The CARB Hall of Fame is interwoven into the fabric of American Auto Racing in
the Heartland. 2010 CARB Hall of Fame Inductee Guy “Mac” McHenry. A racer who made Olympic Stadium the
greatest midget racing venue in the history of the sport. Now he is on center stage under the lights for CARB Hall of
Fame Ambassadors Series “Spotlight of a Legend”.
In the hey day of midget racing when it was common to race up to 7 days a week, while traveling across the nation,
Guy “Mac” McHenry of Wichita, KS, was one of the best. In Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, he won track titles,
and races, while also scoring victories in Iowa, and Texas. After he established himself in midgets, he later went on to
race and win in the sprint car ranks with IMCA. By the time his career came to a close in the early 1950’s after
injuries suffered in a sprint car (big car) accident at Belleville, he truly was a legend.
In 1942 McHenry would race the front wheel drive Menasco owned by D.A. Clem. This unique machine was driven by
Mac to the track title at Wichita’s West Side Park that season, where he won six times, including three in a row.
McHenry also would take a win at Tulsa in 1942.
After the ban on racing was lifted following WW II, Mac continued his earlier success by winning at Wichita’s C.J.
Stadium in the Gibson Bros. V8-60 in 1945. McHenry would also finish in the top five in points. In 1947 Mac would
win at Blackwell, OK. In an unknown car, possibly racing for Duke Westerhaus. Driving once again for the Gibson
Bros. in the #93, Offy, in 1948, Mac would win at Enid, OK. The Wichita racer would also win that season driving for
Duke Westerhaus in “Dukes Box” at Scandia, KS.
1949 was another successful campaign for McHenry as he won races for K.C., Enid, and OKC driving for the Gibson
Bros. in the #5 Offy. Mac would also finish fifth in points at OKC that year. When Ben Harleman was laid up for
injuries in 1950, Mac jumped into the E.L. Crist #20 Offy. driving for Crist. McHenry was fast out of the gate winning
at both Olympic and Tulsa. By the time the dust settled that fall, Mac had won five times at both Olympic and Tulsa,
while winning the track title at both venues. The “Big Mac Attack” would also take a win at Tracy, MO along the way
in 1950.
As the 1950’s progressed McHenry would turn his attention to sprint cars, while also still running midgets. In 1951
Mac would win four midget races, one each at Dodge City, IA and Olympic, while winning two shows at Tulsa. He
also made his sprint car debut in the Les King Offy in IMCA competition, while befriending one of the greatest sprint
car stars ever, Don Branson. Over the years the two racing legends became very good friends.
Mac McHenry would also have a successful stint driving the former George Binnie K.K. Offy #77 midget owned by
George Casey. In the former Binnie machine, Mac would win four times at Kansas Cities Riverside Stadium, but his
focus was primarily on sprint cars. Driving for Tom Randol in his K.K. Sprint car, Mac would win three IMCA big
car features in 1953. McHenry would also take two midget wins as well that year, winning first at Council Bluffs, IA
and later at Arrowhead Stadium, in Houston, TX.
Unfortunately, a great 1953 campaign came to end after a terrible accident at Belleville, KS later that summer, at the
North Central Kansas high banked track, McHenry’s mount sailed over the wall approaching speeds of 100mph. The
resulting wreck broke the Wichita racers arms, and left the 35-year-old driver with injuries that ultimately would end
his driving career. In 1964 Guy J. McHenry, (Mac) would pass away from cancer at 45.
The Original “Big Mac”, Mac McHenry, was a true racing legend, and we are excited to featured him in the
“Spotlight of a Legend” for the CARB Hall of Fame Ambassadors series.
