Eddie Sachs

[Czar]

I posted this in response to the thread started by Dangermouse, but removed it. I thought I would post it here. Racing Indy cars in the '50's and '60's was very different than today.

As a kid, growing up in Indiana, Eddie Sachs was my favorite driver. My dad was an engineer for Borg-Warner, so the connection to Indianapolis as very strong. Of course then, the Indianapolis 500 was a respected world-class race that meant something. Borg-Warner always gave my Dad tickets for the 500, but he almost always took clients to the race. Finally, in 1964 he took me to Indianapolis! Eddie Sachs was driving the new Mickey Thompson racer (as was Dave McDonald) but there had been trouble during qualifying because the wheels on their cars were too small to meet spec. New wheels and tires were put on the car for the race. The new wheel tire set-up was one inch larger diameter than the car was designed for. My Dad and I were sitting about 10 rows from rail, about 20 meters past the fourth corner, on the front straight. They were great seats, you could see the entire front straightaway, the entrance to the first turn and half of the straight out of turn three and al lof the fourth corner. I was so excited to be at the "500" and watch my favorite driver(s)! As they finished the first lap, roaring through turn four, McDonald spun as he came onto the front straightaway and hit the inside wall. His car burst into flames. Eddie Sachs came around the corner and his car slid into the outside wall. The car came to a stop right in front of where we were sitting. I saw a small flicker of fire as Eddie Sachs head slumped forward, and a fraction of a second later, the flames leapt out of the cockpit and engulfed him. I watched one of my heroes die. My Dad and I were singed and lightly burnt by the fire; the smoke was choking. This remains one of the strongest memories in my life. After this accident the rules required gas tanks that would not explode on impact. I just found a video on You Tube of the crashes. I have never seen this video before, it is quite powerful.

[goosenapper]

That you very much for sharing this. This is the most powerful account of this incident that I've read.

[dreinecke]

Thanks for sharing. That must have been devastating to watch as a kid.

Certainly one of the worst wrecks of all time. Considering the safety regulations of the time, I'm always amazed that more drivers were not lost.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

I remember seeing it live on TV when I was 13. Because it was one of the first things I ever saw in color, I saw it in my mind again and again for years. In fact, I think it was supplanted by another terrible crash or I might still see it in my mind. Big impression.

[ElSecundo]

I hate to say it, but that's probably why the golden age of motorsports was the golden age. What these guys did was heroic, truly putting their lives on the line every race. They were bigger than life!

[Dangermouse]

Hi Czar

thanks for posting this, I enjoy learning about history (I looked up Eddie Sachs' story last night), but reading first hand accounts of events whether they be tragic or otherwise memorable really adds to the richness. Did you get to go to another 500? I hope so. Even though that race ended with tragedy it must have been great to see and hear those amazing looking cars.

cheers
David