If they are unsuccessful in their first attempt at getting a full-pull, which is 27 1/2 feet, the driver has the option of having the sled moved by a much larger tractor anywhere on the track and can then pull in either direction. On their first attempt they have to hook up to the sled where it is sitting and pull in the direction the track officials tell them to. Each round a driver has two chances to pull the sled. You hook up a farm tractor to a sled loaded down with concrete slabs and you see who can pull it the farthest. Now the idea of this tractor pulling contest is pretty straightforward. It all comes down to the skill of the driver and how well he can operate his tractor. For example, the guy who drives the “not so shiny” Minneapolis Moline 5 Star in the above picture took first place in this event just a few years ago. limit with just the tractor and the driver themselves while others need to have a few extra pounds added on to be competitive–or a lot.īut appearances don’t matter in this competition. Some tractors come close to the 12,000 lb. Now the tractors that participate in this event all conform to the rules in the rule book, but they come in all shapes and sizes. designation is the maximum allowable weight of the tractor and the driver. tractor pulling contest?Īccording to the General Regulations for Farm Tractor Pulls on the Cookport Fair website, the contest is “open to farm owned tractors only, equipped with rubber tires, no dual wheels or tire chains allowed, and no four wheels or all-wheel drive tractors allowed” ( General Regulations 2015). Now what exactly is a Class III: 12,000 lb. You see how this is shaping up to be a tradition? Twenty-five years ago Larry’s son won this same event while driving the same tractor Larry drove when he was 13. He has won this event about 7 or 8 times–the first time when he was just 13. Larry first participated in this event when he was 9 years old. So nobody is doing this to get rich–or break even. He then pointed to a nearby tractor and said, “You see that suitcase weight hanging on that tractor? That costs $100.” (There was at least $1,000 worth of weights hanging on the tractor Larry pointed at.) The contestants have to pay $10 to compete. Larry Allison from Clymer, PA, a man who has participated in this contest for the past 54 years, said, “I just do this for fun.” I asked him how much money they won if they got first place and he said they get $60. It’s a contest between friends and neighbors, fathers and sons, brothers, and cousins. And there’s no huge payout–just a modest trophy, a small cash prize, and bragging rights. Maybe a buddy to help you get your tractor off the trailer–but that’s about as “pit crew” as it gets. There are no sponsors, no endorsement deals, and no fancy pit crews. I love this event because it is a competition for the sake of competition and nothing more. But they all came to have a good time and to take part in a tradition. Some live close enough to the fairgrounds they can just drive their tractor on the public roads to get there. This year thirty-two contestants participated. On Saturday, September 19th at 7:00 PM I got to sit down and watch one of my favorite events taking place at the Cookport Fair in Indiana County, Pennsylvania the Class III: 12,000 lb.
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