Local racing legend, Russell G. Small Sr., 64, of North Platte, NE took life's checkered flag on Feb, 22, 2024 at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, CO.
Russ “Animal" Small joined this race we call life at the Sutherland Hospital on Aug. 30, 1959, when he was born to Julian G. and Luella M. (Smith) Small.
Russ resided in North Platte the majority of his life, aside from a few years spent in Sutherland in his late teenage years. When Russ was 15, tragedy struck and he lost his dad to a fatal heart attack. This was the reason for the move to Sutherland. Upon his graduation from Sutherland High School in May 1978, he moved back to North Platte. He also graduated from Mid Plains Voc-Tech that spring with certificates of accreditation in Auto Body and Paint and Auto Mechanics.
He worked as a mechanic at Cooper Motors and K-Mart Automotive Center until Sept. 1978, when he was hired as a Carman at Union Pacific Railroad. He gave almost 40 years of loyal service to the railroad before having to be pulled from duty due to injuries. The safety of himself and others was a high priority, and he was even recognized for going the extra mile. He was awarded many letters of recognition through the years, as he helped prevent derailments by finding defects in the rail cars.
When Russ was just 7 years old, he met Kimberly Cain and told his dad he would marry her one day. They would indeed end up married on July 21, 1979 and would celebrate almost 45 years of marriage and the birth of 5 children.
The other love of Russ' life started when he was young too, and that was dirt track racing. He would ride his bicycle from North Platte to Lexington and back just to watch the races at Dawson County Raceway. Then in 1980, he started his racing career at the very same track. In 1985, Russ joined a small group of other racers and brought racing back to North Platte for the first time in 20 years. He helped build Lincoln County Raceway as it sits today. He eventually hung up his steering wheel and race gloves and passed his now famous number 47 down to his son, Russ Jr. He continued to be an integral part of racing for the remainder of his life. He volunteered many hours helping many track promoters. He was knowledgeable and active in almost every aspect of preparing and running the tracks.
As the saying goes, “he had mud in his blood”. The track was his ultimate happy place, and he and his family proved “the family that races together, stays together.” His wife, kids, and even 2 grandkids raced either stock cars, karts, or demolition derbies.
Those left behind to cherish his memory include: his wife Kim, four children; Jennifer (John) Hunt, Russ Small Jr., Alicia Small (Tim Sanders), and Jeff Small, all of North Platte. Grandchildren; Jeice, Brennan, and Reese Hunt, Emily Winter, and Joseph Small (the apple of his Grandpa Grouchy's eye).
He was preceded in death by: his parents, his infant son Kenneth Ray Small, and his angel grandbabies. He was greeted at the Rainbow Bridge by the many cats he loved and cared for throughout his life. Russ is now reunited with the many close racing friends he lost over the years.
A special memorial race will be held at Lincoln County Raceway at 7pm on July 6 th , 2024. A celebration of life will take place at the Lincoln County Ag Building from 12-6pm on July 7th , 2024. Adams and
Swanson Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family will use any donations made to support causes that were near and dear to Russ' heart. The family also requests, in the spirit of Russ, everyone hold their loved ones close and support your local racetracks.