There was a time when journeyman racers were a big part of the sport. Often, they were half the field at the Indianapolis 500. These men were racers all the way, but didn’t have a regular ride.
There was no such thing as using sponsorship to get a ride and only the very elite drivers had legal contracts from car owners.
Many drivers went race to race carrying nothing more than a helmet bag and lots of hope. One such driver was Al Keller.
Born in upstate New York on April 11, 1920, Keller was like so many who took up racing after WWII ended. Keller started with modified stock cars. Settling in New Jersey, he frequently raced as often as nine times per week.
In 1954, Keller competed in the NASCAR Grand National division. He won in a Hudson at Savannah, Ga., before becoming part of history with a victory on the Linden Airport course in New Jersey while driving a Jaguar. It was the only foreign car to win in NASCAR’s senior division until Toyota broke into victory lane earlier this year.
Keller switched to sprint cars, driving for the four-car team operated by Pennsylvanian Sam Traylor. Traylor acquired an ex-Rex Mays Champ Car, and Keller was assigned to drive it at Indianapolis, putting the six-year-old car 22nd on the grid. In the race, Keller was involved in the crash that claimed the life of Bill Vukovich.
Keller returned to Indy in the same car the following year and finished 14th.
In 1957, Keller had a brand-new ride, another jet-black car, owned by veteran owner Pat Clancy. It was one of many Kurtis 500 G-2s that turned out to be bad handling dogs. He started in the middle of the third row at Indianapolis, but crashed on lap 75.
The following year, Keller brought the Clancy ride home 11th and in 1959, he replaced Jerry Unser, who died in a crash during practice and dropped out of the race after 162 laps. Driving two different cars, Keller failed to qualify for the 1960 Indianapolis 500.
Keller had a ride with Ray Brady in 1961 when he got a call from New Jersey oil-man Bruce Homeyer, who had purchased the Bob Estes race team operated by mechanic Jud Phillips. Keller took the ride, replacing rookie Jack Rounds.
Though he qualified 26th on the second weekend, Keller’s 146.157 mile-per-hour lap was the quickest in the field and he drove to a fifth-place finish.
At Milwaukee the next week, Keller started fifth and finished second behind Rodger Ward. At Langhorne, Keller won his first pole, but had to retire from the race when hit in the eye by a rock.
Keller was having fun for the first time in years and the 41-year-old driver was a contender at every event on the championship trail.
But after earning his second pole with a track-record lap at Phoenix, Keller crashed on the 40th lap of the race. The accident claimed his life and the high point of his career.
Journeyman racers never had it easy.