The June 15, 1929 AAA National Championship race at Altoona Speedway was one of the most dramatic and tragic events of the season. Run on the high-banked 1¼-mile wooden board track in Tipton, Pennsylvania, the race was scheduled for 200 miles but was halted after approximately 148¾ miles following a fatal accident. Fourteen cars started the event, with Indianapolis 500 winner Ray Keech leading much of the race before a crash ahead of him on the racing surface forced evasive action. In the chaos, Keech lost control of his Miller and was involved in a violent accident, suffering fatal injuries that brought the race to a premature end. At the time the race was stopped, Louis Meyer was officially credited as the leader under AAA scoring rules and held a three-lap advantage over the remaining field. Meyer was awarded the victory, with Cliff Bergere classified second and Deacon Litz finishing third. The Altoona win became a key moment in Meyer’s march to the 1929 AAA National Championship, while the race itself stands as a grim reminder of the dangers of board-track racing at its peak.
