Eddie Sachs
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Eddie Sachs (May 28 1927 - May 30 1964) was a United States Auto Club driver who was known as the "Caped Crusader of Auto Racing" and "Clown Prince of Auto Racing" for his personality at the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.
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, in a career which included consecutive pole positions (1960-1961) in the Indianapolis 500, coming closest to winning the race in 1961 but falling short by one position.
Sachs and sports car driver and Indy rookie Dave MacDonald were killed on the second lap of the 1964 Indianapolis 500 in a fiery crash involving seven cars, which resulted in the USAC ban on gasoline and the switch to methanol-alcohol fuel.
Indy 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Kurtis Kraft | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1954 | Kurtis Kraft | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1956 | Schroeder | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1957 | Kuzma | Offy | 2nd | 23rd |
| 1958 | Kuzma | Offy | 18th | 22nd |
| 1959 | Kuzma | Offy | 2nd | 17th |
| 1960 | Ewing | Offy | 1st | 21st |
| 1961 | Ewing | Offy | 1st | 2nd |
| 1962 | Ewing | Offy | 27th | 3rd |
| 1963 | Watson | Offy | 10th | 17th |
| 1964 | Halibrand | Ford | 17th | 30th |
Award
He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1999.Family
Son Eddie Sachs, Jr. also was a race car driver on local dirt tracks in the Midwest, but unlike his famous father, did not race at the 500. Sachs Jr has been a part-time car owner in NASCAR's Busch Series.
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