Motor Company

Stutz Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andersen, Gil 1879 births 1930 deaths Sportspeople from Horten Norwegian emigrants to the United States Indianapolis 500 drivers Indianapolis 500 polesitters Racing drivers from Illinois Racing drivers from Chicago