1968 – Mack Cracks World Record at Red River Valley Fair

Don Mack dominated the IMCA sprint car action at the Red River Valley Fair. 

Fargo, N.D. (August 17, 1968) – The man with the flying machine – Don Mack of East Grand Forks, Minn., blazed to world record time to win the 20-lap IMCA sprint car feature Saturday night at the Red River Valley Fair.

It was the second feature win of the day for the hard-driving Minnesota potato farmer, who wiped out a 10-year-old mark in the International Motor Contest Association record books.

Mack set the tempo for his big day by firing his machine down the stretch to win the afternoon headliner after trailing the first 14 laps.

For the half-mile fair track, it was the second year in a row in which world marks have been broken. Last year, three new model stock car records fell by the wayside.

Mack’s time for the 10-mile distance was 7 minutes and 45 seconds breaking the old mark of 7 minute and 58 seconds posted by Bobby Grim in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1958.

Mack also notched a one-lap mark of 21.70 seconds, topping Jud Larson’s mark of 21.84 seconds.

Lee Kunzman of Guttenberg, Iowa, who led the first 14 circuits, had to settle for second in the action-packed afternoon feature. Kunzman would also take runner-up honors in the nightcap.


Results –


Afternoon - 

1. Don Mack, East Grand Forks, Minn.
2. Lee Kunzman, Guttenberg, Iowa
3. Bucky Peterson, Fargo, N.D.
4. Jerry Richert, Forest Lake, Minn.
5. Russ Laursen, Cumberland, Wis.
6. Doug Hjermstad, Minot, N.D.
7. Lyn McIntosh, Fort Williams, Ont.
8. Wyman Wade, Fargo, N.D.
9. Joe Demko, St. Paul, Minn.
10.Ron Larson, White Bear Lake, Minn.

Evening -

1. Don Mack
2. Lee Kunzman
3. Doug Hjermstad
4. Grady Wade, Wichita, Kan.
5. Ron Larson
6. Don Daniels, St. Paul, Minn.
7. Barry Kettering, Minneapolis
8. Joe Demko
9. Jerry Richert
10.Ron Belland, St Paul, Minn.