Keech Killed at Altoona; What Really Happened at Altoona – MoToR – July, August 1929

Ray Keech, the winner of the 1929 Decoration Day Memorial at Indianapolais, was was killed at the Altoona board track on June 15. Just a merely two weeks after his Indy win! At the Altoona board track, he got caught in a tangle of cars. Keech was thrown clear of the car, but it rolled over him. (Comment Getty Images). What brutal end for an Indianapoalis winner.

Text and jpegs by courtesy of hathitrust.org www.hathitrust.org, compiled by motorracinghistory.com
MoToR, Vol. LII, 52, No. 1, July 1929

Keech Killed at Altoona

JUST fifteen days after winning the Indianapolis Race, Ray Keech was instantly killed at the Altoona Speedway, in a 200-mile race. He was leading at 150 miles with an average of nearly 120 m.p.h. when Bob Robinson dropped into a hole on the east turn, skidding down the steep bank. Cliff Woodbury, in avoiding him, hit the top rail, and slid down the bank onto the apron. He ripped off about 200 yards of the rail which came tumbling down the track in Keech’s path. Keech, as a result, skidded, hitting Woodbury’s car squarely. Keech suffered a crushed head, and one leg was torn off. Woodbury, at time of going to press, was reported as in serious condition but making progress. The race was immediately called off. At the time of the accident the drivers stood in the following order: Ray Keech, Louis Meyer, Cliff Woodbury, Cliff Bergere, Deacon Litz, Ernie Triplett, Fred Winnai, Dave Evans, Speed Gardner, Bob Robinson, Jimmy Gleason, Chester Gardner, Lou Moore, Bill Lindau.

Text and jpegs by courtesy of hathitrust.org www.hathitrust.org, compiled by motorracinghistory.com
MoToR, Vol. LII, 52, No. 2, August 1929

What Really Happened at Altoona

THE description which appeared in the July issue of MOTOR concerning the accidents which terminated the 200-mile race at the Altoona Speedway on June 15th was assembled from newspaper reports just before going to press. Later a bulletin was received from Val Haresnape, Secretary of the Contest Board of the A.A.A. giving a more accurate description, briefly summarized as follows:
   Robinson skidded sideways on the three-quarter turn, possibly because of a hole in the track, spinning down onto the grass safety zone, then back up on the track, finally coming to rest near the inner guard rail. While he was spinning, Litz and Winnai passed to the right. Then Keech steered sharply to the right to avoid him and for some unknown reason his car veered still more to the right and hit the guard rail. His car and a section of the guard rail flew through the air while Bergere passed safely underneath. When Keech’s car hit the track, Woodbury struck it head on. Sometime during the mixup Keech was thrown clear. Meanwhile Woodbury’s car was sliding along upside down with the driver inside. Keech’s car took fire and ignited the track. The referee instructed the starter to halt the race.
   The long section of the guard rail was now lying along the track, curving like a sagging piece of string. Fearing collision with the burning car, Triplett, and Louis Meyer hit the first section of the rail and Evans hit both sections. Gleason passed through the break made by Triplett, Meyer and Evans. By this time Litz, Winnai and Bergere had come around again. Litz and Winnai hit the guard rail while Bergere was able to stop.
   After careful consideration, the Contest Board decided the race was terminated when the referee stopped it at the instant the falling guard rail obstructed the track. The prize money was distributed to the drivers in the order in which they were running at that time, which was as follows: Meyer, Bergere, Litz, Triplett, Winnai, Evans, „Speed“ Gardner, Robinson and Gleason.