Albert Burns

Albert Burns may refer to:

Albert Burns (motorcyclist)

Albert "Shrimp" Burns (born August 12, 1898 in Oakdale, California) was an American dirt and board track motorcycle racer in the early 20th century. Riding for Harley-Davidson and later Indian, he won multiple races in California and later the east coast and the midwest. He won the national championship in 1919, and was inducted in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.

Early life and start in racing

Albert Burns grew up in Oakland, California, and it was there that he first discovered motorcycles. The young Burns hung out at the local Pope motorcycle dealership, and was hired as a shop helper when he was 12. Later he was allowed to run messages for the shop and occasionally borrowed a machine to ride on his own time.

Burns's first professional motorcycle race was in Sacramento on May 4, 1913. He finished fourth. Burns improved his racing skills through the summer of 1913 on the tracks of Northern California. The other racers didn't like being upstaged by a 15-year-old riding inferior equipment, and for a time Burns was prevented from competing, but by the end of the season, Burns earned his first victory in San Jose.