Doug Clark - Inducted 2022

Doug Clark is a 1971 graduate of Sioux Falls Washington High School. He attended USD-Springfield. Clark is one of the most recognized and respected dirt track racing officials in the United States. He was a flagman for approximately 45 years, including 30 years at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon and almost 40 years at the most prestigious sprint car racetrack in the nation, Knoxville (IA) Raceway.

On Aug. 20, 2022, Clark flagged his final race at the I-90 Speedway in Hartford, where he started flagging in 1976. In 2016, the Sioux Falls native received the highest national honor in sprint car racing when he was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville. Inductees include some of the biggest names in auto racing, such as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, and Parnelli Jones. Clark joined life-long friend, Doug Wolfgang, as the only two members from South Dakota. Clark started his career as a teen-aged crew member for different drivers, including Bill Hill, Wolfgang and Darryl Dawley. A couple of years after the Hartford Speedway opened in 1976, Clark traded in his pit crew duties after he earned the job as the track flagman, beating out several competitors. Clark eventually flagged races at dozens of tracks in 19 states, including tracks across South Dakota and the Sioux Falls region. Considered by many as one of the best flagmen in the nation and known for his tireless attention to track safety and detail at whatever track he was working at. Clark earned respect from racers, track officials and fans as a black man in sport of mostly white racers, track officials and fans. Others noticed and respected Clark’s hard work and talents as well, like officials from the World of Outlaws series. That group hired Clark to work races around the nation. He was also inducted into the Knoxville and Huset’s halls of fame.