Eddie Sachs
| Born |
May 28, 1927 Allentown, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Died | May 30, 1964 (aged 37) Speedway, Indiana |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |
 American |
| Active years | 1953–1954, 1956–1960 |
| Teams | Schroeder, Kurtis Kraft, Kuzma, Ewing |
| Entries | 7 (4 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1953 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last entry | 1960 Indianapolis 500 |
Edward Julius Sachs, Jr, (May 28, 1927 – May 30, 1964) was a United States Auto Club driver who was known as the "Clown Prince of Auto Racing." He coined the phrase "If you can't win, be spectacular."
Sachs was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His career included eight USAC Championship Trail wins, 25 top-five finishes in 65 career AAA and USAC starts, including the 1958 USAC Midwest Sprint Car Championship. He was an eight time starter of the Indianapolis 500, 1957–64, winning the pole position in 1960 and 1961, with his best finish being second in 1961. Leading the race with only three laps to go, he saw his right rear tire begin to delaminate and pitted, handing victory to A.J. Foyt. Sachs never regretted his decision not to gamble on the tire, saying, "I'd sooner finish second than be dead."
Sachs and sports car driver Dave MacDonald, a 500 rookie, were killed in a fiery crash involving seven cars on the second lap of the 1964 Indianapolis 500. MacDonald was driving a car owned and designed by Mickey Thompson, the #83 "Sears-Allstate Special". Thompson had requested USAC officials to visit his shop in California to inspect the car while it was under construction, so that he would not invest money in the car if there was a chance that it would be disqualified at the Speedway. USAC accepted the request and passed the car with its ground effects package. By the time the car reached the Speedway in May USAC had changed their mind and failed it. Working in the cramped spaces of the garage area Thompson and crew practically rebuilt the car to meet the new USAC specs. These changes, removal of the fenders, changing to larger tires and increasing the height from two inches to four made the cars very unstable.Graham Hill tested the vehicle before Indy, but refused to drive it in 1963. Masten Gregory crashed earlier in the month due to aerodynamic lift. After MacDonald had qualified and before the race, World Grand Prix Formula One Champion Jim Clark, who knew MacDonald and respected his ability, followed the Californian for several laps. After they pulled in, Clark emphatically urged MacDonald to get out of the car. "Get out," Clark said. "Just get out and walk away." But MacDonald felt obligated to honor his contract with Thompson. Other drivers took the advice of Gregory, and stayed away from the Thompson cars. Before the race, Gregory approached Formula One driver Jack Brabham, who was alongside MacDonald on the grid, and urged Brabham to allow the rookie a lot of room. Brabham credited Gregory's advice with saving his life.
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