Eddie
Sachs

Edward Julius Sachs Jr., known as Eddie Sachs, was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on 28 May 1927. He served in the United States Navy during the Second World War. As a racing driver he competed in the United States Auto Club (USAC) series, won eight races in the USAC Championship and took the 1958 USAC Midwest Sprint Car Championship.

In the Formula One World Championship, Sachs made four starts between 1957 and 1960, all in the Indianapolis 500, which counted towards the drivers' championship in those years. He drove a Kuzma and, in 1960, an Ewing. He scored no points, but he started from pole position in 1960. In total he started the Indianapolis 500 eight times between 1957 and 1964, and he also took pole in 1961. That year he finished second: he was leading with three laps to go, but a tyre problem forced him into the pits and handed victory to A. J. Foyt.

Sachs died on 30 May 1964 in a multi-car accident on the second lap of the Indianapolis 500, in which Dave MacDonald also lost his life. It was the first time the race had been stopped because of an accident. For the following races, USAC required cars to carry less fuel and make at least two pit stops. Sachs was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1999.

Source: Wikipedia, “Eddie Sachs”. Text licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.