Charles Raymond Keech (May 1, 1900 - June 15, 1929) was an American

board track Board track racing was a type of motorsport popular in the United States during the 1910s and 1920s. Competition was conducted on circular or oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks. This type of track was first used for motor ...

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 1928 Indianapolis 500, year earlier, took the lead for the final time on lap 158 and won his first ...

, 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 The Daytona Beach and Road Course was a race track that was instrumental in the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. It originally became famous as the location where 15 world land speed records were set. Beach and r ...

in the 81-liter triple-engined internal combustion White Triplex '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 simultaneou ...

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, 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 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 India ...

. 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, 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 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 ...

, 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