Charles Raymond Keech (May 1, 1900 - June 15, 1929) was an American board track and brick track racer in the 1920s. He is best remembered for winning the

1929 Indianapolis 500 The 17th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1929. Ray Keech, who finished fourth a year earlier, took the lead for the final time on lap 158 and won his first Indianapolis 500. Kee ...

, and for setting a

land speed record The land speed record (or absolute land speed record) is the highest speed achieved by a person using a vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C ("Special Vehicles") flying start regula ...

Career

Land speed record

Keech set the

of on April 22, 1928. He set the record at the Daytona Beach Road Course in the 81-liter triple-engined internal combustion

White Triplex The White Triplex (also known as the "Triplex Special" and the "Spirit of Elkdom") was an American land speed record car built for J. H. White and driven by Ray Keech. It was powered by three 27-litre Liberty L-12, Liberty Aircraft engine, aero en ...

'Spirit of Elkdom'. His record was broken by

Henry Segrave Sir Henry O'Neal de Hane Segrave (22 September 1896 – 13 June 1930) was an early British pioneer in land speed and water speed records. Segrave, who set three land and one water record, was the first person to hold both titles simultaneous ...

on March 11, 1929. In 1929 Keech was asked by Triplex owner J. M. White to attempt to break the new record in the Triplex. Keech wisely declined. White hired

Lee Bible Lee Bible (May 27, 1887 March 13, 1929) was an American garage operator and a racing-car driver. He was killed attempting to break the land-speed record on March 13, 1929, at Ormond Beach, Florida. Early life He was born Conway Lee Bible on ...

, who rolled the car and died in his second attempt to set the record.

Automobile racing

He won the first race at the

Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway The Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway was a dirt oval racing track located in Detroit, Michigan. The track was built in 1899 for horse racing, and it was part of the ground purchased to provide a permanent venue for the Michigan State Fair. J ...

in 1928. He finished in second place in the season points in the

AAA National Championship AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Airports * Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA) * Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA) Arts, entertainment, and m ...

. He qualified sixth for the 1929

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

. Louis Meyer was leading the race, until he lost oil pressure on lap 157. Keech passed for the lead as Meyer's engine refused to fire after he went to the pits to get more oil. Keech led the rest of the race.

Death

Keech died 16 days after his victory at Indianapolis in a racing accident at the Altoona 200-Mile Race in

Tipton, Pennsylvania Tipton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,083 at the 2010 census. It was a stop on the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line between Tyrone and Altoona. Geography Tipton is lo ...

, on June 15, 1929. Rob Robinson ran over a hole in the track sending him into the wooden guardrail. The impact knocked the safety railing onto the track into oncoming traffic. Fellow competitor

Cliff Woodbury Cliff Woodbury (July 8, 1894 – November 13, 1984) was an American racecar driver. Cliff raced all over the US during one of the most dangerous times in motorsports. Woodbury was born in Chicago, Illinois. He started his career about 1915 ...

swerving to avoid Robinson was struck by Keech who also tried to swerve out of the way then Keech hit the guardrail and flipped down the track bursting into flames, simultaneously, Keech was thrown clear of the car, but it rolled over him, crushing his head and tearing off one leg. He was killed instantly. He was buried at the Hephzibah cemetery in

Modena, Pennsylvania Modena is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 544 at the 2020 census. It was originally called Modeville, after the local Mode family. Geography Modena is located at (39.962256, -75.802158). According t ...

, in Chester County.

Indianapolis 500 results

External links

Indianapolis 500 career statistics

Motorsports Memorial
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keech, Ray 1900 births 1929 deaths Indianapolis 500 drivers Indianapolis 500 winners Land speed record people People from Coatesville, Pennsylvania Racing drivers from Pennsylvania Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in Pennsylvania