David “Salt” Walther is known for his Formula One Indy Racing career and his troubles with the law and alcohol abuse. No matter what, he was one of most famous drivers to qualify for the Indy 500. He was also fielding 500 cars for Mike Magil and Juan Manuel Fangio back in the 60’s, because his father owned the Dayton Steel Foundry. His father George Walther lost his second son in 1974, when David’s brother George “Skipp” Walther III died after the tragic accident in Miami. A year before that, Salt himself had a crash that went into history and actually made him famous. He burned severely in that crash on Indianapolis 500 in 1973. Back then, it looked like a miracle that he did not die, though it happened many years later. On December 27th, 2012, David “Salt” Walther was found dead without a particular cause of death determined.
It is not like he hadn’t bad habits and nothing like that could happen to Salt, so maybe it is good that Montgomery County Coroner’s Office did not reveal or properly investigate the real cause of his death. Salt’s addiction to painkillers after the accident and drinking problems were known to all F1 fans of that time and to most NASCAR fans as well, because he participated in four races and even came 12th in 1976 on Daytona 500. Salt also spent 16 months in jail for not paying child support, and feeling and eluding from police after he was arrested. He was also arrested one month before his death, which shattered his health significantly. Despite all the bad facts, he is going to remain in the hearts of F1 fans as good old Salt, a racer that did not know how to lose.
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