Don Mack, one of the River Cities Speedway managing partners, hates to miss a night of racing at The Bullring.
However, he has a good excuse for not making tonight's regular show.
He's in Anderson, Ind., where he'll be inducted into the Little 500 Hall of Fame, an event that runs in conjunction each year with the Indianapolis 500.
"I'd rather be at the races but it's hard not to come down here," said Mack. "It's a big honor for me."
Mack raced the Little 500 four times, winning the event in 1978 as he drove for Doug Howells. He also had two top-10 finishes at the quarter-mile asphalt track. In all, he led 93 laps and completed 1,864 circuits in his four appearances.
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The Little 500 has been running since 1949 and this year's sprint car race is scheduled for Saturday. Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader-two former NASCAR drivers-are in this year's 33-car field.
Mack has been involved in racing for decades as a driver and promoter. For years he promoted the World of Outlaws at the Red River Valley Speedway before becoming a managing partner at RCS, where the Outlaws race twice each season before near-capacity crowds.
He's in a handful of halls of fame. "Four that I know of," he said, including the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa.
Last week's races, meanwhile, resulted in heavy Facebook views after Josh Komer of the Grand Forks Herald mounted a small 360 camera on Mark Dobmeier's No. 13 sprint car during a heat race. As of Thursday afternoon, the 2-minute video had been viewed roughly 180,000 times. The video can be viewed at the Herald's Facebook page.
