Foyt's car was running faster due to the light fuel load, but his crew signaled him that he would be unable to make it to the finish without another pit stop.

The crew borrowed a fuel feed mechanism from Len Sutton's team, and signaled Foyt to the pits.

A notable story included the appearance of two-time defending Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham from Australia, who drove the race in a low-slung, British built Cooper powered by a Coventry Climax engine.

The venerable front-engined roadsters with their larger and more powerful engines were much faster down the long straights, but the superior handling of Brabham's Cooper in the corners kept his car competitive.

Nicknamed the "Tinley Park Express," Tony Bettenhausen, Sr. was killed in a crash during a practice run on May 12.

[3]Time trials was scheduled for four days: Eddie Sachs sat on the pole with an average speed of 147.481 mph (237.348 km/h).

On the 127th lap of the race, driver Eddie Johnson spun out in turn 4, but did not suffer significant damage and he was not injured.

John Masariu, who was the principal of Ben Davis Junior High and was serving as a safety worker, fell or jumped off the back of the fire truck.

A moment later, the truck driven by James (Johnny) Williams accidentally backed over him, and he was injured fatally.