 Walther is best remembered for a crash at the start of the 1973 Indianapolis 500 that left him critically injured.He recovered from his injuries, returned in 1974, and placed 9th in the 1976 race.He was the son of George Walther, owner of Dayton Steel Foundry, who fielded Indy 500 cars for Juan Manuel Fangio in 1958 and Mike Magill in 1959.