To me, and all of us who knew him and worked with him at Shelby American, Dave MacDonald was much more than just another racing driver. He was a friend and an intensely committed individual who strove for excellence in everything he did. He was an extremely quiet person who went about his work in a very professional way without many of us really knowing that he was ever around. Dave used to come to my darkroom shortly after every race, so that he could examine every photograph in which he and all of the other top drivers appeared. When I asked him what he was looking for, he told me that he was studying the lines that he and all the other drivers were taking through the various corners at which I stood photographing during practice and the race. Dave also had a great sense of humor and could always be found participating in, if not masterminding, many of the practical jokes that occurred in our shop on a daily basis. By the time that Dave went to Indianapolis, Shelby American had achieved a legendary status in the world of motor racing by winning almost every major road race in the world. This was an almost unheard of achievement for a company that was less then two years old. We felt an invincibility about our company and its people, and we also felt that our racing achievements would only become more numerous with each succeeding month. We were riding a high, and we felt it would never peak. Well, it did when Dave was killed on May 30, 1964. After that, we kept winning, but it was never the same. Something was gone – reality had set in – and for many of us racing was never the same.
Dave MacDonaldÕs (00) Corvette leads Paul ReinhartÕs (6) Corvette during a fierce battle for the lead at Del Mar in April 1962. This picture clearly illustrates the reason why MacDonald was such a crowd favorite and one of my favorite photographic subjects. Photo: Dave FriedmanIn March 1962, Dave MacDonald (00) in the Corvette Spl. and Bob Harris (17) in the Campbell Boat Spl. staged one of the best and closest races of the entire season. After numerous lead changes, MacDonald barely beat Harris to the finish line in both modified races that weekend. Photo: Dave FriedmanDuring the middle of the 1962 season, Dave MacDonald (45) drove a Chevrolet-powered Devin in a spectacular, if not successful, manner. This race was at Pomona in July 1962. Photo: Dave FriedmanDave MacDonaldÕs (198) Shelby Cobra laps John BurbridgeÕs (225) Corvette at Riverside in February 1963. By winning the bid bore production race on both Saturday and Sunday, MacDonald gave Shelby American the CobraÕs first two wins. This was the last race in which the factory Cobras would use wire wheels. Photo: Dave FriedmanAt Shelby American, Dave MacDonald was more than a driver, he was a top-notch mechanic too. Here, in August 1963, MacDonald (right) and Ole Olsen (left) finish up the engine installation in the Cooper chassis that would soon become known as the King Cobra. Photo: Dave FriedmanPhoto: Dave FriedmanAt the October 1963 Times Grand Prix at Riverside, Dave MacDonaldÕs (98) King Cobra took an early lead over a legendary international field of competitors that included Bob HolbertÕs (99) King Cobra, Roger PenskeÕs (6) Cooper Zerex Special, Pedro RodriguezÕs (166) Genie-Ford, Dan GurneyÕs (61) Genie-Ford, A.J. FoytÕs (9) Scarab, and Lloyd RubyÕs (3) Harrison Special. MacDonald lapped the entire field that day, on his way to victory, in one of the great performances in a series of races that were known for great performances. Photo: Dave FriedmanDave MacDonald is rewarded with an ice cold shower as he pulls into victory lane after winning the October 1963 Times Grand Prix. A record crowd of 86,000+ attended the race in spite of extremely high temperatures. Photo: Dave FriedmanOne week after winning at Riverside, Dave MacDonald ran into big problems at Laguna SecaÕs Pacific Grand Prix. After blowing an engine in qualifying and crashing the car in race morning warm-up, MacDonald started in 17th position and, in spite of serious transmission problems, came through another international field to once again win the race. MacDonaldÕs (98) King Cobra passes Jim HallÕs (55) new Chaparral 2 to take the lead. Hall finished second. Photo: Dave FriedmanDave MacDonald wins his second major professional sports car race in two weeks at Laguna Seca. MacDonald was the first driver to win both races outright in the same year. Photo: Dave FriedmanTaking advantage of a first-class ride with the Wood Brothers, Dave MacDonald did not disappoint his fans that came to Riverside to watch the Golden State 400 in November 1963. MacDonald finished second to NASCAR veteran Darel Dieringer after leading the early laps of the race. MacDonald also finished second in the Augusta, Georgia, race in the same car. Photo: Dave FriedmanDave MacDonald (left), Bob Holbert (center), and Carroll Shelby (right) pose with the Daytona Cobra Coupe the day after putting up a record setting performance in the February 1964 Daytona 2000 km race. A pit fire, while leading, cost the team a victory in that race. Photo: Dave FriedmanAt Sebring in March 1964, Dave MacDonald (entering the car) and Bob Holbert finished fourth overall and first in the G.T. category. This was the first win for the new Cobra Coupe. Photo: Dave FriedmanDave MacDonald prepares to take to the track at Indianapolis in May 1964. This ill-conceived and ill-prepared Mickey Thompson car should never have been allowed on the track after they experienced numerous serious handling problems during practice and qualifying. MacDonald expressed serious reservations about driving the car in the race but stuck with it because he had a contract to do so. That commitment cost him his life on the first lap of the May 30, 1964, Indianapolis 500. Photo: Dave Friedman
