Podcast 652: Shrimp Burns and Board Track Racing w/Billy Choi

Albert “Shrimp” Burns rose from a teenage mechanic in Oakland to become one of the most feared and beloved racers of the 1910s. Competing on the dangerous wooden motordromes —nicknamed “murderdromes” for their lethal design—he raced in front of crowds of 20,000 spectators at a time when board-track racing was one of America’s most popular sports. By sixteen, Shrimp had become a national celebrity. He rode for both Harley-Davidson and Indian, shattered records, won over crowds, and pushed his body beyond its limits. He died at twenty-two. Much of his history vanished into scattered archives, newspapers, and forgotten race programs. Shrimp: The Albert Burns Story reconstructs his meteoric rise and tragic end using hundreds of primary sources and rare photographs, reviving a lost American icon and the brutal, glamorous world of early motorsports. Author Billy Choi joins us to talk about this much forgotten era of motorcycle racing, and the racers that lived and died for the sport. With Liza, Miss Emma, Stumpy John and Bagel. https://billychoibooks.com/ www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ adifferentagenda.com/products/the-lost-tribe-25 motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT