Mike Burgmann
Encyclopedia
Michael Burgmann was a Sydney
accountant and racing car driver who was involved in a fatal accident at the Bathurst 1000
race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit
in New South Wales
in 1986.
Burgmann made his first Bathurst start in 1983
driving an ex-Kevin Bartlett Chevrolet Camaro with Tony Longhurst
. After qualifying the big Chev in 21st, the car suffered numerous problems on race day and the pair only finished 121 of the 163 laps which was not enough to be classified as a finisher.
The 1984 James Hardie 1000
was much better for Mike Burgmann. He switched to race a Mazda RX-7. Partnered with veteran Bob Stevens, the Mazda was qualified in 39th position but through consistent driving all day without any problems they finished a successful 8th, only 10 laps down on the winning Holden Commodore
of Peter Brock
and Larry Perkins
.
With Australian touring car racing switiching from the local Group C
rules to the International Group A
regulations in 1985
, and with the RX-7 no longer a competitive option, he bought a Holden VK Commodore
to compete in the 1985
and 1986
races. The 1985 race saw a DNF after only 93 laps with engine failure.
For 1986, the Burgmann team had upgraded the Commodore to the racing Group A SS specification and co-driving with Series Production
racer Mal Rose, Burgmann qualified the car in 27th. After a good start in which he'd already picked up almost 10 places, he suffered a broken windscreen on lap 3. On lap 5, Burgmann was attempting to pass the Jaguar XJS of fellow Sydney racer and close friend Garry Willmington while coming over the second hump on Conrod Straight and traveling at over 260kmh. The front of the Commodore got airborne (as cars did coming over the hump at that speed) and the front moved slightly to the right. Burgmann, who was only a part time racer, tried to correct by turning the wheel to the right. The car then hit the tyre barrier at the bottom of the Bridgestone Bridge at unabated speed causing the entire front end to be pushed back to the firewall. The car's roll cage did its job and the cabin survived the violent impact mostly intact. When officials reached the car they found Burgmann in what would normally be the back seat of the vehicle. While his driving seat had remained intact the force of the impact had broken the seat belt buckle which caused his body to be thrown out of the seat. Mike Burgmann became the first driver to die while competing in the bathurst 1000 when he was pronounced dead on arrival at Bathurst Hospital.
Following the 1986 race, and as part of safety upgrades the circuit needed to bring it up to FIA
standards for inclusion in the 1987 World Touring Car Championship
, a complex of three corners was added to Conrod Straight, eliminating the second hump which had long been seen as dangerous at the speeds the touring cars were traveling. The Chase (named Caltex
Chase under sponsorship that has lasted since 1987) was also constructed due to FIA regulations that don't allow race tracks to have any straight longer than 1.5km. On the day before the 1987 James Hardie 1000
, a plaque inset on the wall at the spot that his car had come to rest was unvailed by motor racing Chaplain
Garry Coleman.u
As a result of the accident and the subsequent building of The Chase, the race cars now approach the pedestrian bridge approximately 100kmh less than was possible at the time of Burgmann's unfortunate death.
Michael Burgmann left behind four young children and extended family.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
accountant and racing car driver who was involved in a fatal accident at the Bathurst 1000
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home of the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, held each February, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1986.
Burgmann made his first Bathurst start in 1983
1983 James Hardie 1000
The 1983 James Hardie 1000 was the 24th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was an endurance race for Touring Cars complying with CAMS Group C regulations. It was held on October 2, 1983 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst and was Round 4 of the 1983 Australian...
driving an ex-Kevin Bartlett Chevrolet Camaro with Tony Longhurst
Tony Longhurst
Tony Longhurst is an Australian former racing driver and Australian Champion water skier. He is most noted for his career in the Australian Touring Car Championship and V8 Supercar series....
. After qualifying the big Chev in 21st, the car suffered numerous problems on race day and the pair only finished 121 of the 163 laps which was not enough to be classified as a finisher.
The 1984 James Hardie 1000
1984 James Hardie 1000
The 1984 James Hardie 1000 was the 25th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 30 September 1984 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia and was Round 4 of the 1984 Australian Endurance Championship...
was much better for Mike Burgmann. He switched to race a Mazda RX-7. Partnered with veteran Bob Stevens, the Mazda was qualified in 39th position but through consistent driving all day without any problems they finished a successful 8th, only 10 laps down on the winning Holden Commodore
Holden VK Commodore
The Holden VK Commodore was introduced in 1984 and replaced the VH. It was the first Commodore to have plastic bumpers and introduced rear quarter windows for a six-window design as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodore models...
of Peter Brock
Peter Brock
Peter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
and Larry Perkins
Larry Perkins
Larry Clifton Perkins is a former racing driver and V8 Supercar team owner from Australia.-Career:...
.
With Australian touring car racing switiching from the local Group C
Group C (Australia)
In relation to Australian motorsport, Group C refers to either of two sets of regulations devised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport for use in Australian touring car racing from 1965 to 1984...
rules to the International Group A
Group A
In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
regulations in 1985
1985 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Touring Cars. It was the 26th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the first to be contested using regulations based on the FIA's International Group A regulations...
, and with the RX-7 no longer a competitive option, he bought a Holden VK Commodore
Holden VK Commodore
The Holden VK Commodore was introduced in 1984 and replaced the VH. It was the first Commodore to have plastic bumpers and introduced rear quarter windows for a six-window design as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodore models...
to compete in the 1985
1985 James Hardie 1000
The 1985 James Hardie 1000 was the 26th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 6 October 1985 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst. It was the first time the race was held exclusively for cars complying with the Australian version of International Group A...
and 1986
1986 James Hardie 1000
The 1986 James Hardie 1000 was an endurance motor race held on 5 October 1986 at the Mount Panorama Circuit, just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia...
races. The 1985 race saw a DNF after only 93 laps with engine failure.
For 1986, the Burgmann team had upgraded the Commodore to the racing Group A SS specification and co-driving with Series Production
Group E Series Production Touring Cars
Group E Series Production Touring Cars was an Australian motor racing category for production based sedans competing with limited modifications. It was current from 1964 to 1972....
racer Mal Rose, Burgmann qualified the car in 27th. After a good start in which he'd already picked up almost 10 places, he suffered a broken windscreen on lap 3. On lap 5, Burgmann was attempting to pass the Jaguar XJS of fellow Sydney racer and close friend Garry Willmington while coming over the second hump on Conrod Straight and traveling at over 260kmh. The front of the Commodore got airborne (as cars did coming over the hump at that speed) and the front moved slightly to the right. Burgmann, who was only a part time racer, tried to correct by turning the wheel to the right. The car then hit the tyre barrier at the bottom of the Bridgestone Bridge at unabated speed causing the entire front end to be pushed back to the firewall. The car's roll cage did its job and the cabin survived the violent impact mostly intact. When officials reached the car they found Burgmann in what would normally be the back seat of the vehicle. While his driving seat had remained intact the force of the impact had broken the seat belt buckle which caused his body to be thrown out of the seat. Mike Burgmann became the first driver to die while competing in the bathurst 1000 when he was pronounced dead on arrival at Bathurst Hospital.
Following the 1986 race, and as part of safety upgrades the circuit needed to bring it up to FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
standards for inclusion in the 1987 World Touring Car Championship
1987 World Touring Car Championship season
The 1987 World Touring Car Championship season was the inaugural World Touring Car Championship season. It commenced on March 22, 1987 and ended on November 15 after eleven races. The championship was open to Touring Cars complying with FIA Group A regulations.-Drivers and teams:Fifteen registered...
, a complex of three corners was added to Conrod Straight, eliminating the second hump which had long been seen as dangerous at the speeds the touring cars were traveling. The Chase (named Caltex
Caltex
Caltex is a petroleum brand name of Chevron Corporation used in more than 60 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and southern Africa.-History:...
Chase under sponsorship that has lasted since 1987) was also constructed due to FIA regulations that don't allow race tracks to have any straight longer than 1.5km. On the day before the 1987 James Hardie 1000
1987 James Hardie 1000
The 1987 James Hardie 1000 was the eighth round of the inaugural World Touring Car Championship, the first round to be held in the southern hemisphere. The race was held for cars eligible for Group A touring car regulations. It was the 25th anniversary of the original touring car endurance race...
, a plaque inset on the wall at the spot that his car had come to rest was unvailed by motor racing Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
Garry Coleman.u
As a result of the accident and the subsequent building of The Chase, the race cars now approach the pedestrian bridge approximately 100kmh less than was possible at the time of Burgmann's unfortunate death.
Michael Burgmann left behind four young children and extended family.