RAY KEECH KILLED IN SPEEDWAY TEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18787, 17 June 1929, Page 13

RAY KEECH KILLED IN SPEEDWAY TEST.

FAMOUS AUTOMOBILE RACER MEETS DEATH

(United Press Assn. —By Electrlo Telegraph—Copyright.) NEW YORK. June 15. Ray Keech, the famous automobile racer, was killed on Saturday when his car cracked up at the hundred-mile mark in the two-hundred-mile event at the Tipton Speedway, Pennsylvania.— Australian Press Association—-United Service.

THREE CARS CRASH INTO KEECH’S MACHINE.

(United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) , ALTOONA, June 16. Keech was leading the field when his car struck a hole in the wooden track, shot up into the air and bounded down in the path of Rob Robinson, who was close behind. Keech tried to avoid a smash, but lost control of his machine, and a second later two other into him. Robinson and Ernest Triplett, another of the drivers involved, were unhurt, but Cliff Woodbury, a fourth racer, was badly injured, though he will probably recover. Petrol from the wrecked cars ignited the track, but the fire was quickly extinguished. A crowd of 25,000 spectators was assembled around the mile and quarter oval which Keech was negotiating at 119 miles an hour. The race was halted after the accident. The awards of prizes will be made on the basis of the positions at the time of the accident, giving Keech first money. Keech was 28 years of age, had raced considerably but sprang into fame after he beat Major Campbell’s record made in April, 1928. —Australian Press Association. Ray Keech, in America, holds the position in the minds of the people that Sir Henry Segrave holds in England. The American has had several attempts at securing the world’s automobile speed record for his country, but Segrave and Campbell have each time defeated him. In addition, Ray Keech was often seen on the motor-racing track. In February of 1928, Captain Malcolm Campbell set up the remarkable record of 206.95 miles per hour, at Daytona Beach, Florida. Keech was present, and had with him his giant thirty-six-cylindered Triplex, with which he attempted to win back the title. Unfortunately, owing to technicalities, his record was not recognised. Mr Keech made four runs over the course in order to obtain his record of 207.5526 m.pJa. In the first run south, facing the wind, he sent the Triplex flashing over the mile in 17.65 seconds, giving an average speed of 203.966 m.p.h. On the return trip he believes that he made 220 m.p.h., but the official electric timing device failed. The half-hour time-limit between runs set by the American AutomobileAssociation for an official trial passed before the beach course was ready again. On the last two runs the wind picked up the four-ton racer and car ried it several feet towards the deadly dunes, but Mr Keech was able to right the machine in time. He said afterwards that the car lost traction both times it was thrown off its course. His right arm was found to have been burned when the motor back-fired during the last run, spraying the body with blaming petrol.

Keech's record held good until last March, when Sir Henry Segrave, in his Golden Arrow, attained a speed, of 231.36 miles an hour.