obligated to honor his contract with Thompson. Other drivers took Gregory's advice 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. On the second lap, MacDonald lost control coming off the fourth turn. As the car began to slide, he came across the track and hit the inside wall, igniting the 45-gallon fuel load which erupted into a massive fire. His car then slid back across the track. Sachs, following Bob Veith, aimed for an opening along the outside wall that was soon closed by MacDonald's burning car. Veith made it through by inches, but Sachs hit MacDonald's car broadside causing a second explosion. Johnny Rutherford, following Sachs, having no place to go except into the inferno, decided his only chance was to power his way through. Going at full throttle, his Watson Roadster went under Sachs and over MacDonald taking the injectors off of MacDonald's engine. After clearing the wreckage, he was then broadsided by the NOVI of Bobby Unser. He then motored (on fire) down the main straight, through turns one and two, up the back straight and through turn three, stopping at a fire-truck station in turn four. Ronnie Duman, following Rutherford, went to the left to avoid the crash. It looked as if he was going to make it through when he was rear-ended by the out of control NOVI, which had lost its steering, splitting his fuel tank which also erupted. Duman then spun into the infield wall, where he received serious burns. He was transported to the Methodist Hospital burn unit by helicopter to begin a lengthy recovery. Rutherford and Unser received minor burns and were released from the track hospital. MacDonald, whose lungs were scorched from inhaling the flames and who was burned over 75% of his body, was awake and alert when he was removed from his car. He was taken to the track hospital then transferred to the Methodist Hospital burn unit by ambulance, where he died two hours later. Chuck Stevenson and Norm Hall were also involved but escaped injury. Despite being trapped in his car, Sachs's driver's suit was only scorched, but he received critical burns on his face and hands. The car was covered