Huset's Hall of Fame

Huset's Hall of Fame Huset's Hall of Fame (Please be sure to include your case on WHY this person should be inducted.)

The Huset's Hall of Fame page is designed to get the latest information about upcoming events, discussion about the history of this legendary track, post old pictures pertaining to Huset's Speedway and for sending messages to the administrator to nominate someone for induction.

Greg Gunderson and I have been friends since junior high and I’ve always known his passion. Congratulations to the Dirk...
07/14/2025

Greg Gunderson and I have been friends since junior high and I’ve always known his passion. Congratulations to the Dirkson family!!!

On behalf of the Huset's Hall of Fame committee and our corporate partners and donors, congratulations to the Hall of Fa...
07/14/2025

On behalf of the Huset's Hall of Fame committee and our corporate partners and donors, congratulations to the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. Dewey Dirkson, Craig Hanisch, Doug DeWall, Folkens Brothers Trucking and Terry McCarl are now enshrined and their legacy will live forever. Thank you for helping to make Huset's Speedway the greatest track in the world!!!

Hall of Fame night is underway!!!
07/13/2025

Hall of Fame night is underway!!!

Tonight is the night we induct five new members into the Husets Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony, Presented by Midw...
07/13/2025

Tonight is the night we induct five new members into the Husets Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony, Presented by Midwestern, Mechanical, will be held at intermission of the races at Huset's Speedway. There will be a social from five until seven on the third floor of the turn for suites with induction at intermission. Hope to see you at Huset’s Speedway tonight for Hall of Fame night. 

Thank you to all of our supporters, including:

Championship Winner Level

Midwestern Mechanical (Presenting Sponsor)
Golf Addiction
Bargain Barn Tire Center

Feature Winner Level

George Boom Funeral Home (Russell Berg)
JD's House of Trophies

Heat Winner Level

Jay Egge Automatic Service
Nordstrom's Auto Recycling
Sunshine Foods
Bullseye Custom Cabinetry, Inc
Alien and Company Tattooing
Haugan Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc
David's Auto Care
C & H Radiator
Don Jones and Family
Rob Ristesund and Family
Jerry Cunningham and Family
Butch Yesda and Family
Kevin and Terry Kjergaard and Family
FTS Racing, LLC (Bill Melenberndt)

For more information on becoming a financial supporter, go to husetshalloffame.com and click on the donations page or scan this QR code. All investments are 501(c)(3) tax deductible. Thank you and we will see you on July 13 at Huset's Speedway for the 2025 induction ceremony presented by Midwestern Mechanical.

Each year, the Huset's Hall of Fame enshrines 5 new members into the Hallowed Hall. It's a chance to relive days gone b...
07/12/2025

Each year, the Huset's Hall of Fame enshrines 5 new members into the Hallowed Hall. It's a chance to relive days gone by with the rich history of the track and the people who helped build the legacy of Huset's Speedway.

As we look forward to Sunday night and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, we take time to remember the birth of the Hall of Fame as we know it today. Through the vision of many, we have the platform to remember and recognize greatness. Here now is a salute to the five charter members of the Hall of Fame in 1998, Til Huset, Fred Buckmiller, Jim Matthews, Paul Stogsdill and Marshal Gardner and an opening statement from Hall founder Tom Savage.

Welcome to the Husets Hall of Fame

By Tom Savage (Hall of Fame Founder and Hall of Fame Inductee, Class of 2008)

The first race at Husets Speedway was on Sunday afternoon May 23rd, 1954. Since that original beginning a lot of people have either laid down tire marks, slung dirt over the walls, tweaked with a wrench, wiped mud off, sponsored, officiated, recorded, or sat in the grandstand. To honor and remember this extraordinary group of people the hall of fame was formed. The folks who are enshrined in the hall of fame fall into one of the above categories and each has earned the right of admission into the hallowed hall. The members are a proud group and they are quick to tell all listeners that being in the Huset Hall of Fame is an honor to be remembered forever.

The idea for a hall of fame for the little 3/8 mile dirt speedway was first proposed in 1979 at the 25th anniversary, but then promoter Fred Buckmiller was not convinced of the idea. A bit of irony is the first hall of fame class included Mr. Buckmiller.

The second attempt to establish a hall of fame was successful and the original selection committee met in April of 1998 to kick start the idea. The first five members of that committee were: Bruce Conley, a sports writer for the Argus-Leader newspaper with a great knowledge of racing; Don Jones, a former track champion as well as engine and car builder and later official at the track; Harold Petree, also a former champion and driver at the track since the 1950’s and later also an official; Jay Egge, a driver, owner, engine and car builder, sponsor and chief of the Split Rock Fire Department which provided fire safety at the track; and Tom Savage a representative of the media. At that first meeting the group drew up bylaws which remain in effect today. The basic bylaws were to be eligible for admission to the hall of fame a person had to have ‘been involved for at least one full year’ in any of the above categories. This particular provision was to insure that only people who had ‘grown’ with the track would be considered and not drivers like Steve Kinser or Tony Stewart who only appeared on occasion. Another of the bylaws was “selection committee members will not be influenced by any outside sources” which kept the decision making processs exclusive to the committee. Each of the original committee members then wrote down names of possible first class inductees and 13 names were tabulated. The committee then met one week later, a week to think about the 13 to arrive at 5, and made the first selection to the Huset Speedway Hall of Fame. Those first inductees selected were: Fred Buckmiller, promoter from 1958 until his death in 1982; Til Huset, who built the speedway; Marshall Gardner, a driver who ran in the first race and was a consistent top racer and among the first to realize the value of good press, Jim Matthews, who also ran the first race and was later a champion; and Paul Stogsdill who won the first feature on that historic May 23rd. And thus the Huset Hall of Fame was off and running.

In the ensuing years, the Hall of Fame continued to grow and achieve more visibility, stature and credibility. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Huset’s Speedway Hall of Fame committee, the process of nominating persons to the Hall of Fame has expanded with a simple nomination form, and has also gained interest with updates and follow through procedures. The Huset’s Speedway Hall of Fame page has added the memories that embody the history of the famed oval. This has kept all interested parties current with the Hall of Fame.

Of the original five member committee only Don Jones remains and serves as the unofficial ‘old timer’ for consultation and recommendations to the Hall.

History can never be overlooked regardless of the venue and the history of Huset’s Speedway will live on forever.

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sund...
07/11/2025

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sunday night at Huset's Speedway. Each day this week, we will introduce you an inductee that makes up the Class of 2025. Today, we feature Terry McCarl.

By Bill Wright
Museum Coordinator
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum

Terry McCarl of Altoona, Iowa is the winningest driver in Huset’s Speedway history (102) having accumulated 98 wins in the 410 class, and four in the 360 class so far in his career. His eight 410 sprint car track championships (1996, 1998-2001, 2003, 2012, 2014) are tied with limited late model driver Gary Brown Jr. for tops at the track.

An excellent qualifier at Huset’s, Terry still holds the track record of 10.319 seconds, set in 2009, and one of his 13 career wins with the World of Outlaws came there in 2006. Two of his 12 victories with the All Star Circuit of Champions also came in Brandon. His three wins in the Huset’s Gold Cup event are the top mark in history as well.

A central Iowa native, Terry is the son of car builder and driver Lenard McCarl. His own sprint car career began in 1986 and continues today. Early in his career, he honed his skills by racing the big half-mile at Knoxville and the quarter-mile at Huset’s, starting a journey that took him racing across the country and Australia. He raced nationally with the World of Outlaws and the All Stars.

Terry’s many wins and time at Huset’s offered an opportunity for promoters like Steve Rubin to showcase Terry’s personality with the fans. Whether the fans loved him or didn’t, they came to see him win or lose. It’s hard to argue any other driver put more fans in the seats on the hill at Huset’s in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Terry’s wins coming from the eighth row or deeper were arguably some of the best drives in Huset’s Speedway history.

With over 300 wins in his sprint car career, Terry has been inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (2017), the Iowa Racing Hall of Fame (2022) and the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame (2018).

The social is from 5-7pm on the third floor of the turn four suite with the induction ceremony will be held at intermission. For more information on the racing program this Sunday, see Husetsspeedway.com

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sund...
07/10/2025

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sunday night at Huset's Speedway. Each day this week, we will introduce you an inductee that makes up the Class of 2025. Today, we feature John Folkens and Steve Folkens of Folkens Brothers Trucking.

By Tom A Savage

John and Steve Folkens grew up in Lester, Iowa and spent many Sunday nights growing up attending races at Huset’s with their father and grandfather. Their father, Arend, was an original shareholder in the Sioux Falls Stock Car Association, the group that reopened Huset’s in 1958 after they purchased the facility from founder Til Huset.

John and Steve even raced Late Models at Huset’s in the late 1970s. Steve has six career feature wins, John has one.

But their racing careers had to come to an end in 1979 when they formed Folkens Brothers Trucking. Their focus turned completely to the business, and as it turns out, that was a solid decision.

Today, Folkens Brothers Trucking has grown tremendously and now carries livestock, mostly cattle, from coast-to-coast. Because of the success of their trucking business, John and Steve have had the ability over the last several decades to pour money into the sport of sprint car racing.

The Spring Sprint Car Nationals at Jackson Motorplex was sponsored by Folkens Brothers for nine years. In 2017, they sponsored their first race at Huset’s, the Folkens Brothers Silver Shootout. Since then, they’ve continued to sponsor a high-paying race at the end of the year at Huset’s, the Bull Haulers Brawl, which is in reference to their livelihood of transporting cattle.

It’s not just races where fans see the familiar Folkens Brothers name. The company can also be found on the side of sprint cars from coast-to-coast. They currently sponsor Kyle Larson’s No. 57 on the High Limit Series and Kaleb Johnson weekly at Huset’s.

Aaron Reutzel also won the All Star Circuit of Champions national title in 2018, 2019 and 2020 under the Folkens Brothers banner. Others to race with their sponsorship include Jake Peters, Tim Kaeding, Jon Barger, Randy Nygaard and Kenny Hansen, the 1992 Huset’s 410 sprint car champion.

The social is from 5-7pm on the third floor of the turn four suite with the induction ceremony will be held at intermission. For more information on the racing program this Sunday, see Husetsspeedway.com

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sund...
07/09/2025

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sunday night at Huset's Speedway. Each day this week, we will introduce you an inductee that makes up the Class of 2025. Today, we feature Craig Hanisch.

By Tom A Savage

Craig Hanisch has been wheeling a race car in the area for more than three decades. In his time at Huset’s, the 58-year old has won 34 feature events tying him for 12th all time with fellow Hall of Famers Harry Torgerson (1999) and Leland Van Emmerick (2001).

Hanisch began his racing career in 1992 in the Sportsman class before moving to the Late Model Street Stocks in 1996. His first win at Huset’s was a big one, winning the popular Cheater’s Day race in 1992. He and Chuck McGilvray (2012) are the only two Hall of Famers to win races at Huset’s in four different divisions. Hanisch has won 17 times in the Late Model Street Stocks, 12 times in a Hobby Stock, four times in a Stock Car and once in a B-Modified.

Cheater’s Day in 1992 wasn’t his only notable win at Huset’s. He also won the LMSS feature in 2013 in front of a sold out crowd on the same night NASCAR star Tony Stewart raced with the World of Outlaws. Hanisch also won the 2016 Silver Dollar Shootout, winning a sizable amount of silver bars for his victory, one of the largest payouts in LMSS history at Huset’s.

Hanisch has two track championships at Huset’s, winning back-to-back titles in the Hobby Stocks in 2008 and 2009 driving for Tazz Taylor. He also raced for car owners Rick Nelson and Gary Gagnon.

His initial interest in motorsports started as a child when his uncle, Howard Foster, owned a race car, which was driven by his cousin, Howard, Jr. Hansich also chased modified race cars driven by George Pesicka and Bill Mulroy on his bicycle as a child in the Riverside neighborhood in Sioux Falls.

Hanisch has worked in the radiator business for 30-plus years and currently owns C&H Radiator in Sioux Falls.

The social is from 5-7pm on the third floor of the turn four suite with the induction ceremony will be held at intermission. For more information on the racing program this Sunday, see Husetsspeedway.com

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sund...
07/08/2025

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sunday night at Huset's Speedway. Each day this week, we will introduce you an inductee that makes up the Class of 2025. Today, we feature Doug DeWall.

By Tom A Savage

Doug DeWall joins his father, Marv (Class of 2002), and brother, Gary (2012), in the Hall of Fame to become the first group of three to be inducted from the same immediate family.

Doug obviously grew up in a racing family as Marv and Gary both raced. Doug said he began working in the DeWall race shop since he could remember.

Doug later owned cars driven by his father and brother in the familiar No. 16 at Huset’s and the Jackson Motorplex. His cars have won 12 track championships between the two race tracks. His cars have also won three Jackson Nationals.

Over a span of 25 years, DeWall never missed a race at Huset’s. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Huset’s, Australian driver Brooke Tatnell drove the DeWall No. 16 to back-to-back championships. In 2023, the team won the title without winning a feature race, a true testament to the team’s consistency.

The connection with Tatnell in 2022 helped save DeWall’s career as a team owner. DeWall nearly retired in 2020 after his good friend and crew member for nearly 30 years, Jimmy Konda, passed away. But Tatnell and DeWall clicked right away and reignited their passion for the sport together.

DeWall said the biggest influences on his career were his father and brother. Others include Lorne Woodke (Class of 2010), Dick Trondson, Wayne Funk, Jeff Jones, Scott Gerkin and Tatnell.

DeWall said he still has a passion to make the trek from his home in Jackson to Huset’s each Sunday. Now in his fifth decade of car ownership, DeWall’s famous No. 16 can be found at Huset’s each week with Riley Goodno behind the wheel.

Over his career, drivers of the No. 16 on a consistent basis have included his dad, brother, Jake Peters, Travis Whitney, Tatnell and Goodno.

The social is from 5-7pm on the third floor of the turn four suite with the induction ceremony will be held at intermission. For more information on the racing program this Sunday, see Husetsspeedway.com

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sund...
07/07/2025

It's Hall of Fame week and the Huset's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Midwestern Mechanical, is this Sunday night at Huset's Speedway. Each day this week, we will introduce you an inductee that makes up the Class of 2025. Today, we feature Dewey Dirkson.

When the green flag first dropped at Huset’s Speedway on May 23, 1954, Dewey Dirkson had a car in the field.

In the first turn on the first lap, Dirkson’s driver, John Puckett, and fellow Hall of Famer Jim Matthews (1998), crashed and landed in the current employee parking lot area outside the race track.

In that first race, Dirkson’s car didn’t have a number or a racing paint scheme. But that changed quickly when he secured Strong’s Florist, located in downtown Sioux Falls, the following year as his sponsor. The florist shop had a purple delivery truck, and Dirkson followed suit with his race car. His cars for decades carried that color along with the No. 39. The number stuck after Dirkson’s first car was a 1939 Chevrolet.

Although Dirkson never raced, he was a longtime team owner and engine builder. The last engine he built was driven to a Jackson Nationals victory in 1993 by Doug Wolfgang, another Huset’s Hall of Famer (2008).

Several drivers raced for Dirkson over the years, oftentimes in a purple No. 39. One of those was his grandson, Greg Gunderson.

Others to race for Dirkson include Bud Berger (Hall of Fame class of 2002), Roger Larson (2002), Bill Mellenberndt (1999) and Harold Petree (1999).

Dirkson was originally inducted into the Hall more than 20 years ago, but declined the induction at the time because he said he didn’t feel right being inducted without his entire pit crew included.

Dirkson passed away in 2010.

Although now retired from racing, Gunderson continues the motorsports tradition in the family and owns Gunderson Racing Incorporated in Harrisburg.

The social is from 5-7pm on the third floor of the turn four suite with the induction ceremony will be held at intermission. For more information on the racing program this Sunday, see Husetsspeedway.com

Hey fans, check these out!!! Thanks to Carmyn Berg and 605 Custom Design, these vintage jackets and shirts are on sale ...
07/04/2025

Hey fans, check these out!!! Thanks to Carmyn Berg and 605 Custom Design, these vintage jackets and shirts are on sale thru July 20th with a portion of the proceeds going to the Husets Hall of Fame. Just like the good ol’ days. Get yours here:

https://husetshof25.itemorder.com/shop/home/

My mom was going through some stuff in her house and found this little gem. By the way, the phone number is no longer i...
04/02/2025

My mom was going through some stuff in her house and found this little gem. By the way, the phone number is no longer in service. Just thought it was kinda cool.

Address

Brandon, SD

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The Huset’s Speedway Hall of Fame page is designed to get the latest information about upcoming events, discussion about the history of this legendary track, post old pictures pertaining to local racing and for sending messages to the administrator to nominate someone for induction. (Please be sure to include your case on WHY this person should be inducted.)

Welcome to the Huset’s Speedway Hall of Fame

By Tom Savage (Hall of Fame Founder and Hall of Fame Inductee, Class of 2008)

The first race at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon was on Sunday afternoon May 23rd, 1954. Since that original beginning a lot of people have either laid down tire marks, slung dirt over the walls, tweaked with a wrench, wiped mud off, sponsored, officiated, recorded, or sat in the grandstand. To honor and remember this extraordinary group of people the hall of fame was formed. The folks who are enshrined in the hall of fame fall into one of the above categories and each has earned the right of admission into the hallowed hall. The members are a proud group and they are quick to tell all listeners that being in the Huset’s Speedway Hall of Fame is an honor to be remembered forever.