Linked by tragedy: Sons of Dave MacDonald, L.V. native Eddie Sachs to meet 52 years after fathers' deaths from Indy 500 crash
Special to The Morning Call |
In this May 30, 1964, file photo, a burning tire flies toward spectators after a gasoline tank explosion resulting from a crash on the fourth turn during the second lap of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bethlehem native Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald died in the crash. (BOB DAUGHERTY / AP FILE PHOTO)
INDIANAPOLIS — "Daddy's in a box, huh. He's not coming home."
Those totally innocent — and at the same time extremely graphic — words, from the mouth of a 6-year-old boy to a mother who was probably in some degree of post-traumatic shock herself, are "the rest of the story" of one of the most horrific crashes in the 99-race history of the Indianapolis 500.
The mother is Sherry MacDonald, who only hours earlier in the 1964 Memorial Day Classic, sat in a Indianapolis Motor Speedway penthouse suite and watched as cars driven by her 27-year-old husband, Dave, and Bethlehem native Eddie Sachs collided and ignited a huge fireball in the fourth turn on just the second lap of the race.
Sachs was killed; MacDonald died a short time later.
First-grader Rich MacDonald, along with his grandfather and his uncle, witnessed the crash on a closed-circuit showing in the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
[More Sports] Roger Penske takes ownership of Indianapolis Motor Speedway »
His grandfather tried to whisk him away so that he wouldn't see and perhaps understand the gravity of the situation.
But at home, he sat on the floor in the living room and watched replay after replay after replay until neighbors, who had come in droves to offer their sympathy and help however they might, "would come over and, as polite as they could be, change the channel, and say, 'No, Richie, you don't want to watch that.' They ushered me out of the room a number of times."
The crash has been relived countless times from the Sachs angle, particularly in the Lehigh Valley. Indy-car racing's "Clown Prince" was a huge name in the sport. A couple of thousand race fans watched the 1964 race on a closed-circuit show in Agriculture Hall at the Allentown Fairgrounds.
But the MacDonald side of the tragedy was pretty much buried until now, as the Indy 500 celebrates its 100th running and the attention of the world is on not only the 2016 event, but so much of the other history since 1911.
[More Sports] NASCAR bullish on future after promising rebound »
Rich MacDonald has never been at the Speedway; his mother came to town more than 20 years ago to get some photographs from the Hall of Fame Museum on the grounds, but she left immediately without revisiting the site of the crash.
Sherry MacDonald finally shared her story with Art Garner for his 2014 book, "Black Moon: The Year They Stopped the Indy 500," and in the past couple of weeks, Rich MacDonald has told his version to a select number of racing media members, including a wide-ranging chat with The Morning Call.
Rich's revelations, and an anticipated visit by him and his mother to the fourth turn of the iconic racing facility sometime this weekend, have put a totally new face to that unforgettable day.
The 1964 500 was the first for MacDonald. He had made his name on the West Coast and in sports cars. It might surprise almost everyone to know that from 1960 to the time of his death, McDonald competed in 117 races. He won 47 of them, including 10 in a row at one time.
[More Sports] Philly friends of Leo Beebe say 'Ford v Ferrari' gets the Ford exec wrong »
This was supposed to be his coming-out party. He was driving a controversial and potentially dangerous rear-engine car, entered by Mickey Thompson, that was unlike any other in the field, including its full-fender design.
But it didn't happen. MacDonald somehow lost control of the car in the turn — how has been debated for decades — and slammed into the inside wall, bursting into flames from the gasoline.
As the car came back up the track, Sachs came along and ran into the MacDonald car, causing still another explosion and sending thick black smoke into the bright Indiana sky. A handful of other cars were involved because of the smoke, and the race was stopped for more than an hour. A.J. Foyt finally won it.
Sherry flew back to California in J.C. Agajanian's private jet, fully intending that it would be she who broke the devastating news to her children, Rich and younger sister Vicki.
[More Sports] Mario Andretti isn't in 'Ford v Ferrari' — he experienced the real thing »
Rich MacDonald, who over the years has made learning everything — everything — about his father a personal crusade, said that moment at the foot of the stairway leading from the plane to the tarmac "was pretty devastating to my mom when she realized that someone else clearly had already told us and she wasn't going to be able to have that moment."
"I don't remember her coming down the steps or the start of me saying that [other witnesses told him], but it's etched in my memory now because I know how much it hurt her. I've come to grips with the entire situation, but it's still raw for her. It's going to be difficult for her."
The MacDonalds were constantly bombarded with well-meaning friends, neighbors and other townspeople, and Sherry was being filled with negative emotions with the point that she finally decided to move 30 miles away and began a fresh life.
According to the AP, at least 66 people have died because of auto racing since 1909 at the site, including 40 drivers, 14 mechanics and nine spectators. The 1930s was by far the deadliest decade with 21 deaths, while the '50s and '60s each saw eight people perish.
[More Sports] Penske jumped at chance to protect iconic Indianapolis track »
Advancements in technology are credited with saving lives, with just four deaths at the speedway since 1982. After the MacDonald-Sachs crash, cars were fueled with less volatile methanol starting in 1965.
"It's considerably safer than it was 40 years, 30, even less," track historian Donald Donaldson said. "It's nothing to do with the skill of the drivers. It's all about the equipment, the safety."
The threat of a driver death still looms in an open-wheel race. Dan Wheldon, a two-time Indy 500 champion, was killed in a 2011 race in Las Vegas and driver Justin Wilson died from injuries suffered when he was struck by debris in a race last season at Pocono. His brother, Stefan Wilson, will race the Indy 500 in his honor.
Before Dave MacDonald's death, Rich said, "We were immersed in the racing life. It was all things racing. I was into cars … never went anywhere without a [toy] car in my hand.
[More Sports] Pocono is not on the IndyCar 2020 schedule »
"But after my father died, I pretty much grew up a normal kid, not really concerned too much with racing. Had that happened when I was 19, it would have been a different story. But at 6, you grow up, and in a short period of time, get used to him not being there. I played baseball, basketball and football."
As a young man, Rich worked as a flight attendant. His crew had a layover one night in Indianapolis. Rich went to an Indiana Pacers game. He says he never even gave a thought to visiting the Speedway.
"My mother never pushed me away or discouraged me from being a race car driver," Rich said. "She just let life take over."
But the internet changed Rich's thinking. He went after information about his father with a vengeance. In 2003, he set up a website, www.DaveMacDonald.net, and he said that site now has more than 3,000 photos, newspaper clippings, results of races, etc.
[More Sports] Rahal team says data absolves Sato of blame for Pocono crash »
"My mother kept everything, and it became a labor of love for me," MacDonald said. "Be prepared to get lost there for a couple of hours if you go there."
Just as the internet lighted his fire, it also put him in touch with another man who was only two years old when the '64 crash occurred: Edward "Eddie" Sachs Jr.
"We've been friends on Facebook for about a year," Sachs said this week. "He originally contacted me, said something like, 'Hi, Eddie, how are you doing; I'm Rich MacDonald' and so on. I think he was testing the waters. I answered back, 'Nice to meet you; someday we ought to get together,' and that's kind of how it ended."
More recently, Sachs got a call from Indianapolis Star writer Curt Cavin, who had spoken with MacDonald. Cavin mentioned a meeting of the two sons.
[More Sports] Mario Andretti on Pocono-IndyCar debate: 'Pocono is not for sissies' »
"I said, sure, what should we do?" Sachs said. "He said something about a handshake and a hug. That sounded pretty simple to me. I'm pretty much an open person. I'm more for the positive side of everything here.
"I'm glad he's coming out. I don't have any emotions about it. I can think about it and put words in place, but at the same time, his dad was an up-and-coming race driver. He was one of the top sports car drivers of that time. Unfortunately, he was a rookie at Indy."
Sachs has been to Indy many times, In fact, he's the owner of a Silver Crown car that was competing Thursday night in the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Sachs said he has talked to MacDonald on the phone but has been kind of low-key because the plans were coming from the MacDonald side and the Speedway. "Whatever they decide to do, if I can, I'll be there."
[More Sports] Losing Pocono would be blow to IndyCar, but it might be worth it »
When Rich was approached with the idea of bringing his mother back to Indianapolis for the 100th running of the race and to revisit the site of the crash that changed her life, he said he told the caller, "There's no way my mother's going to go. She doesn't even talk about that race. It was a pretty traumatic experience."
"I have come to terms with it many moons ago," MacDonald said. He had pretty much decided he would take his wife, and the couple was talking one night about the trip.
"I said, 'I know she's not going to go, but I think I need to ask her to make sure. I would really regret it if I went and then found out she wanted to go.'
"I approached her very cautiously, carefully, knowing she was going to say no, and I was just shocked. She didn't hesitate. 'Sure, I'll go,' she said. This is her way of finally facing the rest of the fears of Indy she's had for all these decades."
[More Sports] IndyCar at Pocono: Will Power wins rain-shortened race; his third in four years »
Retired sports columnist Paul Reinhard is a freelance writer.
Associated Press writer Dan Gelston contributed to this story.
Most Read • Auto Racing
Nazareth Speedway sits idle, 10 years after last race