Comments on: Salt Walther – A Cautionary Tale

By: Mark L. Runyon

Mark L. Runyon — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:08:35 +0000

“Salt” was as bad as his wounds from 1973.His father really wanted his older brother to drive for him but he died racing boats. He was born with the proverbial gold spoon in his mouth, but managed to swallow it. He blamed Foyt for hitting him in the back in 1973, but it was the surge of his Turbo that sent him into the fence after he lost control. He deserves no accolades, no myths, no kindness. I would not be surprised if he didn’t take his own life in despair.

By: Bill Clausen

Bill Clausen — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 12:47:31 +0000

I remember when Salt qualified for the 1990 Indy 500, and was bumped out by Rocky Moran. It must have been heartbreaking for Salt but I remember right after Moran qualified, Salt ran over to him, congratulated him, and even hugged him. I think the way Salt handled that situation is indicative of the sort of person he truly was. R.I.P.

By: Rh

Rh — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:38:27 +0000

I met Salt the summer of 81 I think it was. He was drive some old late 20′s early 30′s Rolls I think but it broke down and needed a ride home from Tri-County. We took him home to the boat dealer in Dayton. Had a few beers. Got to see the remains of the 73 wreck car. I didn’t know him past that but he was a nice person and we had a good time talking. Bet we spent 3 or 4 hrs there. RIP Salt Gods Speed

By: Steve Garey

Steve Garey — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 19:28:56 +0000

I knew Salt Walther through the Unlimited hydroplane races. When he came into big time boat racing from the smaller classes in 1970, everyone was excited. This young , brash rookie was a refreshing addition to “the greatest show on water”. His dad bought him a new boat in 1971 and Salt would break out in front in every race he started, only to succumb to mechanical woes after a lap.
After Salt’s crash at Indy in 1973, his older brother, Skipp, was killed while testing a boat for a race in Miami. Still, Salt came back and raced boats at his hometown race in Dayton until 1976.

By: Savage Henry

Savage Henry — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:57:57 +0000

My family moved to Indianapolis in 1971. The first day my parents went to the track, they were walking in as the smoke was rising up from Jim Malloy’s fatal qualifying crash in 1972. My dad got my mother to go to the race in 1973, where the Salt Walther crash occurred right in front of them. My mother never went back to the track after that. She’d seen enough.

My dad went back to the ’73 race, through all of the bad weather, so he got to witness the Swede Savage crash live, too.

It is a wonder I ever set foot in that place, really.

By: Jim Gallo

Jim Gallo — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 12:40:03 +0000

Well said DZ, I do agree. How many other drivers over the past 100+ years have given so much just to be part of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing that we know so little about.

By: Carburetor

Carburetor — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 18:38:22 +0000

It would be very hard to forget Walther’s wreck–as horrifying as any I’ve seen in racing. I agree with DZ above–the entire month of May in 1973 for the 500 seemed to be an on-going nightmare and it was more of a sense of relief than joy when it was finally finished. For whatever his faults and shortcomings (and we all most certainly have them) Walther needed to be commended for his courage to climb back into a race car and attempt to compete.

By: DZ (@groundedeffects)

DZ (@groundedeffects) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:30:54 +0000

The ’73 race (once it finally began after days of rain) full of awfulness as was the entire month leading up to it, was one that many drivers have said was the one to forget.

Johncock won but even he, after all the problems, wrecks, and subsequent death of his teammate Savage, noted it wasn’t any sort of celebrated win, and perhaps rightly so. For this, I’m glad he won in ’82 – to be able to taste the sweetness of victory that was missing from his ’73 win.

Walther’s life was forever altered (in positive and negative ways) by the 500, and perhaps could have easily faded away after the injuries, but had been quoted as saying there’s no other place he’d rather race than IMS. His passion for the 500 is what drove his amazing recovery to not end his life and career with his wreck in ’73.

My take is that his history becomes another in the long line of 500 drivers for whom the desire for glory was overcome by misfortune presenting its ugly consequences.

By: billytheskink

billytheskink — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:43:30 +0000

I have read, though certainly have no way of confirming, that Walther was given such large amounts of (addictive) pain medication after his horrible crash because doctors did not initially expect him to survive his injuries.

By: billytheskink

billytheskink — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:39:58 +0000

1973 was indeed the race that Swede Savage wrecked horribly. It was also the race where Art Pollard was fatally injured in a practice wreck. Not a good year.