The film's release, originally set for July 1964, was delayed until October, and the film was heavily edited out of respect for Dave MacDonald, who played himself and was a stunt driver in the film. MacDonald died on May 30, 1964 during the Indianapolis 500 in a fiery crash that also killed Eddie Sachs, who had also been in some scenes, during the second lap. Scenes featuring Sachs and all but one scene featuring MacDonald were removed from the film, and neither driver's name appears in the on-screen credits. Years later, son Rich MacDonald contacted James Darren in order to put his father's name in the Internet Movie Database (IMDB). Chrysler mechanic George Stecher appeared in reshot scenes that had originally featured MacDonald.