Racing the Legacy

Inside Mamut Racing’s unshakable loyalty to Mack Trucks

Standing at an imposing 6’5,” 250 lbs., it’s easy to see how Hector “Mamut” Rivera received his nickname, inspired by the prehistoric mammoth. Even more striking is the way he talks about Mack® trucks. The pride, nostalgia, and near reverence in his voice reveals a story that began before his own driving career, and long before Florida-based Mamut Racing, established in 2005, became a fixture at tracks across the East Coast.

“I’m a second-generation truck driver,” he says. “My grandfather drove Macks. My father, Hector Sr., drove Macks. And when I started my company, it had to be Mack. No other brand is allowed in the shop.”

That loyalty was born on the rugged roads of Puerto Rico, where Rivera spent his childhood watching the island transform around the presence of the bulldog on the hood. “Back in the ’70s, every Mack that came into the country was yellow,” he recalls. “Then in ’79, my dad bought the first orange Mack on the island. From there, things changed and you started seeing a wider variety of colors, more personality.”

For Rivera, Mack is more than a component of the family trucking business. It is a standard, a symbol of grit and a connection to his heritage. Eventually, it became the anchor of an almost inevitable path: diesel truck drag racing.

Building a Race Truck the Mack Way

Rivera was known for show-quality rigs—clean, polished, and cared for with obsessive precision—but he prefers speed over shine.

“I’ve always loved speed,” says Rivera. “My dad taught me: don’t go fast on the road, go fast at the track.”

When showing his trucks at local drag strips, he noticed that the racing scene was full of competitive brands but there were no Macks. “People brought Macks to shows, but nobody raced them,” explained Rivera. “I wanted to change that.”

Today, Mamut races a modified Granite® model. Beneath the familiar cab sits something unique: a 1969 Mack RL700 aluminum frame and a handmade, meticulously engineered chassis, approved by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Rivera rebuilt everything—frame, suspension, brakes, body panels, even the cab, which he chopped about six inches and gutted for weight savings.

“Everything is custom,” he says. “Everything is done in-house. We cut every pound we can while keeping the heart of a Mack.”

Why Mack? Because Mack Feels Alive

Ask Rivera why he races a Mack, and he doesn’t hesitate, saying “When I drive a Mack, I feel it inside, and I don’t get that feeling with other brands.”

The truck racing community also sees Rivera’s passion for Mack. At events, he’s hard to miss, known for wearing his Mack gear head-to-toe.

Part of the thrill of racing, he says, is showing people what a Mack can do. Tough and built for work, Rivera says Macks weren’t traditionally viewed as race-ready trucks, but watching Mamut’s Granite thunder off the line quickly changes minds.

“We race on diesel only,” Rivera says with pride. “No nitrous, no special racing tires. Just pure power.”

A One-Man Engineered Legacy

Rivera built the truck mostly himself, but racing is community. Friends and family help, including Rivera’s son, Hector Luis Rivera, who handles daily operations. And whether they’re testing at Bradenton Motorsports Park or chasing wins in Pennsylvania or Maryland, the goal is the same: keep Macks in the spotlight. Off the track the love for Mack includes restoration of vintage Bulldogs.

“I like giving old trucks a second life,” he says. “I can’t watch a Mack sit and rust. I buy them and rebuild them from the ground up.”

That’s the heart of Mamut Racing—devotion, craftsmanship, and unmistakable passion. Rivera isn’t just racing a truck. He’s racing a family story, a cultural memory, a multi-generation promise built on steel and diesel.

“Anyone can race a car,” he says. “But a Mack? That’s special.”

And when his Granite leans forward, twin turbos spooling and 1,000-horsepower engine growling, you understand exactly what he means. It’s not just a race. It’s a legacy in motion, and one that refuses to run anything but Mack.