New Book ‘The Last Lap’ Tackles Mysterious Racing Death at 1934 Indy 500

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For decades, author and historian William Walker has believed that there was much more to the death of cousin Pete Kreis and riding mechanic Robert Hahn in a single-car crash during practice for the 1934 Indianapolis 500 than has been reported.

Kreis, who died at the age of 34, was an established international racer with nearly a decade of Grand Prix-style racing experience. He had started six Indianapolis 500s between 1925 and 1933, finishing a career-best eighth in the 1925 race. There was no question Kreis knew his way around the fast track at Indianapolis.

The report from course workers who witnessed the crash said that Kreis simply lost control, and that there was really nothing more to see here.

That conclusion never sit will with Walker.

Walker knows that while the crash ended the lives of two dedicated racers, it was also the start of what many still call one of the greatest mysteries in racing history. Walker's new book, The Last Lap: The Mysterious Demise of Pete Kreis at the Indianapolis 500 published by Octane Press, takes on that mystery and is a fascinating read worthy of bookshelf space for any racing fan or car history buff.

Consider the story's backdrop.

Kreis' No. 14 Miller-Hartz FWD hit the wall almost head-on at perhaps 90 miles per hour that fateful day in 1934. It settled atop the wall, straddling it, and slid along the top of the wall maybe 200 yards before finally going over. The driver and his riding mechanic were found about 25 feet apart at the bottom of a 20-foot embankment.

The car showed no signs of a mechanical failure, and an autopsy on Kreis revealed no pre-existing conditions for which to blame his actions in the car during that fateful final run.