Broken hub leads to Little 500 disappointment
Jackson Macenko qualified on the front row of the 2026 Little 500.
By Ken de la Bastide
What appeared to be the promise of a strong run in the Unified Group Services Little 500 turned into disappointment for former Kenyon Midget racer Jackson Macenko.
Macenko qualified in the middle of the front with former race winners Tyler Roahrig and Kody Swanson along side. Coming off a strong fifth place run in 2025, Macenko and the team believed it could contend for a podium finish.
For the first 158 laps of the grueling 500-lap race at Anderson Speedway, Macenko was running fourth and remained on the same lap as the leaders after the first of two mandatory pit stops.
The effort came to an end on lap 289 when Macenko lost the right front tire as a result of an apparent damaged wheel hub. He was awarded a 21st place finish.
Former winners with the Kenyon Midget Series had mixed results in the Little 500.
Dakoda Armstrong, who won six Kenyon features, finished third behind race winner Swanson and Davey Hamilton Jr. Colton Bettis with one Kenyon Midget win finished ninth and Kyle O'Gara, a 15 time winner with the series, finished 32nd after a back straight tangle.
The crew for Brad Hayes Racing consisted of several members currently competing with the Kenyon Midget Series including drivers Ayrton Houk and Evan Hammond.
Brad Hayes was the spotter for the third time for Macenko. “I talk to him (Macenko) whenever he's in traffic,” Hayes said. “I tell him where the other cars are, lapped traffic, where the leaders are.”
Hayes said as the team owner there is a lot of responsibility building up to the Little 500. “I feel we did a lot of extra preparation this year, better than last year,” he said. “The car is good, the driver is good and the crew is good. This is the biggest race in the world to me. Growing up I always wanted to be a part of the Little 500. Winning it would be really cool.”
Dustin Fox was working the Little 500 as the right front tire changer. “We did some practicing,” he said of pit stops. “There is not really a lot of pressure being on the pit crew. You know what the job is.”
Tony Fox is the right rear tire changer. “There's not a lot of pressure,” he said. “We did some practice this year; we're getting better at it. We're moving in the right direction.”
Fox said during the race he also tries to keep track of where Macenko is running on the track.
Kevin Meyers was working as the right rear tire carrier for the pit stops. “I did it both years,” he said of the team's Little 500 efforts. “The biggest challenge is getting it on fast. It's a lot of responsibility. The key is to do it right.”