Evel Knievel’s ‘Big Red’ Mack Restored for Documentary on Famous Daredevil (with photos, video)
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Seven years after his death, a renewed appreciation for daredevil Evel Knievel is under way, delivered by Mack Trucks.
At the premiere screening of the documentary “Being Evel” here Aug. 19, several of Knievel’s motorcycles and outfits used during the jumps that made him a worldwide sensation during the 1960s and 1970s were displayed. Among his most famous jumps were failed attempts to scale the fountains at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas and 13 buses in London, as well as a successful jump over 14 Greyhound buses in Ohio.
There was a paparazzi-filled red carpet procession for the premiere, including producer Johnny Knoxville of “Jackass” fame and George Hamilton, who portrayed Knievel in a 1971 biopic.
Quite possibly, however, the evening’s most in-demand celebrity was Big Red, the exquisitely restored and decorated 1974 Mack FS786LST cabover model he used as his show truck, along with the custom-built trailer he used as his dressing room.
PHOTO GALLERY: Take a tour of the restored 'Big Red'
As part of a renewed partnership between Evel Knievel Enterprises, Mack is providing two Pinnacle models — a DayCab and a 70-inch high-rise sleeper — to help transport Big Red and other memorabilia around the country.
The discovery of Big Red in Clearwater, Florida, several years ago by Robb Mariani, former host of cable TV’s “American Trucker,” set into motion a chain of events that would forever change the truck’s fortune:
Enter former professional skateboarder Lathan McKay, who was beginning a quest to locate Knievel memorabilia around the world. “My initial goal from the beginning was to recreate the entire experience; crucial to that is Harley-Davidson and Mack Trucks,” said McKay, now part of Evel Knievel Enterprises. “To get his original sponsors that are still around back on board again is only right and the way it should be.”
Once McKay obtained the truck, which was heavily weather-beaten, he contacted Mike Patterson, owner of Historic Harley-Davidson in Topeka, Kansas, for advice on who could rebuild Big Red. Though he had never worked on a truck before, Patterson, also a Knievel fan, convinced McKay he could take on the project. It required a complete bolt-by-bolt rebuild of every piece, inside and out.
Eighteen months and $300,000 later, with the assistance of nearly 100 individuals and businesses such as Kansas Powertrain and Topeka Trailer, Big Red, with 92,000 miles on it, was ready to hit the road, hauled by the Mack Pinnacle.
“Once we heard about this rig . . . and once we met these guys and experienced the passion they have about this effort, in our eyes it just had to be a Mack truck that hauled [Big Red] around the country,” said John Walsh, Mack’s vice president of marketing. “It could not be any other brand. It just made sense for us.”
The first stop was in July to Knievel’s hometown of Butte, Montana, where the mayor is married to Knievel’s daughter, Alicia.
McKay became emotional as he described Knievel’s children tearing up during their first glimpses of Big Red at the “Evel Knievel Days” event in Butte.
McKay called Big Red “the mothership” of the Evel Knievel experience. Patterson called it the “rolling rock star.”
From Montana, it traveled to Sturgis, South Dakota, for the nation’s largest motorcycle rally, before arriving in Hollywood.
Additional stops are planned until it takes permanent residence at a Knievel museum set to open next year at the Harley location in Topeka that’s owned by Patterson.
In the meantime, three people are sharing driving duties of Big Red and the Pinnacles. They are Mike Draper, who began driving for Knievel in the early 1970s, as well as “Killer” Bramer from Knievel Enterprises and Rickey Grubbs of Mack transporter Spiff Services.
“If we didn’t have Mack Trucks with us, people would not get to enjoy this around the country,” said Patterson, who also credited Knievel’s son, Kelley, for his support.
The documentary draws heavily from archival footage and the personal stories from Knievel’s family, friends and admirers. These tales drew laughs from the invited guests and cringes as some of his most spectacular crashes are revisited.
Throughout the 99-minute documentary, the Mack brand is featured regularly. In one scene, Knievel addresses a screaming crowd but first thanks Mack and Harley-Davidson for their many years of support.
There are snippets of his jump over 13 Mack trucks in Toronto on Aug. 20, 1974. The company logo also was featured prominently on the rocket built for Knievel’s failed attempt to cross Snake River Canyon in Idaho.
In the film’s most emotional scene, family members recount being led up into the dressing room trailer hitched to Big Red by Knievel for a private prayer prior to the Canyon jump.
Viewing footage of the family’s anxious moments by Big Red eerily re-creates a feeling of impending doom, even though Knievel survived with only cuts and bruises.
“Mack features heavily in the film because they were so much a part, not just as Knievel’s sponsor but of his persona rolling into town,” said Daniel Junge, director of “Being Evel.”
Junge, an Academy Award winner, said he felt it was appropriate for Big Red to be parked on Sunset Boulevard, “where it probably hasn’t been for about 30 years.” Likewise, Mat Hoffman, a champion BMX biker, said he remembered playing with a toy version of Big Red as a child and was thrilled to have the chance to see it in person.
As the movie ended, many guests and random passers-by lined up to view the trailer that served as Knievel’s living space on the road.
Once inside, visitors were immediately transported to his 1970s glory, as every inch was filled with his wardrobe, photos and several iconic Mack bulldogs. Just as popular was the sparkling truck cab, replete in patriotic red, white and blue.
Junge told reporters before the screening that it was important to tell the whole story of Knievel, including the “dark moments” of adultery and a temper that landed him in jail for assault toward the end of his stunt career.
Mack’s Walsh said the company did not make the decision to renew its association with the Knievel brand lightly.
“When we were considering doing this, we did a deep dive into his past,” he said. “There is no question, like any human being, the guy had flaws . . . and he made some pretty big mistakes.”
However, Walsh said Knievel’s “commitment to getting the job done” and independent spirit are traits that align as well with Mack today as they did 40 years ago.
Walsh labeled Knievel a “superhero” of the era, who helped rally the United States through a turbulent period that included the Vietnam War and the resignation of President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
As for Knoxville, he hopes many people in the trucking industry grew up fans of Knievel.
Knoxville said that, though his father owned a tire company with a few trucks, he felt he was more cut out for his brand of comedic stunts than the more serious business of trucking.
“I’m not under any illusion I can drive an 18-wheeler — safely,” he said.
