Lot 744: Al Keller Indy 500 Champion 100 Mile an Hour Club Leather Jacket plus Certificate, 1958

Al Keller (American, 1920-1961) owned and worn original Indianapolis 500 Champion 100-Mile-an-Hour-Club brown steerhide leather jacket by Knopf Sportswear with Indianapolis 500 Champion 100-Mile-an-Hour Club patch and name label affixed to left breast. Lot also includes Keller’s official Champion 100-Mile-an-Hour-Club certificate that reads: “Know all men that by these presents that AL Keller has qualified for membership in the Champion-100-Mile-an-Hour Club having averaged 128.498 miles per hour for 500 miles without relief in the Memorial Day Race at the Indianapolis Speedway on May 30th 1958.” Signed by the Club’s Board of Governors including Anton ‘Tony” Hulman, Jr. and James Lewis, Jr., with Club seal lower left. A reference image that shows Keller wearing the jacket is included at the end of the photograph sequence. See lots 745 and 746 in this auction for other Al Keller-related items. Note: This jacket is a rare example of a Champion Jacket awarded to Indianapolis 500 drivers who completed the 500 mile race without relief and at an average speed 100 miles per hour or faster. It was considered to be among the most sought-after prizes in racing. Biographical note: “Keller raced in the NASCAR Strictly Stock and Grand National series from 1949 to 1956 making 29 career starts. He won two races during the 1954 season and is notable as the only driver in the history of NASCAR’s Grand National series to have won a race in a foreign-built car [this distinction stood for 54 years, until a Toyota won in 2007], winning the 1954 road-race at Linden Airport in New Jersey, driving a Jaguar XK120. In 1954 Keller also started racing champ cars, racing in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series. He made 32 starts between 1954 and 1959 and also in 1961. He finished in the top ten 13 times, with a best finish of 2nd in 1956 at Atlanta and in 1961 at Milwaukee. He raced in the Indy 500 five times from 1955 to 1959 and was involved in the crash that took the life of Bill Vukovich Sr. His best finish at the Brickyard was 5th in his last appearance in 1961. Keller died later that year as a result of injuries sustained in a Champ Car crash at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona. He was driving the Philipp Offenhauser ‘Konstant Hot’ in the 100 Mile Bobby Ball Memorial race.” (Source: HistoricRacing.com)

PROVENANCE: By descent through the family of Al Keller.

CONDITION: Overall very good condition, with fraying to left wrist plus minor wear use wear throughout. Certificate with staining, edge tears, wrinkling, and horizontal fold through body of main text.