Remember When by Don Gamble

Three generations of winning with the Burgoons

Earl Burgoon and his wife Margaret had three children Chris, Ed, and Cindy.  Earl probably didn’t realize at the time that he would start a legacy of three generations of race car drivers.  He fed the family working as an owner operator truck driver. His jobs in racing were as driver, pit crew, and car owner. He was involved for five years as driver, ten years as a car owner, and a fan most of his life. Earl’s car was owned by his father Ed and his pit crew included Harry King, Gary Farnam, and Ed Burgoon II.  

Earl raced most of his career at tracks in and around the Detroit area before moving to Pittsburgh .  He was running a Ford coupe with a flat head engine and most of the teams in this area were running the newer Thunderbird and Buick engines.  He decided to sell the car to Nick Garin. Tracks where Earl competed included Heidelberg , Toledo , Flat Rock, Motor City and Mt. Clemens , Michigan .

            Ed Burgoon II and his wife Susie live in McDonald , PA with their two children Brandon and Kristy.  Ed’s first job was a machinist for U. S. Safety Trolley Corporation.  He got the job through the cooperative education program at his high school.  His jobs in racing include driver, pit crew, and car owner.  He has been involved in Motorsports for forty five years; twenty eight of those as a competitor. 

The best part of racing is meeting and getting to know all of the great people that love Motorsports.  The toughest part has always been coming up with enough money to afford racing.  His most memorable moment in racing was his first feature win at Pittsburgh ’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.  His most embarrassing moment came during time trials at St. Clairsville when he lost control of the car and knocked down the timing light. 

His reason for getting involved in the sport was no surprise since he grew up in a racing family and it became something that he always wanted to do.  Ed’s hobbies include golf and basketball.  He still plays basketball once a week with the guys he grew up with.  His favorite competitor that he has raced against is Lynn Geisler.  The driver he would most like to be compared to was his father, his hero. 

His car owners included Earl Burgoon, Phil Lukon, and Al Geisler.  Pit crew members were Bob Geyer, Robbie Zysk, and Earl Burgoon.  Tracks where Ed has competed Eldora, Hagerstown , Jennerstown, Lernerville, Motordrome, Pennsboro, Pittsburgh , St. Clairsville, and West Virginia .

Brandon Burgoon is twenty two years old and is rapidly becoming one of the future stars of local short track racing.  May 5th Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway ran its second show of 2007 and Brandon proved this recently winning the late model feature at Pittsburgh while beating out seasoned veterans  Lou Bradich, Lynn Geisler, and Steve Baker just to name a few.  The 21-year-old Burgoon from McDonald PA, the 2004 Western Pennsylvania Rookie of the Year, and student at California University of PA, started on the pole and led the entire event but it wasn’t an easy win.  

Brandon has been racing for seven years; most of it in go-karts.  The best part of racing is winning and the toughest part is wrecking.   His most embarrassing moment came while leading a go kart race at Acme Speedway and spinning out and losing the race.  As a third generation driver it is no surprise that Brandon became involved in the sport. 

His hobbies include video games and riding quads.  He shares his father’s opinion of a favorite competitor to race against in Lynn Geisler.  He would most like to be compared to Tony Stewart because of his ability to drive anything and win.   His car owner is Phil Lukon and his crew consists of Jim Passieu and his father Ed Burgoon II.

Dirt tracks where Brandon has competed are Acme, Blanket Hill, Naugle, Hunter Hill, Good Hope, Slippery Rock, Orange County Raceway in North Carolina , Chappel Hill Raceway in New York , and Pittsburgh ’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Brandon won the 2005 Jook George Memorial Championships at Pittsburgh ’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.