Stories of the 500: 1961, Foyt and Sachs Duel
22 May 1997
Never was the importance of a pit stop, or pit crew, more dramatically illustrated than in the Indy 500 of 1961. A.J. Foyt, Eddie Sachs and Rodger Ward had been trading the lead throughout the race, three of the most skilled drivers and toughest competitors in the world.Sachs made his last pit stop on lap 158; he took on a load of fuel and changed both rear tires and the right front in 22 seconds. A.J. Foyt, now leading with 98 miles to go, takes 29 seconds to make what he assumes will be his last stop for four tires and enough fuel to finish the race. Rodger Ward has now taken the lead, but he too must make a final pit stop. He wheels in for 3 tires and fuel. Sachs passes Foyt for the lead and Ward charges back onto the track in third place. All three cars have made their final pit stops, or so it seems, and now the drama intensifies.
A pit signal is held up to Foyt as he flashes into the lead at 475 miles--fuel low is the heartbreaking message. A valve on the automatic fueling system failed to open during Foyt's last stop and not adrop of fuel entered the tank. Foyt must come in again. What must have been going through his mind at the sight of this distressing message?
At the 462 mile mark Foyt rolls in to take on just enough fuel to finish the race. It takes but 20 seconds, but those 20 seconds have cost him the race, as Eddie Sachs has taken over the lead. Sachs is a favorite with the fans, twice a pole winner, former Sprint car champion and a real charger--a real race driver.
At 488 miles Sachs has a 27 second lead. He's relaxed and smooth. Foyt screams around the semi-banked turns in what looks like a hopeless pursuit. Bu then, suddenly on lap 198, just five miles from victory ,Sachs stuns the crowd of 300,000 and peels off to pull in the pits. He needs a right rear tire as the white safety lining is showing through. The change takes only 21 seconds but as Eddie re-enters the track, Foyt flashes by and into the lead. That's how it ended: Foyt won by 8.21 seconds in the second closest finish in the history of the 500.
That tire stop cost Sachs $65,000 plus lots more in endorsements. Did Eddie Sachs make the right decision or is it possible the tire could have gone the final two laps? Soon after the race the tire was tested on a machine that duplicated track conditions and before it went a single mile it exploded. Sachs had his answer, but he knew all along that the alternative to a pit stop was to finish on a dangerously worn tire, and at those speeds there would be no saving it if the tire blew.
Bill Maloney & Dudley Bowlby -- The Auto Channel