Sachs was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and served in the United States Navy during World War II before turning to motorsport. He rose through the ranks of American open-wheel racing under the AAA and later USAC sanctioning bodies, accumulating a record that included eight Championship Trail wins and 25 top-five finishes across 65 career starts. In 1958 he claimed the USAC Midwest Sprint Car Championship, establishing himself as a versatile and competitive presence on multiple circuit types.
Sachs started at Indianapolis eight consecutive times from 1957 through 1964. He qualified on pole in both 1960 and 1961, demonstrating genuine outright speed, yet victory repeatedly slipped away. The most painful moment came in 1961. Leading the race with only three laps remaining, he noticed his right rear tire beginning to delaminate and made the decision to pit for a replacement rather than gamble on it holding. A. J. Foyt inherited the lead and won. Sachs finished second. He never expressed regret, offering the now-famous assessment: "I'd sooner finish second than be dead." The phrase captured both his pragmatism and the fatalistic humor that defined his public image.
He also coined the phrase "If you can't win, be spectacular," a motto that reflected his approach to racing and to his relationship with fans and media. His nickname, the Clown Prince of Auto Racing, was not mere branding — Sachs genuinely cultivated his image as a showman, making him one of the most popular drivers of his era despite never winning the Indianapolis 500.
On May 30, 1964, just two days after his 37th birthday, Sachs was killed in one of the most destructive accidents in Indianapolis 500 history. On the second lap of the race, rookie Dave MacDonald lost control of his Mickey Thompson-designed car coming off the fourth turn. MacDonald's car struck the inside wall and the 45-gallon fuel load ignited, sending a massive fire across the track.
Sachs, following Bob Veith, aimed for a gap along the outside wall that closed as MacDonald's burning car slid back into his path. Veith cleared the inferno by inches; Sachs struck MacDonald's car broadside, triggering a second explosion. Several other drivers, including Johnny Rutherford and Bobby Unser, were also caught in the incident. Rutherford and Unser suffered minor burns. MacDonald, burned over 75 percent of his body, died approximately two hours later at Methodist Hospital.
Sachs's driver's suit was scorched but his burns were concentrated on his face and hands. Whether he died of asphyxiation, burns, or blunt-force injury was never conclusively determined. The crash was captured on film and broadcast worldwide.
For the first time in its history, the Indianapolis 500 was stopped because of an accident on the track. In the aftermath, USAC introduced regulations requiring cars to carry reduced fuel loads and complete a mandatory minimum number of pit stops. The rule changes eliminated any fuel-economy advantage for gasoline-powered cars, and from 1965 onward every Indianapolis 500 has been run on methanol or ethanol-based fuels.
The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA Formula One World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Sachs participated in four World Championship races during that period, qualifying on pole once, though he did not score World Championship points.
Sachs was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1999. His son, Edward Julius Sachs III, raced on local dirt tracks in the Midwest under the name Eddie Sachs Jr. but did not compete at Indianapolis. The elder Sachs's death, and the broader tragedy of the 1964 accident, became a turning point for fuel and safety regulations in American open-wheel racing.