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| INDY 500 MEMORIAL - 1957 |
| The Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
| Fatalities - May 15, 1957 |
| Keith Andrews - driver |
Keith Andrews was born in Denver on June 6, 1920. He
began racing roasdsters in 1947 and progressed to
midgets. He won the Colorado midget championship
three years straight from 1952-54. He won the Pikes
Peak hill climb in 1954 after finishing second in 1953.
An Air Force veteran, he ownded a auto repair garage in
Colorado Springs.
He moved up to big cars and made his debut at Indy in
1955, qualifying on the last day. He finished 20th that year.
He raced the next year and got into a big wreck early in
the race. He was able to get restarted and ended up
finishing 26th.
Andrews was looking for a ride at Indy in 1957 when he
got the opportunity to be the backup driver for Nino
Farina, 50, and his new light-weight $25,000 #62 car.
Andrews tested the car on May 11th and took it out again
on May 16th.
As he was entering Turn 4, he got below under the white
line. He was clocked at 136 mph. His car went into a
360-degree spin, slid 755 feet and hit the 6-inch inside
retaining wall, breaking it. He bounced back 300 feet
toward the white line sideways, then abruptly spun 3/4 of
the way around and slid another 450 feet backwards into
the wall again, breaking it again for 10 feet and pushing
out a metal guard rail two feet. The back end of the car
shoved the battered Andrews up against his steering
wheel breaking his neck and killing him.
Survivors included his wife Glenice and two daughters,
Marilyn (11) and Sandra Lee(2).
began racing roasdsters in 1947 and progressed to
midgets. He won the Colorado midget championship
three years straight from 1952-54. He won the Pikes
Peak hill climb in 1954 after finishing second in 1953.
An Air Force veteran, he ownded a auto repair garage in
Colorado Springs.
He moved up to big cars and made his debut at Indy in
1955, qualifying on the last day. He finished 20th that year.
He raced the next year and got into a big wreck early in
the race. He was able to get restarted and ended up
finishing 26th.
Andrews was looking for a ride at Indy in 1957 when he
got the opportunity to be the backup driver for Nino
Farina, 50, and his new light-weight $25,000 #62 car.
Andrews tested the car on May 11th and took it out again
on May 16th.
As he was entering Turn 4, he got below under the white
line. He was clocked at 136 mph. His car went into a
360-degree spin, slid 755 feet and hit the 6-inch inside
retaining wall, breaking it. He bounced back 300 feet
toward the white line sideways, then abruptly spun 3/4 of
the way around and slid another 450 feet backwards into
the wall again, breaking it again for 10 feet and pushing
out a metal guard rail two feet. The back end of the car
shoved the battered Andrews up against his steering
wheel breaking his neck and killing him.
Survivors included his wife Glenice and two daughters,
Marilyn (11) and Sandra Lee(2).
| Andrews's Indy Record |
| Keith P. Andrews |
Year Car No. Car Laps Start Finish
Completed
1955 31 McDaniel 120- ignition 28 20
1956 89 Dunn Engineering 97 - spun in T4 20 26
1957 62 Farina Died in practice crash
Completed
1955 31 McDaniel 120- ignition 28 20
1956 89 Dunn Engineering 97 - spun in T4 20 26
1957 62 Farina Died in practice crash
| Crown Hill Cemetery, CO |
| Keith Andrews waving to crowd after qualifying for 1956 Indy 500 (1920-1957) |
| The car after the accident |
