As racing fans gather this weekend to quench their need for speed, they’ll also have the chance to experience the original daredevil, Evel Knievel. With the help of a Mack® Pinnacle™ 70-inch high-rise sleeper model, Knievel’s 1974 Mack FS786LST model show truck will be on display throughout the upcoming NASCAR triple header, which runs Nov. 6-8 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The fully restored show truck, affectionately known as “Big Red,” will be located on the Texas Motor Speedway Midway, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal with the rig.
Big Red gained fame as the support vehicle for some of the wildest and most-watched stunts ever attempted. Big Red began as a standard Mack FS model cabover truck. Recognized as one of the best on-highway tractors of its day, the FS model combined Mack’s innovative high torque rise Maxidyne® diesel engine with legendary Mack durability. A completely customized rig, Big Red was best known for Knievel’s custom-built dressing room and a cab finished in his signature red, white and blue theme.
The truck is the centerpiece of a permanent Evel Knievel exhibit that will be housed at Topeka, Kansas-based Historic Harley-Davison. The exhibit features several pieces of Knievel memorabilia, including motorcycles, leathers, helmets, medical X-rays, casts and other one-of-a-kind items. As part of a partnership between Mack Trucks, Evel Knievel Enterprises and Historic Harley-Davison, Mack provided two Mack Pinnacle models to help transport the truck while its permanent home is awaiting completion.
“The Chase drivers are down to crunch time as they race toward a championship, and nobody knew the pressure of performing under tough circumstances better than Evel Knievel,” said John Walsh, Mack vice president of marketing. “We build our Mack models to perform under pressure as well, which is why we’re honored to have our trucks bring Big Red to this weekend’s races at Texas Motor Speedway.”
Built to handle the challenges of the open road, the Mack Pinnacle includes several innovative features that improve fuel efficiency and boost driver productivity and comfort. Pinnacle models come standard with the game-changing Mack mDRIVE® automated manual transmission. Engineered to be fully integrated with Mack MP® series engines, mDRIVE can improve fuel efficiency by up to 1.5 percent when compared to a standard transmission.
Pinnacle models are also available with the innovative Mack Twin Y™ Air Suspension. Thanks to a unique design that features two Y-shaped high-strength steel blades, Twin Y not only delivers a smoother, more stable ride, it also weighs up to 400 pounds less than other air suspensions.
Mack’s GuardDog® Connect telematics solution also comes standard on Pinnacle models. It proactively monitors fault codes that could potentially shut down a truck or lead to an unplanned visit to the dealer. This enables a quick diagnosis of issues, proactive scheduling for repairs and confirmation that needed parts are in stock and ready to install, all while the truck is still on the job. GuardDog Connect also offers proactive communication of critical information through Mack ASIST and the Mack OneCall™ customer support network, maximizing customer uptime.
