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03/09/2015
Roger Keele (1945 - 2015)
After a long illness, Roger Keele, a former 1000cc F3 driver, sadly passed away on Wednesday 29th August age 69.
Rogers motor sport career started at the age of 13.in the first officially recognised kart race on November 8th 1959 at Lakenheath in Suffolk. He came second behind Graham Hill. He continued in karting becoming known along with Bev Bond as one of the Bultaco boys after the successful kart engine of that name.
1967 He raced a F4 Matador constructed by his father.
1968 His father Mike rebuilt the F3 Cooper type 83 owned by Alan McKechnie. In this car he broke the lap record at Cadwell Park.
1969 Roger was asked to drive Dr Joe Ehrlich Formula 3 EMC. He also raced a Merlyn Formula Ford for Motor Racing Enterprises during the year.
1970 He drove the works development F3 Palliser and again he was a man to be watched with a 2nd place at Castle Coombe and a 4th place at the Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting.
1971 Roger raced a Formula Ford Crosslé.
1972 He was back in Formula 3 with a Lotus 69 for a team called Trabisco Kee. At Monaco his number one team mate, Barrie Maskell crashed his own car and then went on to crash Roger’s car. Shortly after this the team folded.
1973 He did a few races in Alan McKechnie’s March 723/4.
1974 His last race was at Mallory Park in a March 723. He then retired having been diagnosed with a debilitating illness.
Roger was one of those drivers who had the talent but never got the breaks to fulfil his dreams of Formula One.
To his family and friends the 1000cc F3 Historic Racing Association offers its sincere sympathies.
