PULLOFF.COM - Opinion Archives

Pulling can not go down the same destructive road that NASCAR has chosen.

Dick Morgan — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 15:45:08 -0800

Pulling Shouldn't Follow NASCAR's Destructive Path

This weekend we began a new season of NASCAR racing where new rules and a very odd stage system left many fans already disappointed in NASCAR With attendance way down from the best days from the mid-nineties to the mid-2000's NASCAR has tried to recapture that magic with little luck. To me it boils down to the fact that the moment Dale Earnhardt passed away was the turning point for the sport. Dale was a love him/hate him figure, a true personality and icon unlike anyone ever seen in the sport, even beyond Richard Petty. Dale's absence opened the door to a kinder, gentler, vanilla brand of NASCAR where robotic drivers could recite their sponsors in their sleep and not go off topic. In a sport that drew its crowds based on the personalities in the drivers seat, personalities have become a rare case.
With today's corporate spokes person driver and the “car of tomorrow” the average fan can not relate to the product on the track. So the question is, why has pulling chosen to go down the same disastrous road with the “any sheet medal, any engine” rule.,with shows that run to long. Even in the highest levels of the sport of pulling we see numbers stagnant and crowds sometime unimpressed. Those of us that remember the sport from the eighties to the mid-nineties were witness to some fantastic personalities that were on four wheels, our vehicles are the personalities. Yes, some pullers have a gift for talking to the crowd and are well known for their antics but we remember the vehicles more often than we remember the pullers themselves.

So what happened to pulling? Component chassis is what happened. You can go to YouTube and watch hours of video from the eighties and nineties and see a completely different looking version of pulling from today. Yes the speeds were slower, the horsepower was less but the action on the track was exciting. The simple move to component chassis was good for safety in many respects but in light of how well-designed chassis are today the vehicles make consistent passes that look no different from track to track, from vehicle to vehicle. It should be no surprise that LLSS, 4.1, and Light Pro are doing well because they are more unpredictable in their actions on the track.

However there are solutions to the problem. Here are a couple items that need to be addressed to make the show more exciting. Renew the alky versus diesel battle, somehow. drop the weight on some classes by 5 to 10 percent so that the vehicles dance more. Embrace classes that are showing growth and take a good hard look at classes that are declining. Make rules that lead to growth in the sport, not rules that are driving the cost in some classes out of the reach of only 4 or 5 pullers in the class. Speed up the shows, like NASCAR races that are averaging 3 to 4 hours per race , and some pulling events take way to long to run.

Unlike NASCAR that has huge TV contracts and major sponsors that are clamoring for a better product, pulling has to rely on their leadership to be the agent of change. I realize that there will be push back from the pullers and I can understand that. However for the overall health of the sport leadership needs to start making some bold changes.

The rural agricultural foot print of America is shrinking and the menu of not only other motorsports but other types of entertainment is growing, pulling needs to sell a products that keeps it's existing fan base but is also attractive to the younger fan.

How to grow the sport of pulling- part 2

Dick Morgan — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 16:14:58 -0700

Growing Our Sport

Part 2;
One of the problems is, we the fans of the sport some times have these rose colored glasses that taint our view of what the sport is. The die hard fan can't understand why everyone does not find the sport has exciting as we do. We need to step back and look at how can the shows be made more exciting and faster paced. What worked 10 years ago may now be stale, what kept the fans interest then will not be enough for the new breed of fans that the sport is trying to attract. So lets take a look at what works and what does not.

The biggest problem pulling need to overcome at all levels is the show itself. The shows lack nonstop action, there is to much dead time with nothing going on vs. vehicles going down the track. And unfortunately that is one of the selling points that other motor sports have that's makes their product a easy sell to families with young children. The sight and sound of a monster truck during a double back flip is what pulling is competing against. And if you do not believe me that pulling lacks non stop action just take a look at any YouTube video of any class with 15 vehicles, I don't care if it's mods, super stock or trucks. What takes between and hour and and hour and a half to run is condensed down to a 5 minute YouTube video. Think about that. What takes 90 minutes to run on the track is really only 3 - 5 minutes of real action. Another way to look at it is, if there is 3 to 6 minutes between hooks and the run takes 10 to 15 seconds to run a vehicle down the track then there is one heck of a lot of time with nothing going on between hooks. So what can pulling do? Well the obvious is speed up the sport. Make the show fast and exciting. Dragging out a show with low vehicle numbers does NOT change the fact that there are only a few vehicles that are competing., it just make a bad show longer, not better. If you are running two tracks at an event, there should never be two vehicles running down the track at the same time, you have done nothing but ruin the one advantage that the sport has. The ability to offer more action on the track. With two tracks you at least have a chance to cut dead time in half by spacing out the pulls. Can pulling be non-stop action, no, the reality is we need track maintenance, so how do we fill in the dead time? There can be several ways to keep the fans engaged. Big screen replays, announcing that keeps the fans entertained, tee shirt give a ways, interviews at the starting line with the drivers before they pull and I'm sure there are other ways to provide entertainment for the fans between hooks. But still the biggest thing that pulling can do is reduce the time between hooks. Speed up the show!

Second are the RULES. The current approach by most, if not all organizations is making the sport more boring, not more exciting. The creativity in the sport has diminished greatly. The push to large cubic inches in some classes has done more to limit the growth of the sport than any other single issue. There used to be a time when 10 national pullers would show up to any event and the class would also get 5 to 10 local pullers that would fill out the class. Those days are long gone, the rules have made it almost impossible for the local guy to compete. While I realize that it's to late to change any of these classes, the National organizations need to embrace the classes that are showing the greatest growth in the sport. The Limited and Light Pro Stock classes along with the LLSS are examples of classes that going within the sport because of sensible rules. More and more classes are becoming cookie cutter classes. Just take a look at the current Pro Stock or the mod class in a couple organizations if you do not believed me. Pulling has done more damage in recent years with their rules than they have done to guy is pulling a MM with a John Deere engine. However almost everyone follows the Pro Stock grow it. The “any engine any sheet metal” rule may have been the worst rules implemented ever. Brand loyalty is what made the sport what it is today. Red Vs Green. Nobody but nobody cares if aclass if Carlton Cope competes, why, because the MF is real, not a cross dresser. And I know everyone says that the average fan does not care if the PS with a Kubota hood is really just a John Deere BB. Well guess what there is hardly a average fan in the sport, do not minimize the intelligence of the fans. What does the fan think if they believe they are really rooting for “off brand” and they find out that the Kubota they where cheering for is really no different than all the rest of the John Deere BB Pro Stocks? Will that hold their interest in the class or the sport? While I am not anti John Deere or any other color the question needs to be asked, “what John Deere” do I root for if am a new fan to the sport? One more John Deere will not grow the sport. And the same could be said about the mod class, their needs to be more diversity, open up the rules that lets the Allison's compete again. The hard truth of the sport is the vehicle are the stars of the show, not the drivers. While the drivers are certainly a key element, the fans identify with the vehicles.

One of the other problems is some of the classes that the National organizations are offering to the pulling fans. Any time a National organization offers a class with less than 10 competitors they are not giving the fans full value for their money. Any class with 5 competitor or less is really nothing more than an exhibition class. Either write rules that encourage growth in these classes or make room for classes that offer healthy numbers. And on that same note does pulling at the national level offer to many shows? Does the sport get cheapened by having to many 2 and 3 class events that bill themselves has national events. I looked at one national event that has three classes and there are a total of 20 tractors that are precommitted in the three classes. So with a little math the show time should be about 90 minutes. However if history can be used this show will take about 3 hours to run. The sled will be set light for the first pass in each class so there will be a pulloff of 3 or 4 tractors and the time between hooks will be stretched to 5 to 7 minutes. Trying to put a band-aid on a small show only make it a small show poorly run.

How to Grow the Sport of Pulling

Dick Morgan — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 19:29:49 -0700

Growing Our Sport

As you have seen reported on this website and others, there are a number of folks who are doing their part to promote or “grow” the sport of pulling. I applaud their efforts. All of us – fans, pullers, promoters, sponsors and sanctioning bodies alike should have some stake in this. So that got me to wondering, are there a non pullers that are really fans of the sport? What percentage of people that call themselves fans are really pullers, former pullers or team members of a puller? Is there a fan base to the sport? So the question is, what are we actually trying to grow, and what is pulling competing against for the motor sport fans money. However, before we can talk about growing the sport I believe that we need to define just what the sport is and who are the players.

First there are the antique pullers [group 1] . They are the guys who enjoy taking a 50 HP tractor, typically built in the 1930s and 1940s, and seeing how much power they can get out of the old piece of iron. While many of these classes use very strict stock specs for their competition rules, some antique classes have pushed the limits of these old tractors well beyond what anybody thought could be done.

The second group [group 2] are the local, state and regional club pullers that make up the largest and most active segment of pullers in the country. This group of pullers use scaled down versions of tractors we see at the national level of pulling – though they may still use the terms modified, supers stock, pro stock, etc. These groups typically determine their own competition rules, with little outside influence. And this is the group that has shown the greatest growth within the sport. My belief is that the vary nature of the rules that most clubs have chosen to use for their classes has allowed more pullers to be able to build vehicle that not only fit into their budgets but also their ability to travel a circuit that has mostly has weekend shows and less travel time than a national type organization.

The last group [group 3] is the national level of pullers. The group would be generally belong to one the three organization, NTPA, Outlaws or PPL. This is also the pullers that have chosen to make a commitment to not only a larger finical investment but also a larger events road map. The travel time requires a large commitment, not only with time away from the family but also away from the business that they run. While this level of pulling has not seen any growth in the last decade, and some will argue that there are even been a loss of numbers, there seems to be enough pullers in most classes to allows NTPA and PPL to offer basically the same show. The real issue here is not growth but sustainability, will enough pullers want to keep making the finical and time commitment to full the national level classes?

So where does the growth of the sport begin? How does it get more fans in the seats? I believe that most national shows [group 3] are run professionally, with good lighting, knowledge entertaining announcing, top notch sleds, and vehicles that are mechanically amazing with tremendous HP and graphics that are works of art. However here is the conundrum, the local, state and regional club that have the greatest potential to show growth also can put on the worst shows possible. When pulling is good, it's very good and when it's bad, it's very very bad. To the detriment of the sport some of the local, state or regional pulls start late, have crappy tracks, junk sleds and inept officiating. They offer the fans poor lighting, obstructed viewing, and announcing that is not knowledgeable nor entertaining. And they some how manage to take a poorly run show that should take 3 hours and stretch the misery out to a 6 hours endurance test. These shows stunt the growth of the sport, only the die hard fans is willing to sit through one of these shows.

Part 2 to follow

Keyboard Puller or Fans?

Dick Morgan — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 15:01:15 -0700

Keyboard Pullers or Fans

Over the countless post I have read on the page the term “key board puller” has been used many times. or that oh so witty phase “what's the name of your tractor”. I guess the term “key board puller” and “what's the name of your tractor” is intended to say, why should you have an opinion, what do you know. But I also read all the time “how do we grow the sport of tractor pulling”. Well the next time you are tempted to write “key board puller” instead write the word “FAN”, because that is what a non-puller is, he's a fan [something sorely lacking] of the sport. We will never grow the sport when we take the attitude that if you don't own a pulling tractor you have no right to an opinion about anything.

Announcing, lights, fireworks, 50 tractors in a class, team uniforms, none of those things grows the sport. Granted all of those things are an important part of the sport, yet the only thing that will grow the sport is fans and more fans. If you take a look at the most well run shows in the sport today, Bowling Green, Hillsboro, etc, it's all about the fans and their experience. Bowling Green has mastered the “event” value of the sport. There are 50+ vehicles in some classes because the pullers want to pull in front of the largest crowd in the sport. Those people are called fans, those are the people that the promoters and sponsors love. Outlaws and other organizations are now utilizing big screen for the fans, they want their paying customers to walk away from an event feeling that just spent their hard earned dollars wisely for themselves and their families.

While I realize that without vehicles there is no show, it's also true that without fans there are no promoters or sponsorship dollars. When you make and give away your "hero” cards, who are you giving them to key board puller or fans? The bottom line is this, if they disagree with any of your positions they are key board puller and if they agree they are fans. Sure they may not own a pulling vehicle or and may not understand everything about sport, but they care enough to not only buy ticket's to the events but they also support the sport via social media. Lets not drive away the fans just because they may view things different.

So the next time you hear “how do we grow the sport of tractor pulling” ask your self this question, how do we treat the fans?

Revisiting My 2012 NFMS Articles

Jake Morgan — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 05:45:44 -0800

The hollowed grounds of Winter's most prestigious event, The National Farm Machinery Show Truck and Tractor Pull.

Since it's a national election year and we can look back at the candidates and see what they said a few years back I figured I'd look back at one of my own opinion series and see where I've flip-flopped. I'm glad to say that I'm not Donald Trump and I haven't done a complete 180 on my core beliefs (sorry Trump fans, but who he was and who he says he is now don't really make sense... but I digress) I think discussing changes at the Farm Show are especially relevant today. I also think my old articles, whilst riddled with typos and grammatical mistakes are even more applicable today since no changes of significance have occurred at NFMS pull yet.

Here are the links to my 2012 series on the NFMS for those interested:
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

For the sake of brevity's I won't go into all the reasoning behind my ideas, that's all in my 2012 articles and that hasn't changed. Here's a quick summary with my updates for 2016, and my idea for an updated schedule:

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday Afternoon	Finals
2wd	2wd	4wd	Light Pro	Modified (top 5)
Super Farm	4.1 Limited Pro	Super Farm	Light Limited Super	Super Farm(top 10)
Light Modified	Modified	Light Super	Diesel 4wd	Light Super (top 5)
Pro Stock	Diesel Super	Pro Stock	Open Super	Diesel Super (top 5)
				Open Super (top 5)
				2wd (top 10)
				Pro Stock (top 10)
48 hooks	48 hooks	48 hooks	48 hooks	50 hooks

* blue = alcohol class
* black = diesel class

Now that we've got the schedule out of the way here are some other ideas for change:

Driver Introductions at 6:30pm, Pull Starts at 7:00pm (or even earlier, make the show family friendly)

12 vehicles per class... (make it more exclusive) even 10 would be fine.

Three announcers (I want to hear from guys that haven't hooked yet, then again after they hooked, and good announcers will know who to interview and who not to.)

After the class ends, only interview winners for the Preliminary rounds, but still take a podium picture with the top three (yes actually build a small portable podium). If a class is not in the finals on Saturday night then do the top three interviews as normal.

For the finals interview all three podium places as per usual.

That rounds out the serious stuff... now add in some fun stuff and quit taking yourselves so serious. Somehow this show forgets that it's in the entertainment business, lighten up. They should still make everything that happens on the track 100% about the competition, but remember that the rest of the event is actually a show and you're trying to entertain people to get them to come back. The competition on the track and the vehicles will always be the stars of the night, but don't forget the rest on the pull is a show where NOTHING is happening other than watching scraper tractors and rollers. There was a time when crazy entertainment was the norm; a guy in a chicken suit, or gorilla suit, a stunt guy who gets into a box of "dynamite" and blow it up and walks away, etc… Now the pull has gotten too serious and only entertains people for approximately ten seconds every 3 ½ minutes or so. Remember your roots, you can still be prestigious AND fun.

Get a tee shirt cannon and fire tee shirts into the crowd - encourage teams and sponsors to donate them... because they would!

Get kids involved again... see if teams will donate children's tee shirts and cannon some of them out into the crowd.

Have a kids brand loyalty contest and give some kids dressed in Deere gear some shirts from teams running John Deere. Do that across the board for every brand you get a shirt for. If no kid show up with Moline gear give it to some kid with no brands on.

You don't allow Hero Cards in the pits... but make a Hero card section in Freedom Hall, heck there are old locker rooms, put some magazine racks or table in there and let drivers fill the place with cards. Put a flat screen TV in there with wild rides and wrecks playing and make it a kid's zone (parental supervision required).

Have a pedal pull signup before the session and do a quick 3 or 5 kid pedal pull while they hook up the smoke tube (I'd much rather watch this than seeing a second and third place interview). You could even do a pedal pull prelim in Broadbent and have the finals in Freedom Hall.

Shoot a tee-shirt with a voucher for free season tickets for next year into the crowd each session. (I stole and modified this idea from my friend Wayne Girbach)

Bring back the kiss cam, it's Valentines weekend for goodness sakes!

You're the granddaddy of all indoor pulls, use that to your advantage...

Play up your history - run some old footage on the scoreboard every now and then (give the announcers a heads-up though so they can talk about the video clip with some interesting facts)

Between every Syngenta banner track side hang up a banner with an old photo of a past Champion, make those concrete barriers and those repetitious Syngenta ads catch your eye.

Have a drawing or contest and let some kid ride in the cab of the John Deere that makes the test passes on the sled before the anthem. (I know, insurance/liability/risk blah blah blah... we've got kids standing on the top of a combine out in the South Wing so I'm sure they could make this happen. Every session some kid can could go down the track in the cab of a new John Deere in the famed Freedom Hall.

Get the future generation hooked on Louisville to ensure we have a future Louisville.
GoPro cameras are everywhere, either get Veranda to incorporate them into their routine, or find someone who will because with today's technology we should be watching onboard footage between some hook.

As a side note: I'd Love to see the minis at the Farm Show. They put on an awesome show and they are one of, it not the most exciting classes in the sport. The only downside is that it necessitates another two sleds (you need a backup). I could be easily swayed to swap out 4wd for minis if that's what the committee thought would fill more seats.

These are some of my ideas on giving the show a little face-lift and breathing new life into the best stale show in all of tractor pulling. I honestly think that these are pretty realistic ideas and the wouldn't be too hard to implement some of them. I'd love to hear what people think or any other realistic(ish) ideas you may have.

The changes in the 2015 NTPA season

Dick Morgan — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 13:47:34 -0800

[www.ntpapull.org]

I just had a chance to read Gregg Randall's "Building Boost" article in the 2014 December addition of the "Puller" magazine.

The NTPA has made significant improvements in a couple of the area's that will impact a large number of their membership. At the Regional National level the NTPA will raise the purse by at least $250, and the Limited and Light Pro Stock classes will see an increase of $900 with both classes seeing a purse of $4000. The Pro Stock Diesel 4x4 will now pay down 10 places instead of 12 which will reflect in a $285 increase for those 10 places.

Another change is the reintroduction of the Pro National circuit, I'm not really sure what the impact this will have, it appears that these PN events will really just be a higher paying [$1000 more purse money than a RN event] Regional National event, same points. Not really sure why a promoter would offer the PN event versus the RN events, time will tell.

I think one of the new programs/changes that is very positive is the Enderle will now be a two day event. There will be 4 sessions with the afternoon being devoted to a minimum of 10 RN/PN pullers in the Enderle qualifying events. The RN competitors will expand from 12 pullers to at least 50.The 2 evening sessions will feature all 12 Grand National divisions. I really like the idea of bring in all 12 NTPA classes for this prestigious event.

In the Grand National precommitment program the pullers will now be paid for a rainout and there will be an increase for the precommitment pullers that make every divisional hook. It appears like the NTPA will increase their program to the precommitment pullers by $135,000. While I applaud the NTPA I have couple questions.

First, I see that to be eligible for part of the money a pullers has to make ALL the hooks in their classes. With such a disproportionate number of hooks from class to class this seems like a rather unfair burden for some of the pullers that are competing in the those classes that are in more demand by the promoters.

And the other thing I question is where is the $135,000 coming from. Is the NTPA raising entry fees, membership fees. If they are not raising either of those two, did they find a generous benefactor that is donating the money, if not, have they always had the extra $135,000 in their budget and only the purse's that are being offered by PPL and Outlaws forced this move by the NTPA. Either way this is good news for the NTPA and their members.

NTPA thoughts part 2

Dick Morgan — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 17:23:20 -0700

[www.ntpapull.org]

I wanted to do a follow-up on the NTPA leadership article I did on August 26th. In that article I expressed my opinion that a leadership change within the NTPA is sorely needed. Having had a chance to read the proposed 2015 Rulebook changes I noticed that there was as much concern about how the pullers wanted changes in some existing rules, but there was also a real strong underlying tone on how the pullers wanted to be valued. Maybe it's just me but it sure appears that the members want change.

There is a problem in some of the classes with puller and hook numbers and this is a great opportunity for the NTPA to start to make some changes that will not only benefit the pullers but also overall show quality.

To start with the NTPA needs to start limiting the number of events they have for certain classes. There should not be more than 16-18 hooks per class. To run the pullers all over the country devalues the product. If any class is in that much demand they should get more money. It just stands to reason that if a promoter wants a class after that class has reached it's 16-18 limit then there should be a premium paid to the pullers. Let the promoters pick classes in order of seniority, events that have been with NTPA the longest get first choice, once you reach 16-18 events, that class is done being booked.

They need to stop asking pullers to drive around the country for one [1] day events that they schedule in the middle of the week. They seem to have no problem asking the pullers to go to some show in the middle of nowhere and not provide a hook the next day close to the previous nights show. Simply too many one-session events for the pullers. Too many times the NTPA will have only one class hook at a regional event and call it a Grand National event. The NTPA also needs to realize while truck and tractor pulling is their source of income and jobs, most, if not all pullers have real jobs that they need to keep to be able to support their pulling hobby.

Another thing I noticed when reading the rule proposals was the “show-up” money that other organizations give to their precommitted pullers. I know that talking to people that hook with PPL they get a $250 check the minute they park their haulers. They get one check for a one or two-session event, and if they travel to a show the next night they get a second check. If one organization has already implemented this practice it puts pressure on any other organization to follow suit. It does seem fascinating to me that the sanctioning body and sled operator get paid in the event of a rain out, yet the pullers get nothing, interesting!

This brings me to the NTPA's business model. There are three major revenue sources that the NTPA has at their disposal. One is sponsorship, the second in membership fees-hook fees and the third is sanctioning fees. Here in lies the problem, they need to sanction as many shows as they can to support their expenses, their overall operating budget. What a conundrum, some pullers want fewer hooks, rain out money, raised purses. Where is the money going to come from, while I'm sure not every request will be met, there does need to be some effort by the NTPA to at least hear the concerns of their members.

So like any business or even any household when the expenses exceed the income there has to an adjustment made somewhere. If you can not raise your income you have to reduce your expenses, sounds simple. However I'm afraid that the business model is the problem. What people are proposing such as less shows, raised purses and show-up money will stretch the NTPA is an area that they may not have much wiggle room. What-or who-will be wiggled out?

One thing I would like to see is the pullers have to option to be able to drop one hook per season. The points race would be much more exciting if the puller that has had breakage could drop a hook and still be in the points race. As it is now once a puller misses a hook because of breakage the incentive to get back out is lessened because there is no way they can get back into the points race. Lets be honest, in some classes there is just not enough vehicles following the points race to generate any excitement when just one or two pullers have breakage and miss a hook. And for those pullers that are lucky enough to make every hook they can still drop their lowest finish. And I've heard people say that the pullers will drop the farthest hook, I don't see that happening as nobody would drop a hook if they didn't have to, it's their ace in the hole, now they can drop their worst finish.

This is a great opportunity for the NTPA to do something bold, to reinvent themselves, put some exciting and innovative ideas in their shows, in the sport. Will they take this challenge, only time will tell. I know that in the past they have had the attitude that “I've seen other associations come and seen them go”. I believe it's a mistake to take one's opponent lightly, especially one with strong financial backing. A very dangerous game to play

An open and honest discussion about the NTPA

Dick Morgan — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 18:46:27 -0700

A couple weeks ago I wrote an article about the five “stake holders” in pulling. Today I think we really need to take a hard look at one of the “stake holders”.

Today I want to talk about the NTPA, while I think that there is many good things about the NTPA the fact remains that there are problems with the organization. I think it's time to have an open and honest discussion on the problems with the organization. I feel fairly confident that within the hierarchy of the NTPA they believer that, IF, there is a problem it's just a blip on the radar. They will say it's just an OFF year for certain of their Grand National classes. However I am having a hard time believing that line of thinking anymore. I believe that if you take a look at their precommitted numbers you will see that they have been declining over the last few years. Their state associations have declined as well. Their membership numbers also. They have lost the loyalty of their some of their members.

One of the obvious answers to the problem is new leadership. The NTPA is in desperate need of a new leader. They need a person that is more connected to the everyday operations of the association. They need a person that knows the names of everyone of the Grand National pullers. They need a leader that visits the office every day, a leader that makes it to the pulls. The days of “working from home” needs to come to an end. They need a leader that is willing to take a chance, to shake things up, they need a leader that is willing to take pulling to the next level. To rethink the entertainment aspect of their shows.

What will it take to get new leadership, I'm afraid that it's not going to happen in the near future. I'm afraid that the ship will remain leaderless. And when there is new leadership will there still be the feeling that behind the scenes the decisions are still being made by the old regime. While I know that a great deal is owed to the present management of the NTPA for their past efforts, that was then, this is now! Winston Churchill brought England though her darkest hours during WW2, yet after the war the people of England voted Churchill out and decided they wanted new leadership. However that brings out the problem with the NTPA there is NO voting anyone out, the NTPA is just the figurehead for WPI. That’s where the real power lies. Everyone complains about the NTPA {including me} when the real issue is with the management team that owns the NTPA. The problems with the NTPA's shows is a different issue. They need to fix first things first!

I will be following this article with one about what I feel needs to be fixed with the NTPA itself.

Part 2- the "stake holders" in pulling

Dick Morgan — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 17:56:42 -0700

I am going to talk about the last two “stake holders” in the sport. And these two are far and away the two most important and controversial entities in the entire spectrum of truck and tractor pulling.

4; The Sanctioning Bodies the people that organize the pullers and write the rules.

5; The Pullers, the people that bring their vehicles to a show.

The “Sanctioning Bodies”. This group I like to think of as the “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. They do a great job of writing good solid rules, they put together the schedules and provide the track and safety crews that make the pull run safely and smoothly. By and large they try and provide their member states with an organizational framework and a set of rules. Right or wrong sometimes the Sanctioning Bodies are viewed in a very negative why when it comes to revenue, money, purse money paid to pullers. Having never been a puller I can not say with any degree of certainty what is the proper operating expenses of the management [the office, staff]of a Sanctioning Bodies should be. However one thing I do know is that perception can become your reality. If you do not see an organization that is representing you operate in a “lean” manner you start to think that they do not have your best interest at heart, just their own. I really believe that it all comes down to trust. Do I trust these people to make the best decisions to promote not only my class, but also the sport overall. Do they listen when I or my entire class has a concern, be it safety concerns, rules, number of hooks for our class, are they listening! Are they listening to the puller that may have only one vehicle in the class or do they only listen to their “buddies” the puller that brought 4 or 5 vehicles to the show. Do they turn a blind eye to rule infractions for certain pullers? Do they bend the rules for friends?
There are several Sanctioning Bodies at all levels of tractor pulling. From national to regional, from ultra high horse power shows to dead weight antique pulling, there's a Sanctioning Bodies for everyone. Are the Sanctioning Bodies irreplaceable, no, if one where to leave today, there would another up and running in mere days to take their place. Which always makes me wonder if there's no money in it, so much hard work why does a new organization happen so fast. Kind of like politics, it's a crappy thankless job but every politician in the country would sell his grandmother to get elected..

The Pullers, now to me here is the backbone of the sport, while I realize that without the Pullers there wouldn't be any show, it's more than that. Where else do you find a group of men and women that are willing to invest their hard earned dollars to build, maintain and improve their equipment. Lets really think about what the Pullers do for the sport at every level, they are willing to drive thousands of miles a year, spend countless of hours, spend thousands of dollars and for what, to win a few hundred dollars and another trophy to put in their shop. And the winnings in most cases doesn't even cover fuel cost, to hook in shows where only a few hundred fans are in the stands, to wrench all night hoping the repairs where good enough to hook one more time.

However there are a couple area's that I believe the pullers need to be held accountable. The first is one of my pet peeves, Rules, if the pullers that have a vote on rules for their own classes look at what's good for just themselves , or do they look at what will help grow their class overall. Take the LLSS class [you can substitute many other classes here], what has/had the potential to be one of the premier classes nationwide has turned into a polluted mix of different rules from club to club. Why, selfish personal interests and the “I'm the only guy that knows how to do it right” approach by ever Tom Dick and Harry club in the country.. It seems like pulling has a couple hundred “I'm the only guy that knows how to do it right” people in the sport. While I know that rules are sometimes driven by the Sanctioning Bodies I do believe that the pullers also need to be held accountable. I know that every club member or club official will tell me that they have the right rules and everyone else is wrong. I don't understand why a puller would not want to have uniform, universal rules for their class. If they did they could take their vehicles any where in the country and hook, and the buying and selling of not only parts but entire vehicles would give them a much larger field of potential buyers. I believe that the only vehicle in pulling today that fits the most universal set of rules is the full body TWD truck, amazing a truck is the most widely excepted vehicle in the sport today.

And the second area I believe that the national level puller needs to think about is their willingness to take their national level truck or tractor to every county fair, every state level hook, every and any bush pull in the sticks. It devalues the national show, it devalues their product.. Why would I go to a national show if I can go to my local fair and see 650 cubic inch SS or 4 engine mods. Why drive hundreds of miles and spend money to go see a national show when I can drive 15 miles, look at the blue ribbon pig, get a pork sandwich and wander into the local pull. Which begs the question how can pullers complain about the purse money at a national event if they are willing to hook at a county fair purse C level local show. The pullers need to limit their non-national pulling if they want to have any hope of having their class viewed has unique, as special, the show that comes to town with the high HP, high dollar vehicles. The show where you can only see these “one of a kind” trucks and tractors.
Pullers, Sanctioning Bodies don't always see the big picture.

Pulling will never see growth until there is a more unified and coordinated effort toward rules and classes

The Five "stake holders" in the sport

Dick Morgan — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 18:25:07 -0700

I have been thinking about the “stake holders” in Truck and Tractor pulling I have come to the conclusion after talking to several people that there are really five different “stake holders” in the sport.

For the first part of this opinion article I will be posting the first three of the “stake holders” .

I am going to list in the reverse order of their importance to the sport.

1; The Fan is the guy or gal that buys a ticket to attend the sport.

2; The Corporate Sponsors who pay the have their products advertised at the pull

3; The Promoters, the people that put on the pull.

4; will be posted Monday

5; will be posted Monday

The Fan; Unfortunately the sport of Truck and Tractor pulling really does not have a very strong corp of die hard pulling fans. While I realize this runs contrary to popular opinion I believe that the sport has not done very well in fostering a real fan base for the sport. Most pulling fans are either friends of a puller or they have a vehicle that they do or did pull at one time. Most fans in actuality only go to one or maybe two pulls a year. They come to the Saturday pull at the county fair.

To prove my point the next time you are sitting in the stands at a pull ask the person next to what class is now pulling, what engine size, weight and and who is leading the class and I dare say that you will get a confused look and maybe a a rather disjointed answer. Then ask them who their favorite NASCAR drive is and they will be able to tell you not only where that person is in the current points race, but also who is in first place and by how many points. This would not be so bad that they are a NASCAR fan if you where at a NASCAR race, however you’re at a tractor pull!
The sport does a poor job of promoting itself, the announcers, the Promoter and the Sanctioning Bodies need to do a better job of letting the fan know that pulling is a points based motorsport with several different classes that makeup the sport. Pulling needs to do a better job of getting and keeping the fan informed.

Next on the list is the Corporate Sponsors. While I realize that any money that does come into the sport is a good thing, the reality is that Corporate Sponsors come and go on a 3 to 5 year cycle. And the other harsh reality is that a portion of the money that the Corporate Sponsors bring to the sport goes to the Sanctioning Bodies and the pullers never see any of it. While I also realize that it takes money by the Sanctioning Bodies to do their work the Corporate Sponsors in the big picture are also a very small part of the sport.

The Promoters to me are one of the more interesting “stake holders” in the makeup of the sport. They can usually be put in one of three categorizes. The first is the county fair Promoter, they view the sport as something they've been doing for 50 years and they really don't have much knowledge or interest in the overall show. For them it's a venue to get people onto the fair grounds. Not that they are not a valued part of the sport, yet they are removed from the sport in the fact that they usually do no more than one show a year.

Now the second group of Promoters are current or former national pullers that have decided to put on a show of their own. They will enviably run a show with a mod class, a truck class and one or two hooded tractor classes. This second type of promoter generally does a great of running their shows. They understand what makes a good show.

Then there is the group that does the mega shows and these Promoters are in a class of their own, not only do they understand what the Pullers want but they also know full well what the Fans, and Sponsors want. These are the shows that all the pullers strive for, these are the shows that carry the less known events, the events that can't-don't pay as much. These mega pulls are the pullers Super Bowl and World Series wrapped up one, with huge crowds, great announcing and world class competition. The mega promoter by and large operates independent of the Sanctioning Bodies.

I will post the 4th and 5th "stake holders" Monday

Does “electronic fuel injection” help or hurt the sport?

Dick Morgan — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 14:42:23 -0800

Will “electronic fuel injection” help or hurt

There is a topic that has not been addressed very much, yet could have a huge impact on the sport. The topic I am referring to is the “electronic fuel injection” [efi] that is now appearing on some tractors. I am not well versed on the subject to have an opinion, rather I would like to hear the pro's and con's of the issue.

I am never one to stop the technological advancements of the sport, yet I wonder if this is a move in the right direction. Does the use of efi make the class/classes more or less competitive, does it level the playing field, does it take tuning and R&D out of the sport. Does it open the door to the miss use of the technology. Does it give the fan a better show and reduce catastrophic engine and drive line failures for the pullers? Is it just one more way for the pullers to spend money on parts that benefits the parts suppliers? If it allowed in one class will it spread to all hooded classes?

When I think of this, or any rule change I always ask myself if this change will grow the sport or will it be a determent to the sport. It appears that there are more question than answers in regard to this topic and I would like to hear from people that have an opinion on this topic.

Who makes pulling work!

Dick Morgan — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 03:57:00 -0800

Joe Fan

I have written a couple opinion articles on what I believe are the ingredient for a successful pull from the fans point of view. And after going to pulls that range from an A+, to a couple that where an F , I think I understand what it takes to put on a show that is fast, exciting and well run. I know I harp on starting on time and moving vehicles on timely manner. It's more than that, it's how these things happen that makes or breaks a tractor pull from a fans view point.

I don't know how many shows I've been to where the track equipment is blocking the fans view of either the start, finish or in some cases the entire track. I was at a state event this year and there was a break down on the tractor and the driver and chief mechanic where under the tractor for about 10 minutes trying to figure out what was the problem with drive train. And the alarming part was no track official seemed to think there was anything wrong with this picture. I realize there is a time limit on the driver to hook to the sled, maybe there needs to be time limit to unhook from the sled and get off the track. Then there is the situation where the sled is already back to the starting line and somebody thinks it might be time to start thinking about bringing the next tractor out on to the track and back them to the sled, and by now 3 minutes have been wasted, sure 3 minutes doesn't sound like much, however at a pull that has 35 to 50 vehicles you are looking at a show that has run 1 to 2 hrs longer that it should have. Boring!

This, in my opinion is what, or more specially who makes the show work. The shows that I am referring to that are the A+ pulls, are Bowling Green, Gordyville, Louisville and from what I have been told on more than one occasion Hillsboro. And the thing that makes them so successful is their attention to the fans. From starting on time, to a clear and clean view for the fan is always their main concern. I realize that all shows have a person with the title “competition director”, however their job is dealing with the vehicles and drivers. What I am talking about is a person with the title “show director”. A good “show director” doesn't need to be the clown or comedian, nor does he need to be the pullers best buddy. Rather he needs to be the “SOB of the day”, the guy that keeps things moving, the guy who sees the whole picture. Blue shirt president Mike Ott and whatssmokin's Klint Tucker do a great job at looking at the total show, they keep things moving and put on a show that is fast paced and exciting. .More than once Mike Ott has told me he wants the fans to experience the total BG event, it's more than just a pull, it's entertainment.. And Klint & Co never stop trying to improve the Gordyville show. Both of these guys and I'm sure Don Salma want the fans to leave with a feeling that this was truly a well run, exciting motor-sport event. They want these fans to go back to work and rave about the high horsepower, dirt digging machines that they had just witnessed. They want their product to sell itself.

However the guy that comes to mind as the “show director” is Mike Witt of the NFMS. I do not know Mike other than a couple quick conversations, however I've had the opportunity to watch Mike work the sideline at Louisville for several years now and have come to appreciate the job that he performs. Mike is the guy that keeps the show moving on a timely manner. If you get a chance, watch Mike at any NFMS session and he never stops moving. There is never a piece of equipment, pullback tractor or vehicle that is not on Mike's radar. Clutches and blower belts are never repaired on the track, driver stay on their vehicle and are pulled off the track and troubleshooting and repairs are done in the pits, not on the track. I'm not really sure if this approach is Mike's natural way or if the position at the NFMS mandates it, however the results speak for themselves. Pullers need to buy into the concept that each individual puller is part of the part of the show, not the whole show. It takes a group effort by pullers, track officials, and the track crew to put on a well run event. Everyone needs to know their roll and responsibilities. I realize I have singled out a couple people that run the biggest shows in the country, that should also say that if they can do it well on such a large scale then the state and regional levels should be able to do it as well or even better.

I think that the main problem is the officials, promoter and track crews loss sight that the fans need to be given the best show possible. In order to grow the sport there needs to be larger purses, major sponsorship money. The Acme Dynamite Co. does not come into the sport because they loves pulling, it comes in because they are selling a product. They, and every other sponsor will spend their sponsorship dollars only if they can see a reasonable return on their investment. They want their product seen by the highest number of people possible, fans! Face it, there are plenty of motor sports events that the fans can spend there hard earned money at, pulling is competing with monster truck, stock car racing , demo derby's, it needs to do a better job of filling the fans expectations.

To sum it all up, start on time, move the vehicles onto, down and off the track as quickly as possible and give the fan a full, unobstructed view of the action. This coupled with informed and enthusiastic announcers makes for a first rate show.

Fans Bill of Rights

Dick Morgan — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:49:12 -0700

Our Freedoms

After having attended pulls for the last 40 years I have decided that the fans need a “fan bill of right”.I think there are things that every promoter needs to think about when putting on a pull. Having never been a puller or promoter I only have the prospective of the fan, therefore all my opinions come from the fans perspective. If a puller or promoter wants to also list their “bill of right” go for it!

The promoters need to realize that there are a few basic items that ever organization that sponsors a tractor pull will guarantee the fans. I don't believe if it's a huge national pull, or a local brush pull, indoor or out, the fans needs never really change. Here is my “fan bill of rights”.

1: Start on time, I do not want to get to a pull that I expect is going to start at 7pm and find out that they have not even starting building the track yet. I don't want to hear any excuses, just start when you say you are going to.

2: Do not block my view, let me say that one again because that is my number one pet peeve, do not block my view. The fan pay to see a tractor pull, not the side of a roller or scrapper tractor. Get the track equipment off the track and out of the fan vision line.

3: If it's a two track event do not have a drag race, it,s a tractor pull not a drag race. I want to give my full attention to just one track at a time.

4: Good announcing, I don' always need a “big” name announcing, however I want someone that knows the difference between a John Deere PS and a New Holland LSS. Tell me a little something about the puller and his vehicle. If it's a points race event I want to know what position the puller is currently in.

5: End in a reasonable length of time. Most fans do not want to watch more than a 4 hour show. And on that same vane do try and stretch out your show if you have a low turnout in a class.

6: Good lighting for your evening shows. I can not stand watching vehicles go in and out of the dark spots on the track at a evening show. If you don't have adequate lighting, rent some! There are local rentals every where that rent portable lighting. Some rental places that know the local fair/fire
department is putting on a show they will work with them on reduced rate.

7: I want clean rest rooms and food vendors that are reasonable in price and numerous in number so I don't have to stand in line 30 minutes waiting to be served.

This article also has me thinking about another article on “show quality” that I will post next week.

As I stated earlier if a puller or promoter wants to also list their “bill of right” go for it!

Please support the trust fund for Adam Biehl's daughters

Jake Morgan — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:05:03 -0700

The Mule Deere piloted by Adam Biehl

I was in disbelief a few days ago when I heard the news that Light Pro Stock puller and TPP owner Adam Biehl had passed away. I apologize in advance because I'm still at a loss about what to write.

I never got to spend much time with Adam; I met him once or twice very briefly and he seemed like a great guy. I've been fortunate enough to spend a good deal of time with his crew sitting trackside at Gordyville the past few years. They are a great bunch of guys who loved Adam and were amazingly proud of his accomplishments. I'd hear about the hard work and dedication Adam had building and transforming his tractor into a front runner, about how he purchased the business and continued to grow it year after year. Adam embodied the type of puller and builder this motorsport needs. He was young, energetic, and passionate about pulling. He was one of the pioneers of the Light Pro Stock class and he will be greatly missed.

Adam, his wife Amy and their daughters Alayna and Alyssa

It's horribly tragic when we suddenly lose someone so young and gifted as Adam, and I hope our entire pulling community can rally around Adam's family. I'm sorrowful thinking about his wife and daughters and the pain and loss they are feeling right now. I see the family photos on the Funeral Home's website and I can't help but feel heartbroken for them.

I'd like to encourage everyone to make a donation to the trust fund set up for Adam's daughters. Even if you had no connection with Mule Deere team, I encourage you to take some time and think about your family, your connection to the sport, and please find it in your hearts to make a donation.

https://gateway.frontrunnerpro.com/book-of-memories/1521781/Biehl-Adam/donation.php

To Adam's friends, family and crew; we offer our heartfelt condolences. I pray that God will guide you, comfort you, and strengthen you in this time of need. May the Lord be your light in this time of darkness, you are all in our thoughts and prayers.

Should the NFMS bring in the Lmt. PS or Lt. PS class?

Dick Morgan — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:32:42 -0800

Zach Howell

There is always the usual chatter after the NFMS about the need to give the show a facelift. The talk always is around classes that need to be dropped or added to the show. Not wanting to be left out of the armchair quarterback game I would like to add my worthless two cents to the debate.

I do agree that the diesel FWD needs to be replaced, now the question is should it be another FWD class or should the committee bring in another tractor class. If the committee decides to bring a FWD class it will naturally be the PPL-NTPA type of FWD class. However if the committee decides that another tractor class is what the fans want, then I think that a good choice would be the NTPA Light Pro Stock class, now before the legions of 4.1 Limited Pro Stock fans and pullers get in a uproar I will give my reasons for the Light PS class.

First, while I am a real big fan of the 4.1 class, and believe it will be a class of the future, that is if it does not implode because of so many rules that each and every club is pushing, and I do think it's a class that will grow over time. The Limited Pro Stock I am afraid will delete the pool of Super Farm tractors that will apply to the show, and will not add any color to the show.

Jared Nussbaum

Second I believe that from a purely political standpoint the 4.1 class will be a real hard sell, neither the Super Farm pullers nor the Pro Stock pullers will be happy to see the class at the NFMS. It a threat to both classes at the show! On the other hand the 540 Light PS class will bring in color and tractors that most fans have not had the opportunity to see run yet. I understand that the Light PS is a NTPA only class (there is already a precedence with the DSS class) however the 540 A pump East Coast tractors have proven on several occasions that they can not only run with the NTPA tractors, but can win on any given night. The class also has tractors that are red, green, blue, orange or some other color that run at the top of the class.

I think one thing that was glaring obvious was that a non-red or green tractor (Carlton Copes MF “Warpath”) generates tremendous excitement for the fans. Maybe it’s time to build on that excitement.

The 2013 NFMS Review

Dick Morgan — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:04:56 -0800

OUCH!

I want to do a “Hit” and “Miss” analogy of the 2013 NFMS.

Hit- Carlton Cope, Carlton was by far and away the “hit” of the show. Carlton’s pulloff against Steve Boyd in the Friday night session was one of the most exciting moments in the entire show.

Miss- The Diesel FWD was another weak show for this class. The class has had three years to get their act together and have yet to produce. While this may be a great class outdoors, unfortunately it doesn’t work well indoors. Maybe it’s time to bring back modified FWD’s

Hit- The announcing crew of Butch Krieger and Dave Bennett did a great job this year putting excitement in a show that was lackluster at best. From Broadbent arena to Freedom Hall there seemed to be a lack of excitement. Granted their where a few missteps, however I think when you look at the big picture they did a good job. The Diesel FWD class alone was an announcer’s nightmare.

Miss- The Syngenta video that plays before every session needs to be updated. The Lee Greenwoods “ God Bless The USA’ is still a crowd favorite, however the video is getting needs to be updated. I think that little boy that is running to meet his dad in the combine is now a father himself.

Hit- The LSS class was an entertaining and exciting class, time to move this class to a evening session and a Saturday night Finals.

Miss- Hit- While the 650 alcohol Super Stocks class overall was exciting, it really put a spot light on the V8 - 6 cylinder gap that grows wider with each new advancement in the V8 program. It will not be very long before everyone that wants to be a serious contender in the class will have to make the switch to the V8, and wont that be exciting!

Miss- Time to go with 12 entries in each class and add a forth session to the evening shows. Some of the classes are struggling to fill the class with 15 top level vehicles and going to 12 entries would accomplish two things; first it would add a forth session to bring in some new classes-vehicles and second it would have 12 of the best vehicles in the country.

Warpath on another winning run!

Miss- Sled setting this year where not up to NFMS standards. It seemed that if there was a sled reset they went from 246’ to 210’. It seems like there should be a setting that takes 10 feet away, not 30.

Hit- The track crew and pullback tractors did their usual outstanding job. From the comments of the pullers the 2013 NFMS track was one of the best tracks in recent history. The smoke tube issues that have sometimes plagued previous shows were nonexistent this year.

Hit- Carlton Cope, once again, winning the Pro Stock finals, that coupled with the great announcing job that added even more excitement to the Saturday night finals. The 2013 NFMS finished on a high note with good sled setting and solid runs in the finals for all the classes.

2013 Gordyville Review

Dick Morgan — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:47:25 -0800

Case Power on the Gordyville Track

The 2013 edition of the “Whatssmokin Promotions” Gordyville event is in the books and the show was once again one of the best indoor events the “hooded tractor fan” can find.

Klint and Company have made indoor pulling available to classes that never get a chance to be showcased anywhere else. And once again the “Whatssmokin Promotions” crew put together a track that was a top notch power track, the proof being the three broken axles during the show, and the one during the Wednesday test and tune. With no criticism intended it just proves that Klint gets every HP of the pulling vehicles that hook to the Gordyville surface. And as always the track stays consistent hook after hook.

Once again the lineup of vehicles was outstanding. I think that any class that hooks in the Midwest with either the word “hot” “pro” “super” or any combination was invited. The Limited Pro and Light Pro, along with all three Super Farm classes, and the 6200 Pro/5800 small block classes where some of the tightest finishes in the show.

And “Whatssmokin Promotions” guiding principles at their events is constant improvement, from parking to seating Klint and Co. always work to make the show better year after year. This year the hauler parking area was enlarged and well managed and some of the seating were moved to increase the fans viewing.

One thing that is very apparent to me is the open and clear view of the track. The track crew never parks any of their vehicles in the way of the fans; the roller and the tractor that pulled the vehicles off the track along with the scraper tractors are never in the way of the fans viewing. I believe the pull back tractor was the best I’ve seen, and the roller crew and scraper tractors where fast and efficient.

And overall the sled setting where once again right on the mark, with few resets and most class winners winding up in the sand, or very close.

And like everyone that attended the 2013 edition of the “Whatssmokin Promotions” Gordyville event I am already looking forward to the 2014 show. So mark January 16-18 2014 on your calendar for “Whatssmokin Promotions” Gordyville show.

Link to whatssmokin site

The pulloff numbers at NTPA GN events.

Dick Morgan — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:28:39 -0700

Add Photo Caption Here

I started to wonder how often the NTPA has pulloff in all their respective classes. I did a count of the average number of vehicles in each class. The next information that I gathered was the percent of times that each class had a pulloff. Here is a breakdown of the average number in each class, along with the percent of times that each class has a pulloff. I did not use the number from Bowling Green as I believe that BG is a special event that does not reflect the true average of GN pullers.

1; SF averaged 19 per event, they averaged 3 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 50% of their events.

2; TWD averaged 20 per event, they averaged 4.6 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff 56% of their events

3; DSS averaged 10 per event, they averaged 3.5 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff 50% of their events.

4; Mods averaged 8 per event, they averaged 2.9 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 65% of their events.

5; Semi averaged 7 per event, they averaged 3 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 55% of their events.

6; SSO averaged 9 per event, they averaged 2.5 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 42% of their events.

7; FWD averaged 15 per event, they averaged 3 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 66% of their events.

8; Mini averaged 17 per event, they averaged 3.1 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 76% of their events.

9; LSS averaged 9 per event, they averaged 3 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 44% of their events.

10; PS averaged 13 per event, they averaged 3.1 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 46% of their events.

11; Unl.Mods averaged 9 per event, they averaged 3 per pulloff, and they had a pulloff in 70% of their events.

Pulloffs add to the show!

It’s time to rethink the entire pull-pulloff rule. Here are some ideas to that end.

It was interesting that the class with the most motors would average the second highest percent of pulloffs per event.

After looking over the numbers I couldn’t help but notice that at a large percentage of NTPA GN events where run under the “floating finish line” rule, and at Hazel Green in the SF class 4 vehicles went 400’ and 19 went passed the 320 line with all but one in the class going passed 300’, not hardly a safe situation to say the least.

And another thing that I notice was at several 2-day events there would be a pulloff in almost every class at one session while at the same show and a different session the distances would far exceed 320, with several vehicles going 330 plus with no pulloff. I can’t believe that in one session there is perfect weather and the other session there is a weather related concern. It looks to me that it’s really more a lack of consistency.

Another thing I noticed was that the Unlimited Mod class also had the highest average of vehicles in a pulloff with 3 per event. And the Mini class had the highest percent of pulloffs with an average 76% and an average of 2.5 vehicles in a pulloff

The NTPA 320 pulloff rule- a debacle!

Dick Morgan — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:18:40 -0700

Add Photo Caption Here

Tractor and truck pulling is one of the motorsports that really has no finals, no grand finally. Some times pulling looks like a tractor show, not a competition of vehicles where a winner can be easily seen. Face it, some classes with a large number of vehicles become diluted to the point that it just seems to run on and on. While large classes are a plus for the ticket buying fan it also can become overwhelming and confusing to distinguish the class winner. With 20 or more vehicles in a class and if the first pullers goes 299’ and all the rest in the class go 298 or less the show loses it excitement. The NTPA 300-320- Floating finish rule is a debacle. It’s time to make a change in the fullpull-pulloff format that the NTPA has in place. Lets start with the reason to change. the rule.

1- No one understands the rule; the fans and announcers are completely clueless when it comes to the rule.

2- It totally takes any excitement out of the pull, when the rule is so confusing the announcers never are able to explain who is in the pulloff and the fan is also confused to the status of what vehicles will return.

3- In some events there is no pulloff and some events almost all, if not all the vehicles that hook go past the 320 line return for a pulloff.

The lucky winner

It’s time to rethink the entire pull-pulloff rule. Here are some ideas to that end.

1- Have a certain number of vehicles return in each class for a pulloff. If there are less than 15 in the class the top 3 returns for a pulloff, 15-25, 4 return, 26-or more, 5 return,. This will totally eliminate the problem of a class that has 23 in and 13 make the pulloff, i.e. the GN TWD class at Greenville.

2- Have a pulloff in every class, the top qualifying vehicles return for a pulloff regardless of the distance pulled on the first hook, in other words through out the 300 foot rule. Only rule the 300-foot distance as a guideline for the sled settings.

3- Award bonus points and money to the farthest distance in the first hook giving the pullers an incentive to win both rounds in the class. . For instance if you pull the farthest on the first hook you receive 5 points if there are 5 in the pulloff, 4 if there are 4 in the pulloff and so on. If a puller does not return for the pulloff the bonus points are not awarded.

4-One thing that has to be stressed is this does not give the sled operator, comp director freedom to set the sled light so everyone goes 350 the first time around, safety to the pullers, fans, track crew and officials always needs to be paramount in any event.

This format will do several things; first and foremost it will give the fans an exciting and dramatic finish to each and every class. Second it will eliminate the problem of to few or to many in a pulloff. Third it will eliminate the floating finish in all but the most unusal situations, [weather, lighting etc.].

I think it’s time for pulling to add a new level of excitement to their shows. It’s time for the NTPA to change their pulling format.

Bumping the Sled for Points

Dick Morgan — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:37:07 -0700

After watching the Unl. Mod class at Bowling Green I started to wonder why a puller has to hook to the sled to get credit for the pull if their vehicle is broke. My issue is that in the Unl. Mod class Brian Shramek had to hook the “Young Blood Unleashed” to the sled and bump it to get credit for the hook, why, what’s the point of having a puller drag their vehicle out to the sled just to move it 2 feet. And this is the rule and not the exception, it happens countless times at any NTPA or PPL event. I think that if a puller is at a multi session event and has hooked to the sled at the first available session and their vehicle breaks they should not have to bump the sled to garner points.

If a LSS puller were to break after the first session at Bowling Green they would have to wait around until Sunday afternoon just to bump the sled. It seems that it would be more beneficial to the pullers [which is more beneficial to the fans and promoters of the next event] if after they break they are able to leave the event and head home so they can get a jump on the repairs. There are three things wrong with the pullers having to hook to the sled after breakage to be able to collect points.

1; It slows the show down.

2; It’s confusing to the fans to see a vehicle hook and only bump the sled.

3; It delays the puller from making repairs for the next event.

National Pulling and the numbers of pullers involved

Dick Morgan — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:31:35 -0700

Pulling isn't a cheap hobby!

I noticed that after I wrote my latest opinion article on some rule changes, the overwhelming response placed money at the top of the list of problems that hinder the growth of the sport. However I believe pulling is really two separate entities. For the vast majority of pullers and fans involved in the sport, pulling is really based more on the state and club level, the vast majority of all pulling is local. However my original article was about ‘national level” of pulling, and after I started to really think about who makes up the vast numbers of pullers I did a little research and looked at the points races in both the NTPA and PPL and somewhat to my surprise the numbers of pullers that are committed to national pullers is really very small.

Here are the numbers that I used from the 2011 points races in each respective association.

The NTPA on the national circuit had about 86 pullers that completed 100% of the points race in 2011 and 53 that made 50% or less of the events for a total of 139 possible pullers that hook on a some what regular basis in the 12 classes within the NTPA pulling organization

Now if we take a look at the PPL number we see that about 85 pullers made 100% of the events and 26 pullers made 50% or less of the events for a total of 111 pullers that hook on a regular base’s within the 8 PPL points classes.

When you combine the NTPA and PPL there are 171 pullers that made 100% of the events and 79 that make 50% or less of the events.

And before anyone says; ha, there where 74 Super Farm pullers at Bowling Green alone, I would respectively say that I believe that many, if not most of the non-committed pullers in the SF class they hook in no more that 2 GN event for the entire year. And I can say with some degree of confidence that in most of the other classes at BG most of the non-committed pullers this is also their one or two GN event for the year. Why, Everyone wants to hook at the number one event in the pulling world so the numbers are not a true reflection of most GN events.

So what does all these numbers really mean: I think they show that the pool of national level pullers is very small compared to the huge number of pullers in all the other non-national events. And I believe they show that there are a very limited number of pullers and families that are willing and able to make not only the financial but also the time commitment to the sport. And contrary to popular opinion I had three national pullers [two where national champions in their respect organizations] tell me within a few weeks from each other that they had already budgeted for the money, their biggest issue with national pulling is TIME! They all told me that it’s really a matter of the sport taking up too much of their time, be it travel, repairs or to many hooks in a season. Now don’t get me wrong pulling is a high dollar sport with low payback no matter what level or class a puller chooses to compete in. However I think that most national level pullers have already factored in the dollar cost related to the sport. And my hat is really off to the puller that is out of the point’s race yet makes the decision to complete the entire circuit.

So what will help increase the number of pullers that are willing to follow a national circuit?

One; limit the number of events per vehicle.

Two; tighten up the footprint of the sport for the national circuit.

Three; rotate the vehicles that are invited to national events. Give the pullers a change of scenery, give the fans a chance to see some of the other exciting classes that pulling has to offer.

Four; super national events need a new payback schedule. The big shows need to help the smaller events by paying a larger purse.

Five; national pulling needs to embrace some of the classes that are being offered at the state/club level. National pulling has taken strides in that direction with the new Light Unlimited Mod, the Light Pro Stock along with the Limited Pro Stock class. Now they just need to promote those new classes in a way that insure their long-term stability. In other words do not take a new class [Lt PS, Lim. PS, LLSS] and make these pullers hook from Vermont to Iowa! Let use a little common sense when promoting any of the new classes will help to insure their overall success.

National pulling needs a overhaul

Dick Morgan — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:56:32 -0700

Is it just me, am I really just becoming a cranky old man?I’m already bored with some of the classes that are being run on the national circuits right now. It seems that in most if not all of the national classes there only have 3 or 4 pullers with a legitimate chance of winning the NTPA championship.

Have we set the bar so low that when 5 or 6 vehicles show up for a GN event we think that’s OK? Have we set the bar so low that 5 or 7 pre-committed is OK? Don’t the fans deserve a good show; don’t the promoters need to know that the greatest number of potential customers will see their products?

If we are to be honest, the truth is that once a puller-vehicle misses one hook because of breakage they are for all intents and purpose out of the point’s race. Where is the incentive to drive half way across the country and back again to make every event when you know that you are out of the point’s race? I guess the only hope is to pray that the pullers in front of you in the point’s race will have breakage and also miss one, if not more events. Hardly seems like a way to run a motorsports show.

I know I’ve gone down this road before, however I believe that the current situation makes my point even more valid. The pullers need to be able to drop a hook or more hooks from their points totals. So I have a couple suggestions that I believe will help the problem.

1; Allow pullers to drop one hook per season, this drop can be used either because of breakage or a poor finish. By allowing all pullers in the class to make one drop per season the pullers that have missed a hook because of breakage will have a greater incentive to follow the entire circuit and the pullers that have has not missed an event all season will be able to drop one hook because of a poor finish and still be rewarded for following the entire circuit.

2; Limit the number of hooks for each class to no more than 15 per season.

3; Try and convince the promoters to bring in at least one new class every year for their events.

4; This next one is the hardest sell of all, however I believe that the numbers in these respective classes will prove the necessity to try this approach. In the LSS, Open-Unlimited SS and PS and Mod class PPL and NTPA need to divide the pullers. PPL should run the 650 Alcohol SS class along with the PS and Mods while the NTPA should run the LSS, Lt Unlimited Mods and LT. PS and 4.1 PS class. There are just not enough of these vehicles to split them between two major organizations.

5; I would love to see the NTPA combine their LSS and DSS, with the low number right now in both classes it would be an exciting and interesting class. The DSS could run at 7K and the LSS in the 6500-6700 lbs. range.

These ideas could help break a pattern that’s unsustainable, because at some point the fans will decide that the value of the show they’re getting isn’t what it once was. Going from 20 in a class to 5 or 6, fans notice. Fans quit coming, promoters notice. Promoters look for greener pastures, organizations notice.

However the one nice thing about these ideas is I’ll be able to write them again next year knowing fully well that nothing will change until the sport totally implodes.

The growth of the LLSS class

Dick Morgan — Tue, 22 May 2012 06:00:37 -0700

The Light Limited Super Stock Class: there's not a more colorful class in all of pulling!

With the continual rise of the LLSS class I have to wonder what the future holds for this exciting and colorful class. Now that Mid-South {a NTPA member organization} has sanctioned the class will this lead to more state members clubs, both NTPA and PPL offering this class in their clubs?

I think that if you take an objective look at other classes within NTPA, PPL and Outlaws you will see that the rise or start of a new class always comes at the expense of vehicles in another class. Case in point is the SF class; the rise of the SF class was the beginning of the slow decline of PS. I know there are fans and pullers alike that will claim that the PS is healthy and SF were and are not a threat to the class. I think that numbers of new vehicles in SF vs. PS proves this point. While the PS class is exciting and powerful the SF and now the Limited Pro Stock and Light Pro Stock are forcing that class into a national only class. And with the growth of Limited Pro Stock we are now seeing a decline in Super Farm number in some organizations, interesting!

This brings me to the LLSS class and the potential impact this will have on other classes within an organization. The class that will be impacted the most is the LSS class. There is a real likelihood that as the LLSS gains a foothold in an organization it will drive the LSS class to become a National only class.

For those that follow pulloff.com or any other pulling news source it is crystal clear that LLSS is on the move. The class offers the pullers and fans color, variety, and numbers. As with any small cubic inch class expenses will be more manageable for a larger group of pullers, hence more vehicles. With the clustering of new organizations within solid, existing clubs, and a willingness to drive the class to a set of more uniform rules this class will explode.

While I think there’s room for LSS in pulling, just as there is for the PS tractors, I fear that LSS will become a national class and LLSS will become the small cubic inch, light weight, high HP class at the state and regional level. And while this may appear as a negative for pulling I think that the LLSS class will be a great addition for not only the pullers that work with a smaller budget but also for the promoters and fans. Now if only the LLSS pullers can get to a set of uniform rules the growth will be explosive.

I for one am looking forward to the continual growth of the LLSS class.

2012 PPL Champion Tour Championship predictions

Dick Morgan — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:08:04 -0700

My 2012 PPL Champion Tour Championship predictions.

Lets start with the PPL Mod class; this class looks a real free-for-all with such names as Eder, Shelton and Leischner vying for the championship. Throw in the new entry of the Long Brothers and veterans like Scott Tedder and Michael Stewart and this will be one of the most exciting races in the 2012 Champion Tour. However I think that when the season winds down this will be a three-team race between Stan Shelton and Joe Eder and Bill Leischner. And if Joe follows the full circuit the 75th addition will be right at or near the top. Having said that my prediction – Stan Shelton

The PPL Unlimited Super Stock class is once again loaded with some of the very best this class has to offer. With reigning champion Jeff Hirt bringing a second tractor to the class I think it’s going to be very difficult to repeat as the 2012 champion. With the Roberts Pulling team not having an entry in the PPL mod class they will be able to spend much needed time on the Supers. The Keener XXX entry is well placed for a strong finish in 2012. However I think that the Gettinger’s have the “Lessons Learned” well positioned for a real strong 2012 season. My Prediction – Frank Keener

The PPL Super Farm class list is filled with who’s who in the sport. Name like Slama, Kutz, Shaar, Wagler, Darnell and Miley the fight for the championship will be relentless. However I think that when the last hook has taken place the race will be between the Slama and Kutz entries. My Prediction –Don Slama

Where do you begin when you try and make a call on the PPL Pro Stock class? Does any class in all of pulling have more potential champions than the PPL PS class? Defending champion Stuart Maize and his “Billet Binder” will not give an inch to the long list that includes Wischmeier, Masterson, Moss& Stratton, Domann, Linder, Stone, Schnitker and the return of the “Green Streak of Steve Boyd. However I think that this class will end up with four teams that have the championship within their grasp. The battle will be between Linder’s, Moss & Stratton, Maize and Boyd. My Prediction – Linder Brothers

The PPL TWD class is a lot like the FWD class and PS class, there are just to many vehicles that have the potential to win the championship. However it’s pretty hard to ignore the 2011 season that Jeremy Nelson and his “Midnight Gambler” Dodge had. They won the championship with an amazing 61-point margin. They won the class 7 times out of 14 hooks, 50% winning percentage in a class filled with some of the best names in the TWD world. My Prediction - Jeremy Nelson

Like the NTPA the PPL Light Super Stock class is short on entries. However unlike the dwindling NTPA’s LLS class the PPL class is gaining numbers. With the Haug family bringing two strong entries to the class this should be a well-fought championship. The wild cards in this class is whether the Haug’s will run the full circuit and can Mike Wilhite keep the “Blue Blazes” NH consistent for the season. 2011 champion Todd Maedge and his “Monkey Mayhem” will still be a force on the circuit and Brent Payne has the potential to garner the top spot. Bob Barbee and “Stormy” along with Sandefur’s “Farmboy Fantasy” will make for some very exciting hooks in this class. Throw in former NTPA puller Jason Irvin and this is a very colorful class. My Prediction – Mike Wilhite

With 16 entries running for points last season the FWD class looks once again to be anybodies game. Sheila Hagedorn and “Gun Powder & Lead” Chevy had a very nice 2011 season. Sheila won the class with a 17-point cushion in a very strong field. However there are a couple FWDs that will make the season a dogfight for the championship. I look for Gary Varner, Jim Bosch along with Steve Clem to make a strong push thru the season. Throw in Jake Zaring and this is going to be an interesting class. My Prediction – Gary Varner

No matter what name you give this class it has become a fan favorite. The pulling fan base is primarily made up of two professions, farming and trucking. The Hot Rod Semi’s fill the bill for the trucking audience. With only four Semi’s running for points in 2011 predicting a champion is not too difficult. It really comes down to Dana Lindsey and “Red Hot & Rollin” and Mike Laribee’s “Shameless”. My Prediction - Mike Laribee

My opinion 2012 NTPA championship predictions

Dick Morgan — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:51:00 -0700

On this cold snowy day I’m going to put up my 2012 NTPA championship predictions.
Tomorrow I will be doing my PPL list.

Let start with the Heavy Unlimited Mod class, after one of the most exciting finishes in year, the class once again wide open. However I think that this will be a close race between Dave Archer and Ken Veney. I think that if Brian Shramek where to solely concentrate on the Unlimited class he would be the champion, however with Brian bringing out a new DSS and his attempt to hook in the new Light Unlimited class he may be spread alittle thin for the 6 engine mod. However knowing Brian and the Shramek Pulling Team nothing seems impossible. Another exciting year for the Heavy Unlimited class. My prediction- Ken Veney

Next up is the Modified class. I don’t see any reason that Bret Berg will not repeat as champion in the class, however Bob Jostock and Scott Tedder will not make it an easy race for the “Money Maker” of Bergs. My prediction- Bret Berg

Super Stock Open at first looks like a two team race between perennial favorite Jordan Lustik and the Chizek-Blackbourn team. However Kevin Campbell is the wild card in this class. Kevin has the potential to make this a very interesting year in the SSO class. One thing for sure, a V8 will win the class, just not sure which one. My prediction-Jordan Lustik

One thing for certain in the Super Farm class 2012 will not have repeat winner. With Ryan Salenbien on the sideline with his “Never Satisfied” the class is wide open. However there are a couple strong contenders for the championship. Either John Pitt and Darrin Hunt have a real strong chance of taking the championship back to Kentucky. And you can never count out Brian Deck or Russ Freeze. My prediction - Darrin Hunt

I know that last year was the “Drive for Five” in the Diesel Super Stock class and Brian was able to achieve this amazing run. However not being sure if Brian and father Dennis will follow the entire circuit the class is wide open for a new champion. With Esdon in the class with two tractors and Jody Ross along with Steve Burge and Mike Beck this class will once again have a red champion. The wild cards in the class are the Boxlers and Jeff Demers. My prediction - Esdon Lehn

The NTPA Pro Stock class has the potential of having a champion that is neither John Deere nor Case-IH with the strong running MF of Carlton Cope. However neither the Schmucker/Shramek team, nor the Cain’s will make this a easy championship for the eventual winner. And as always the Lemke team of Dan and Robby have the experience and equipment to wind up in first when the season is over. My prediction - Carlton Cope

The Light Super Stock class has certainly lost some of the luster that the class had just a few years ago. With overbooking and long miles this class has been reduced to 6 tractors, sad! And with the only diesel LSS moving over to the SSD class this class is bordering on the boring side. However the tractors that are in the class are some of the strongest LLS in the country. With the Phillip’s down to one entry and Marcus Wettleson breaking in a new setup there is a definite favorite in the class. The only real issue here is which of the Chizek/Korth tractors will win the class. My prediction – Chizek - Korth your choice

Looking at the results from 2011 it would appear that only real question in the TWD class is which one of the Petro entries will win the championship for 2012. However I think that the Theobald team of Doug and Renee have a real chance of taking the championship back to Shelbyville Indianan. And the Knapp’s can never be counted out. My prediction – Randy Petro

The 2011 season in the FWD class had a real nice points race with Pete McKeeth taking a well-earned championship with Jus Rutt'n over the class dominators Holman Brothers. This field for 2012 is just as hard to find a clear favorite. The Davis two entries along with Rob Foster and the odds on favorite Holman Brothers will once again make this championship one of the hardest contested on the NTPA circuit. My prediction – Rob Foster

The lightest class in all of pulling, but certainly one of the most exciting is the Mini class. With Bruce Slagh making a return to the class and the Koester’s, Adam Bauer along with Scott Walker this is one wide-open class. However I feel that the team that will be at or near the top for the entire season is the Hathaway/Fairbanks team. My Prediction – Hathaway/Fairbanks

With J.R. Collins putting the Super Semi Buckeye Bulldog in the championship circle once again it would look like the winner is a forgone conclusion for 2012. However the Walker’s and Jack Kielmeyer will give J.R. a real run for the money. And the two truck team of Jeremy and Jerry Walker will be at the top when the season is over. My Prediction – Jerry Walker

NFMS Freshening Part 4: Adding Some New Classes

Jake Morgan — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:42:05 -0800

Brice Terry's Hy-Strung D-21 was flying high at the 2012 NFMS.

Is the Farm Show losing fans because its classes are too exclusive? Is there room for Regional, and even State level classes at the Farm Show? Can the big budget classes share the same stage as the mid-level budget classes?

One of the biggest questions when discussing the class lineup at the farm show is: should a class have a national circuit to be eligible for an invite? There are people who are staunchly entrenched in the position that this pull should be ONLY the top national classes. They would argue that this pull is the big time, the major leagues. To many this pull is the Super Bowl of pulling and only the select classes belong.

Personally, I can see that argument and I completely understand the logic. This event is prestigious, elite, and I love the classes that the pull currently offers. This pull offers most of the top tier classes, and it should. However, while I feel that this pull is something special, I also think this sport is special and this event should be treated slightly special.

There's much more to truck and tractor pulling than just National circuits. I love the National circuits, but I also love to see the grassroots grow. In fact, the "smaller" classes are actually gaining popularity. Grassroots pulling is stronger than ever and it's becoming more mainstream. The strength of grassroots pulling is especially evident in the resurgence of indoor events throughout the Midwest. While these events don't necessarily compete with Louisville for many classes, they have given fans an alternate choice for their indoor travel plans. These additional event choices are often forcing fans to decide between indoor pull A or Louisville, and ultimately some of those dollars are going elsewhere.

The inclusion of some of these up and coming classes at the Farm Show could potentially steal back fans from all the other winter indoor pulls.

I think the committee must feel similar because the inclusion of the Diesel Four Wheel Drive trucks last year showed that the Farm Show is willing to look outside the National ranks if the class is up-and-coming and offers more variety. The committee actually removed a class that has two national points circuits and replaced it with a regional class that doesn’t have much continuity, and they don't have great numbers yet.

So while I still think this show should highlight the national classes, I also think there is room for a few classes that are on the rise. There are classes that are on the horizon as being the next big thing, and this show should be on the cutting edge of the sport.

Here's a look at a lineup that I'd love to see:

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday Afternoon	Finals
4wd	2wd	Light Limited Super	Light Pro	2wd (top 10)
SF or Light Pro or 4.1 Limited Pro (depending on popularity)	4.1 Limited Pro	Super Farm	Diesel 4wd	SF or Light Pro or 4.1 Limited Pro (top 10) (whoever has 2 sessions)
Modified	Light Mod	Open Super	2wd	Modified (top 5)
7 Super	7 Super	Pro Stock	Pro Stock	Pro Stock (top 10)
				Light Limited Super (top 5)
				7 Super (top 10)
48 hooks	48 hooks	48 hooks	48 hooks	50 hooks

* orange = alcohol classes
* black = diesel classes

A note about time: the farm show has very tight time constraints. The Fair board has a goal to get the show done at a certain time every night and they strive for that in every session. That sense of urgency is a huge reason why this event is the cream of the crop. That time constraint means that there needs to be approximately 45-55 hooks a night depending on how smoothly the show is running. By shrinking class size it's possible to squeeze an additional class into each session and you'd still have roughly the same number of hooks.

Why more classes: well, the goal of the show is to sell tickets. The easiest way to sell more tickets is to have more variety. Variety comes in two forms in this sport: variety within a class, and variety of classes. With some tweaks to the line-up you can accomplish both forms of variety and you can still hold firm to the marquee national classes that set this show apart from all the other winter events.

You may have also noticed the alternating colors of orange and black in the lineup. Well, there's good reason for that, the smoke tube at the farm show is fragile. It's needs to be completely overhauled, but I doubt that's in the budget so an alternating class schedule gives the tube plenty of time to cool and have repairs made.

So let's just jump in and look at the classes one by one:

Stan Shelton may not have had his best weekend in Louisville, but he brings some on the nicest looking equipment to an event.

2wd – These trucks put on a great show this year (well, every year!) Two Wheel Drives have two very competitive national circuits and they are present in every state organization everywhere. Keeping two sessions of this class is great for the show.

One other quick comment about the 2wd class… this class leads the sport in sponsorship and professionalism, and for good reason. Some of these full bodied trucks are absolutely beautiful moving billboards. For example, take a quick look at a truck like Stan Shelton's General Tire Truck and it just exudes professionalism. Trucks like Stan's are what this sport needs; a professional design by a professional graphic designer. It's graphics are beautifully laid out and it clear and bright. I know that some tractor fans turn their backs when the trucks run, but maybe they should start watching, because these guys are doing things that grab sponsors (and fans) eyes. A majority of the self-sponsored trucks seem to understand that bright colors and clearly written names really make these vehicles standout. Kudos to a majority of the guys in this class!

4wd – These guys left the show two years ago, and many of their fans left with them. This class has two excellent national circuits and these guys can put on a great show. I've seen good versions of this class and I've seen bad versions of this class, and it was all due to sled setting. I've seen a class where every truck scraped and clawed for every inch and track speed was at a walking pace. I've also seen a PPL event that had the trucks just screaming down the track and all stopping within inches of each other, it was a great show! Fast ground speed highlights this class, a slow heavy sled kills it. This National class needs to get back in!

Light Mod – This class hasn't even hit the track yet, and I'm already excited to see what combination is going to work! Can the Youngblood Unleashed run with 4 engines and make weight and keep the front down? Will a twin Hemi tractor show the class that with the right power and the right weight distribution you can make some serious waves in the class? Will a Bullwhip type tractor with a Long motor have the combination to compete? Will someone go the Longnecker route and run a Rolls? Can three Hemis or three Chevys get the weight right? This class is great in Europe and it will most likely be great here in the US. I heard a ton of buzz about it at the Farm Show this year and it should be a fun class to watch. The light weight might scare the committee, but after this summer we should know who has a good safe combination to make consistent passes. I can't wait to see this class run!

I know some people will get fired up with the idea of including such a new class, but I'm expecting 2012 to be an amazing inaugural season on the NTPA circuit. I'd expect to see this class grow quickly, and I'm hoping some state guys will put their tractors on a diet and test the waters when they get time in their schedules.

Mod – this is going to be a class where it's hard to pick only twelve tractors! That means the lineup should be pretty different year to year and that would have me on the edge of my seat every single year. Was there anyone not on the edge of their seat watching Terry Jostock fly into the sand pile with three good motors and one hurt motor to almost force a pulloff with Joe Eder? With the inclusion of a Light Mod it might force some guys to pick where to apply, and that will make this class and the Light Mod class all that much more fun to watch.

That ends the noise portion of our show, but it doesn't end the sparkplugs!

Unlimited Super – Is there really anyone out there that didn't enjoy the finals? That was an excellent class in my opinion; it was as exciting a finals as I've seen. Obviously bringing only a dozen tractors means that some of the top tractors won't make the show every year, but that's OK, that keeps the show fresh. There's not much else that needs to be said about this class, they just belong in Louisville.

The Prewitt's prove that the small cube Perkins 6-cylinder can compete with all the other colors in the LLSS.

Light Limited Super – Here's where the feedback page will get people fired up, this class will be the hardest sell for many who believe this class isn't "big" enough. First the good, this class is growing like wildfire. If you don't have a version of this class in your neighborhood you probably will sometime in the near future. KTPA, ORVTPA, and BOB put on some excellent local KY shows. KTPA and ORVTPA both had 30 different tractors hook for points last summer! Badger State, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, NY, and Midsouth all are offering this class in some version or another and they all have some great running little tractors. The ORVTPA rules are excellent and I think they should be the rules in place for the farm show since it's the local version of the class. Here's why I think the class should be included:

A majority of the teams are local, meaning they will bring all their local fans to see them pull on the big stage. All their competitors will come to see how they would stack up. They'd bring their friends and families and they'd put lots of butts in seats.
They have more variety than any other class out there. You name it, this class has got it. Dibble's "M" would definitely be an invite the first year!
Size matters! This class brings different size tractors, they are the three bottom plow tractors that many small farmers grew up on. Every other tractor class is big hoods, this class is different!
They are tractor rear-ends and tractor transmissions and tractor blocks.

Now the bad, I'd only bring in alcohol tractors for the first year. I love the diesels and I love the variety they bring, but this is simply a logistics issue that relates to the smoke tube. The tube needs a rest for repairs and twelve little alcohol tractors would really be an interesting addition to the show. I think strong diesel numbers are integral for the future of the class outdoors, but logistic win out until the smoke tube is updated.

Here's a note to the competitors in the class: keep the sheet metal small. Don't make the class a 1066 type class. Don't make it a 7 or 8000 series Deere class. Those hoods are great for big/heavy classes, but not LLSS. The class rocks because it's different. Fans want to see 460's, 880's, 570's, 3010's, 180's, etc.… in this class because they can't see them in ANY other class. A mix of new hoods and old hoods is a big key as well, the small MX series tractors, the small Whites, the smaller Fords, 6000 series Deere and the other small frame Deere, smaller NH, Moline's, Massey, etc… all give this class character and keep it truly unique. If a fan wants to see big hoods they have dozens of other classes, keep the big hood for ALL those other classes. Stay small and stay unique.

One more harsh word for this class, the Light Super of years ago died in part because of appearance. There were some real rust buckets out there in that class and not everyone can pull off the Solid Junk theme. Paint and polish go a long way. I understand that LLSS tractors are much more budget friendly, but please, please, please, remember that this is a spectator sport and fans want to see pulling tractors not junkyard wars. Tractors like Under Pressure, Ain't Misbehavin, Family Driven, etc… are all beautiful little rigs. In the grand scheme of this sport paint is cheap. If you want to get into the big shows you need to make sure your tractor looks like it belongs there. I'm not saying you need billet pieces everywhere or polished aluminum everywhere, or thousands and thousands of dollars in paint, but maybe one shade of blue instead of three "close" shades goes along way! Most in this class already look professional, and yes, painted steel rims are perfectly professional if the paint is in good shape, so this is just a reminder to the select few.

I can easily think of a dozen tractors that would put on an excellent show. These unique little powerhouses could bring more variety to the show than all the other classes combined. There might even be a four cylinder or two in the mix!

Time to transition to some smoke… kinda… sorta…

Top Tier DSS's like Mike Beck should match up well with the 504 Alcohol tractors.

7 Super – Where's' the LSS? Where's the DSS? What's this 7 Super, you ask? Well, it's a combination of DSS and LSS. It's 504 pushrod vs. the Redline Fever and Youngblood tractors of the DSS class.

There were two recent threads on this page that really had some interesting posts and solidified my opinion: the "Golden Age" thread and the "Old Video" thread. It's funny, but some of the most common reasons given on the "golden age of the sport" thread centered on the early war between the fuels. It seems that fans really liked to see the diesel and alcohol tractors run together when either fuel had a decent shot at winning. I've believed for years that the two fuels can play well together and they put on a much better show when they work together. This sport needs to look for ways to stop splitting classes and start reunifying. I'm extremely thankful that Esdon Lehn showed that a light diesel tractor can give the alcohol tractors a serious spanking on a 300' power track at even weight. It's confirmation that the fuel war can make a class better.

So this class would be a combination class with one caveat, I think the diesel should get 500 lbs. the first year and see how it works. Here's my justification for the additional weight indoors; I believe the alcohol tractors have a slight advantage on the short track. They are high revving and can get the sled up and running a little quicker. The diesel tractors can really lug, but the short track and sled setup in Louisville isn't really a lugging track.

There shouldn't be a problem with anyone making weight, and the event is non-sanctioned so the two-bar SFI cages won't be an issue for the alcohol tractors. If one fuel dominates the weight could be adjusted or eliminated the following year.

So my idea is six alcohol tractors at 7000 lbs. and six diesel tractors at 7500 lbs. per session for two sessions. One dozen of each fuel shooting it out over two nights, and one king of the hill fuel finals. The DSS is healthy and the LSS is growing, so this class would have good turnover from year to year. I know I'd be on the edge of my seat seeing who make's the finals and who takes the crown. Red vs. Green vs. Blue vs. Orange vs. White/Oliver vs. etc… Some great color potential for both fuels!

The added weight for the alcohol tractors would also put the committee a little more at ease knowing that there's an extra 500 lbs. to put on the front.

Pro Stock – This class is another class that's guaranteed to excite. Two sessions of the 24 best Pro Stocks this country has to offer! This class is a show staple and if you look at the schedule it closes the show on both Friday night and Saturday afternoon. This class didn't have the best session in 2012, but it's carried the show in years past and it will carry the show for some time yet. By losing a session this class also get more turnover from year to year and that will keep things a little fresher. There's no doubt that this class is a Farm Show staple.

Limited Pro – This class has a name that means something different to every area of the country so when I say Limited Pro I'm speaking of: 640 CID, 4.1 turbo, OEM head, P-Pump, and for tractor purists, it's OEM rear-end and transmission! This class is Super Farm on steroids! It's a very competitive and exciting class and they can carry the front the entire length of the track. The class has got some good momentum right now, it's growing and it's very popular in areas west of the Farm Show. Some SF guys bolt on the 4.1 every chance they get! Which means the class would bring in some former SF pullers and some new guys that have never been down the farm show track. They make great power and they are usually consistent performers and you can feel confident that all twelve tractors will make solid runs. Anyone could win, and there are a pair of black Cases that could make the Red and Green guys work for it. With only one session the committee would really have their work cut out for them in picking the best twelve any given year.

One last note: if you look at the Wednesday lineup, it lists three potential classes. Currently I think SF has the numbers and they deserve two sessions, but if this class or the Light Pro keeps gaining ground I'd make changes and let the momentum dictate the time slot. This class could be the first to squeeze the SF back to one session.

Travis Gordon found the sand in Gordyville and hopefully he'll get his shot at the Louisville sand soon.

Light Pro – Another new class, so for those who don't know the rules: 540 CID, Unlimited turbo, OEM head, and P-Pump maximum, and another class for tractor purists, it's OEM rear-end and transmission. This is another class with a ton of momentum. It was a very popular class on the NTPA Region 2 circuit last year and it's very similar to the East Coast Mod Turbo class (they also call the East Coast class Limited Pro, but that name is often confused with the 4.1 class so from now on I'll call it Mod Turbo). Which brings up a point, I'd invite at least four East Coast tractors (they have a smaller A-Pump limit on their circuits, but they will tell you that their "little" A-Pumps don't hold them back any, and results show that they can hang with the P-Pump tractors). The Forrester stables have at least three excellent Fords to add to the mix. Zach Howell could bring a beautiful NH Light Pro and there are plenty of other great tractors in the class. In fact this class is so hot right now that it's attracting pullers like Bud Gettinger, Roger Early, David Siefert, Palmers and some other big name former and current SS and PS pullers. Mix in the veteran PS and SS pullers with the class standouts like Biehl and Fleck (to name a few) and you've got a recipe for quite an exciting class. This class is a real rarity, a powerful single turbo diesel class with an abundance of color. It's an event promoters dream and it's exactly the type of class that can draw new fans into the farm show. Fans of Ford/NH may actually have a reason to buy a ticket to the farm show again! I honestly can't go to a pull without hearing of a new Light Pro being built. Much like the Limited Pro, they deserve one session now, and after that… time will tell who gets the second session first.

Super Farm – Yes, Light Pro and Limited Pro have taken some numbers out of the SF class, but it's still one of the biggest classes in the country. The Farm Show has a good mix of PPL and NTPA rules and the class is consistently a nail biter. I'd probably have two session of this class, one Wednesday, and the other Friday, but if the Limited Pro or Light Pro outgrows this class I'd make that Wednesday night slot for whoever is the hottest class. It's hard to even think how much turnover there is with only 24 slots open, but it would definitely mean a new cast of competitors from year to year. That would keep this class fresh.

One side note about the floating Wednesday time slot: Initially I wanted to have Minis on Saturday, and move the Light Pro to Wednesday, but I know the Committee would never make that move. It would require a second sled but personally I think they put on one of the best shows in this sport. They keep me on the edge of my seat for every single pass. I stand/sit in awe of the guys who can manage to wrestle those little dynamos down the track. Some guys can skate them down the center and make it look like a Sunday drive. Personally adding this class to the show would be my ideal lineup. Unfortunately the aspect that makes the Minis so exciting is also what makes them a longshot, they are wild! I'm sure sphincters tighten and insurance men get some acid reflex when they think about the Minis at the farm show. Unfortunately this class suffers from perception being different than reality, and yes they are wild, but the class has some of the best drivers in the sport and I think they can be a safe as any class.

Kent Crowder piloted the Scheid Diesel truck to a win in the much improve Diesel 4wd class.

Diesel 4wd - Last but not least. This is the newest class in the farm show, and it's still getting mixed reviews by many fans. Let's be honest, 2011 was an unmitigated disaster. The show was slow and it seemed like 90% of the class broke. It was by far the worst class of the event. This year, I didn't know what to expect. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised with the change. For starters, almost everyone in the class ran, and ran well. The track crew did a good job getting trucks hooked and unhooked and the show ran much smoother. It still wasn't fast, but it was a huge improvement. The biggest disappointment for me was the sled setting, it's seemed like they never really got any ground speed. They clawed and spun and dragged, and they just never really got rolling. The class is still new indoors and I don't fault Vaughn or the committee, they are learning this class indoor on the fly in front of 17,000 fans. With a little more ground speed this class will have more potential to excite. This class is still in its infancy and it doesn't have the numbers yet so the smaller class size wouldn't hurt this class at this event.

One small side note: the black paint is gradually getting replaced in this class, but they need to look at the 2wd Truck class and add some brighter paint to the mix. In time, this class could be the great moving billboards that the 2wd class is.

Some additional notes:
For the Finals classes: the top 5 from their respective sessions transfer. Currently it's a little confusing for the casual fan to remember whether: six, four, or three pullers transfer to the finals for any given session. With four classes per night and a two session maximum it's easy to remember that it's always the top five competitors that transfer. Fans will always know how many make the Saturday night finals no matter what class is pulling.

I hope you enjoyed a few of my thoughts for an updated NFMS lineup. I'll have one final small article on some additional minor changes that the show could make, and a quick wrap up of the series.

NFMS Freshening Part 3: Limit the Numbers

Jake Morgan — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:56:43 -0800

Jody Ross didn't make the cut for the 2011 NFMS, but won the preliminary session and got third in finals of the 2012 event.

How is it that one of the best aspects of the Farm show is also one of its negatives? Exclusivity. This show is supposed to turn people away each year. It's not a show that everyone can pull at. For the most part you get to see the best of the best; sure there are always one or two tractors that we all think should have made the show, but usually it's only one or two. With so few competitors getting rejected how is that exclusive? Is this show exclusive anymore? And better yet, should it be?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the farm show should be ultra-exclusive with only the very, very, very elite getting invited, I think we all know that would be pretty boring year after year because there just aren't that many elite pullers in most classes. What I am saying is that some of the elite should be rejected one year and then invited the next year. The lineup needs variety and unpredictability and there's only one way to accomplish that, and that's through rejection. exclusivity.

Sure rejection can be difficult to deal with, but it's a necessary part of growing, and it's necessary for the farm show. Whether it's getting rejected by someone of the opposite sex, being rejected for a job, or being rejected from the farm show it should have the same effect; it should drive you to be better, do better. Rejection is a necessary catalyst for constant improvement.

Unfortunately in American society we are taking away the necessary reality of rejection. Now days everyone gets a gold star. In some areas of our country youth sports teams play games but don't keep score because they don't think it's "fair" and kids may feel rejected. Some sports teams don't even have "cuts" for fear of rejecting a player and having to deal with the helicopter parents. I'm a firm believer that you earn your place through life and occasionally you get rejected and you learn to deal with it and not mope or throw a tantrum. You strive to turn the negative of rejection into a positive.

Unfortunately some classes at the Farm show are getting to the point where rejection is becoming less and less of an occurance. I've heard discussion in years past about certain classes only having one or two applications rejected! The Farm Show is exclusive, the farm show is prestigious and it's an honor to be accepted and we shouldn't see all the same pullers year after year after year.

It would be OK with me if they didn't accept all my favorite pullers every year. It would keep the show much fresher to know that getting invited is not an afterthought. I honestly didn't look at the line-up after it was first introduced. I know of a number of people who looked at the lineup when it was first publish and then never looked again. We all already knew who to expect, well, we knew 95% of who to expect; the usual cast of characters that I mentioned in my first opinion article in this series. Yes, it seems weird to me, and I still can't believe I'm writing this, but I actually want more rejection. I want more suspense and a greater rate of turnover year after year. I want to look at the line-up multiple times to remember who got in and just as importantly, who didn't. I want to see some different tractors from year to year.

Personally, I was excited to see Jody Ross run this year primarily because he didn't get invited last year and I knew he'd make the most of his passes this winter, and he did, man was that IH running hard (yes I know it's not an IH hood, but it's an IH!). I honestly think a rejection or snubbing make's all of us work that much harder next year. That desire to prove their worth and helps the show. When top pullers like Jody Ross don't get in every year it makes the show that much better when they do.

Now I know that most the people reading this aren't convinced yet (and may never be) that less is more, but I honestly believe that in this scenario more is not better, it's just watered down and predictable and some classes are getting that way.

I know there are some fans that are class specific and they want every tractor in the country invited for their favorite class. They want to see how everyone would do against each other. They want to see the off chance that a dark-horse tractor might have a magical run or the perfect combo for the short track. Unfortunately those fans may never agree with me, but this isn't about one or two classes. This is about the overall health of the event and keeping it fresh and new, keeping it prestigious and honored. Don't give up on the article yet, I know there are pros and cons to all ideas. Let me get to the specifics of my idea:

Session Numbers:
First, I'd limit the number of sessions for each class to 2. That's right Pro Stock fans, two sessions only. There's really no need to have three sessions of ANY class. There is so much diversity right now, so many more classes, and the resultant is that class sizes have dropped for almost all classes and no class can support three sessions (not even Super Farm). For Pro Stock fans who will struggle with this, here's the harsh reality: unfortunately the Pro Stock class is contracting and the numbers just aren't there anymore. The class is shrinking. The class is quickly becoming a "National Only" class and it shouldn't really have three session anymore. Two sessions is plenty. Two sessions of anything is plenty at the Farm Show.

Class size:
Next, I'd limit the number in each class to 12. Yes that's right; I'd lower the class numbers from the current 15 or 16 to an even dozen. Twelve monsters of the midway from all over the country. If your class has two sessions (not all classes should) that means fans are going to get treated to 24 of the most deserving and/or intriguing tractors in that class.

So less classes and less vehicles? Where's the value in that? Well, don't give up on me yet. This is about keeping the show fresh, and you can't keep it fresh by having the same show (vehicles) year to year. So here are a few downsides I see:

As mentioned for Pro Stock fan, but applies to all fans of certain classes, If you love one class and only one class you're going to see 3 or 4 less tractors in your class. (I'd argue that if you want number you should go to Bowling Green, Hillsboro, Tomah, etc… those non-invitational events all feature big classes.)
It makes the committee's job much more difficult. How do you tell Larry Roberts that only the Big Toy is coming to the show this year? However, next year the committee might take Ryan's Toy and Big Toy 2. The selection process just got a whole lot more difficult for the committee. (The average fan doesn't care about this, but it is a factor)
You will definitely see some of the same pullers year after year (more on that in a second), but there might be some tractors that just don't make the cut from year to year. It may take a guy on the fringe three or four years (or more) to make the cut.

So how would I pick the dozen or two dozen vehicles for a class?
Well, I think there should be a few automatic invites:

If you're the reigning National Champion in NTPA or PPL you should get an automatic bid.
If you're National points Runner-up you should get and automatic bid.
If you're the previous year's NFMS class Champion you should get an automatic bid.
If you're the previous year's NFMS Runner-up you should get an automatic bid.

Carlton Cope's Massey is not only capable of winning anywhere, it's true variety makes it a fan favorite.

After that it's a free for all. Just because you ran 9th in national points it may not mean you deserve a bid over the Mid-South (for example) champ in the same class. However the 9th place nation point's puller may actually be more deserving of a bid, it really all depends on the results through the year, whom you beat, when you got hot and starting winning, etc… It's really like the BCS for college football where the committee ranks the different vehicles and looks at strength of schedule, results, and any other factors that helps bolster the show. One of those other factors for selections should be variety, if you build a capable "off-brand" you should have a little better chance of getting invited compared to an equally capable red or green tractor. I'm not saying they should invite a sub quality "off-brand", but when two tractors are fairly equal the variety variable should be part of that equation.

Again, this make's the committee's job much more difficult, and some of the top guys will get a rejection letter.

So that's my idea in a nut shell. Less is actually more in this case and I think this show needs to separate itself. This show needs to be the cream of the crop and it needs to stay fresh.

Let me compare my idea to eating: if you go to a really fancy restaurant, something in the 5-star range, you usually get smaller portions, more courses, and superior quality. The fancy restaurants usually change their menus on a regular basis but they keep a few core entrees that are consistent performers. They rely on season flavors and the finest quality ingredients. That's what separates the 5-star restaurants from ALL the other chain options.

If you simply want quantity you go for the buffet, and if all you care about is numbers you should go to one of the big outdoor events.

The National Farm Machinery Show Championship tractor pull is fine dining. The cost of the show says so, but the current menu doesn't

So if we have less tractors and a maximum of two sessions for each class we obviously have plenty of time to hit the concession stands for some… fine dining right? Well, obviously we need to backfill with something, but what? Maybe an appetizer course or two…

NFMS Freshening Part 2: Show Announcers

Jake Morgan — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:56:58 -0800

Butch Krieger, Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame Announcer at the 2012 NFMS

This is Part 2 in a multi-part series about the National Farm Machinery Show.

Let's not beat around the bush, this is the premier winter event. This is the oldest and most prestigious indoor pull in the world. This is one of the top events in all of pulling, both indoor and outdoor. So my question is this: why can I go to a local state hook and hear just as many announcers as I hear in Louisville? Why isn't this event a little bigger a little better?

It's a huge event and a huge amount of fans are sitting there and there is tons of action, but they still haven't taken the announcing to the next level. Yes, you can have too many microphones and make it confusing (Bowling Green can get that way at times, but they can have upwards of 5 or 6 announcers), but I just don't think two announcers is enough. First things first let's evaluate what we currently have:

Let's start with Butch Krieger. Butch is the voice of the show, his signature sound is easily identifiable and his voice is still electric year after year after year. It's almost like he never ages and his voice has been consistent since I started going to the Farm Show almost two decade ago. His credentials are beyond compare in this sport. Butch is a legend and a soon to be Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Famer, an accolade of which he is well deserving. I just can't say enough good things about the way Butch sounds and how he conducts himself.

Now the bad: Butch isn't a workhorse. Now before anyone gets upset, I honestly believe that's not a bad thing, because I honestly believe that Butch shouldn't be seen as a work horse. Some announcers can talk and talk and talk and talk and they keep the same pace the entire show. Butch isn't a workhorse, Butch is a thoroughbred. Butch has a level and excitement and enthusiasm in his voice that can't be matched in this sport. You don't ask a thoroughbred to pull a plow all day in the field; that's not what thoroughbreds do. That's not what Butch should do.

Butch is one of the best masters of ceremony I've seen. He's professional, clear spoken, and he just has a tone in his voice that sounds exciting. I've never been able to put my finger on it, but when Butch is energized it's hard not to get excited. If he's pumped about a class or a pulloff it's almost impossible not to get pumped up as well.

I think Butch needs to continue to be the lead, the chief, and his mic should override all other mics when he has a comment that he wants to share. He shouldn't be a work horse, but he should have the ability to say what he wants when he wants. He's the guy that should save energy and use that energy to get the crowd fired up. The man is a legend and I honestly think they aren't utilizing him in the best capacity.

Dave Bennett works the crowd at the 2012 NFMS (if you see him heading your way, duck or run!)

Let move on to Dave Bennett. I'll be honest, the first year I wasn't used to Dave and I wasn't enamored with him as an announcer. Maybe it was the accent, maybe it was the jokes, or maybe I just expected something different (I think I expected a Doc Reilly type). The next year I started to come around a little. He stepped up his game. He left the jokes at home and he brought more details and more professionalism and he got a feel for the Farm Show crowd. Fast forward to this year, Dave made me laugh out loud a few times at the pull. He shines when he sticks a microphone in someone's face. If his interviewee is good, Dave can make that into a great conversation. If his interviewee is bad, AKA a deer in the headlights he can make that into a humorous, awkward, and wonderfully uncomfortable train wreck. Dave's quick wit can instantly comeback to even the most bizarre answers.

Now the bad: I'm not going to say that Dave and Butch have the greatest chemistry in the world… yet, but it's gotten better and better as time goes on. I'm listing this a s Dave's negative because he's the new guy.

I'll also admit that Dave can be an acquired taste. If you're from the West you probably love him, if you're not you might not like his accent. I see a comment or two on here every now and then about his cowboy hat or some other nonsense (Dave, if you're reading this, don't feel bad, I get bashed on my own page more than anyone) and personally, I think either Dave is getting better and better, or I'm changing my view of what I was initially looking for when Harold was let go. Whether you like Dave's cowboy persona, accent, or whatever… he appeals to a large number of fans that come from areas west of the show, and a good portion of Farm Show attendees come from that region.

I'll admit that I was wrong, after Dave's first year I was ready to send him packing, now I'm ready to watch him wander the crowd and stick a mic in the face of an unsuspecting fan or puller. When the smoke tube breaks (and it will) Dave is the guy you want wandering around and filling time. The guy could have a conversation with a wall and he'd get the most out of it. Heck two years ago he even got me to say something intelligent on the mic and that takes talent.

So where do we stand? Well, the two we've got are doing a good job given the circumstance and workload they are asked to carry. They are also starting to click a little more each year. Better and better chemistry each year is great, but no matter how good they are, I think the pull is too big for just two announcers. It's time to add a third.

So what would I look for in a third announcer? The first thing I'd look for is an announcer with the stereotypical Midwestern non-regional dialect; someone who will appeal to fans of all regions. There's a reason why the people on the nightly news don't have an accent, and that same logic is why a non-regional accent fits the show perfectly. Nascar has a mix of Southern, Western, and Non-regional and it appeal to everyone. There are usually three or four guys sharing the air time and they do it seemlessly. That distinction in voices is very important (both in Nascar and pulling), and Dave and Butch have very distinct sounds already.

Next on my list, knowledge! It's time to add an encyclopedia. I want someone with facts. I want someone who can clarify minor mistakes, a guy who knows the sport inside and out. Someone who's followed it forever.

I'd also like a nut's and bolts guy. A guy that either knows how everything works, or a guy that can learn how things work and then explain that to the crowd. I think Dave is a little stronger than Butch in this area, but they both do a good job explaining some of the technical details, I just want a little more, I want that next level of how and why it works.

So what should this announcer do you ask? Well, obviously they will carry some of the load for Butch and Dave which will free them up for what they do best. I don't want a guy that just announces distances, I want an announcer who wanders down to the start line or even spends the entire event at the start line and ask pullers about the track, where they plan to run, what they see out there, what changes they made compared to the outdoors, what upgrades (if any) they made since the summer, etc…

I want an announcer who gets on the sled and talks with Vaughn (and I don't care if Vaughn wants to be interviewed), the sled is part of the show and I'd like to know a little more about it and how it's set. I'd like to know how it is setup compared to how it was setup for the same class in the previous session. If you can't get Vaughn on the mic you talk to him and then relay all the info.

I want an announcer that interviews the committee members and gets us the behind the scenes scoop. As nuts as Larry Richwine is (or can be), he does an excellent job on the mic at an event. He tells the fans about the track, the holes forming at the starting line, why they are getting the grader out after the class, etc… Heck, I'd even like the announcer to interview the other announcers to hear their history, how they got started. I want the behind the scenes info.

So who you ask? I have two names that come to mind: Miles Krieger or Dan Mayer. For those who don't know, Miles announces a number of PPL events and Dan announces Empire State Pullers events. Miles grew up around pulling, and Dan runs pulling-reference.com. Both are walking encyclopedias and both are very capable announcers.

The strike against Miles is that he's Butch's son. Some people might cry nepotism. I'd argue that Miles has made his own path and he's quickly becoming an excellent announcer in his own right. His sound is different enough from Butch's to still keep a distinct sound. Plus I think the father son interplay could be very interesting. If you don't know Miles, check out his blog (www.MilesBeyond300.com)

The strike against Dan Mayer is Dan who? Well, Dan is very capable and has an excellent voice. I was at an event last summer and the people behind me were arguing about what radio station Dan was an announcer on. I didn't have the heart to tell them that he doesn’t do radio (even though he sounds like he could). Dan's knowledge is first rate and you can see his ridiculous commitment to the sport and its history on his website (www.pulling-reference.com).

Those are just two that come to mind quickly mainly because of their knowledge and year round dedication to the sport, but there are a number of excellent announcers out there. If I were an announcer I'd be sending my audition tape to the Farm Show and I'd be making sure they knew who I was. You'll never get asked if you aren't on their radar.

No matter who they pass a third microphone to, I earnestly believe that a third announcer could be extremely beneficial to the show. With the right chemistry a third announcer could be exactly what it would take for Butch and Dave to click and for all three to showcase their strengths.

Well, maybe I did have a comment on the production value of the show after all.

So what's next? Now it's time to look at the classes… kind of!

NFMS Freshening Part 1: Does the Pull Need a Freshening?

Jake Morgan — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:11:53 -0800

The hollowed grounds of Winter's most prestigious event, The National Farm Machinery Show Truck and Tractor Pull.

Let's get this out of the way rather quickly, if you think the Championship Pull at the National Farm Machinery Show is perfect as it is, please stop reading now because you'll only get upset and feel like you've wasted your time. Please stop here because everything is perfect; everything in pulling is always perfect.

If, on the other hand, you're willing to look at the event and the motorsport with a critical eye and you think it's one of the premier events in all of pulling, but it’s lost a little of its luster, its lost its electric atmosphere then please keep reading!

I'm sure almost everyone has been asked the proverbial deserted island food question… you know the one: if you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have your favorite food everyday what food would it be? Well, I'd probably say pizza, but I think all of us already know that the answer doesn't really matter because we all know that no matter what food we pick; eventually we'll get sick of it. I don't care how much you or I love pizza, if all we had was pizza meal after meal, day after day, we'd get sick of pizza. The Championship pull is becoming exactly that for many fans.

Let me share a few stories and a few conversations I had at the farm show this year.

Fan 1: I spoke with a fan that knows as much about pulling as anyone I've ever met. He's been coming to the farm show tractor pull year after year after year. We went to lunch one afternoon and we had a very good discussion about this year's show, the show in general, and the show over the past decade.

After +25 years at the pull he's not planning on coming back next year. Why you ask? Well the answer is twofold: first there's nothing new, and second it's too expensive to see 95% the same show he saw last year (and the year before that). We discussed that we don't need to see the driver's list to know almost all the people who are going to get invited. We discussed that neither of us really hadn't looked at the driver's list since it first got published. The names are 95% the same. Now that's not the fault of the committee, they only have a limited number of competitors to choose from in each class. They are obligated to choose the best of the best in each class, and that best of best list is smaller and hasn't changed much. I joked with him that the ticket price is actually a bargain considering the fact that every year you essentially see the same tractors as you did the previous two years and the next two years. That's like seeing five full years for the price of one! He laughed and agreed.

During diner I shared with him some of the changes I'd like to see the show make and he seemed intrigued, but he felt like it would be business as usual next year. As we left the restaurant I asked him if he really wasn't coming back. He said he wasn't, and he seemed pretty sure. I asked him if he would come back if they made some major changes, without a second of hesitation he said, "Definitely!". Remember, he is as die-hard and knowledgeable fan as I know.

Fan 2: This fan is a local Kentucky native and a competitor in an up-and-coming class. He stopped me in the pits Saturday morning and asked me what I thought of the show. I told him it was pretty good, nothing remarkable yet, but good. I asked what he thought. He said he didn't bother getting tickets this year. He was just at the show to walk the pits and see what was new. He said he didn't see much different from past years except a few new tractors here and there. "Just a handful" he quipped. He told me that the show's been the same for the past few years and, in his words "stale". The show got his $8 for parking, but nothing else. A Saturday morning to walk the pits and have a few conversations doesn't bring in much revenue.

Puller 1: I spoke with a number of pullers and one quote in particular stands out, "same tractors, different year". That's an actual quote from a guy who's been invited to the show for more than a few years. He told me he had a couple of new tractors in the class (not in his session though), but nothing too different. He didn't seem to have much excitement or enthusiasm, he was just there because that's just what he's done, and he expected to get in again just like other years.

Puller 2: Again, this is another veteran puller and a multi-time farm show invitee. I asked him about the Farm Show pull and we talked about it for about 15 seconds, then he went on and on about another indoor pull. Obviously the other pull wasn't the same caliber of event, but it was still more exciting for him. As a puller he really enjoyed getting to pull against different tractors, as a fan he loved to see all the other classes that he usually doesn't see. He had an appreciation for the non-national classes and non-national vehicles that were good looking and well built.

We actually spent more time talking about "new" classes than we did talking about his class or his session.

These are just four examples of conversations I had. Honestly almost every conversation I had had a similar tone or outlook on the event, and most conversations quickly veered from the pull to other events.

I heard comments about the lack of color and lack of diversity, the lack of classes with color. I heard comments about Wilhite being the only single solitary blue tractor at the event. I heard comments that Massey was three for three getting into the finals and how exciting it was to see some other color to liven up the usual red-green show. The overall tone of people was that they wanted some of what the show already has, and something different to liven up the show.

Not once did any puller or fan speak about the quality of the show. Not once did anyone say that they don't run a first rate event. Everyone knows that this show is first rate.

Now my opinion: Well, honestly I can't say I disagree with any of the four opinions stated above, and honestly I agreed with almost every person I spoke with. All that said; let me state a few things:
• This is the best run indoor event I've ever been to.
• This event has the best of the best and the committee does a first rate job.
• This event has the best track crew… hands down no questions asked they do an astounding job.
• Best media department and behind the scenes personnel.
• Best camera angles, best production quality, best, best, best.

To quote Fan 2, unfortunately this event is the absolute best "stale" show I've ever seen. I still Love pizza, but it's time for a little more variety, maybe some new toppings or a side dish. The fact that I still get so excited about this show year after year is a true testament to how great this shows production quality actually is, but I still think there's always room for improvement.

Honestly, if you haven't ever been to this show before you'd think it was as good as it gets. You think it was the cream of the crop… and it is, but for a year after year after year fan like Fan 1, well, it needs an extreme makeover. We need more than just pizza year after year.

So will I be back next year? I sure hope so. Would I be happier if they made some changes? You bet! Will I be back if they don't change? I sure hope so, Lord willing, but this year I met a number of people who I won't see next year.

Now I don't want people who read this to think I'm trying to disparage the show in any way what-so-ever. It's quite the contrary; I love this show so much that I want it to continue to succeed, to continue to be the premier event. I love this show so much that I don't want to see it stagnate or get repetitious.

I honestly think the pull committee wants to improve the event each year as well, I think the farm show wants to improve the event year after year with the help of the committee. Every company and every organization should look to improve its product, and the farm show is no different.

Now I don't believe that someone should just criticize without proposing solutions and ideas. Over the course of the next couple of articles I hope to offer a critique along with few ideas, suggestions, and maybe even a few solutions.

So what's the solution… what kind of changes? I'll have more on that in a day or two!

The 4.1 640 LPS class

Dick Morgan — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:18:53 -0800

One thing that I enjoy most about events such as the one I just attended in Gordyville is the opportunity to visit with pullers, fans, promoters or anyone that just loves the sport of truck and tractor pulling. It was also a great time to pick my friend Bryan Lively’s brain on the direction he felt the 4.1, 640 cubic inch class is heading. Bryan always has a very clear and concise view of the sport. Here is a compilation of our conversation:

The one topic that seemed to be in the forefront was the 4.1 Limited Pro Stock class. While I realize that the LPS class is not new, it does seem that the class is at a defining crossroads in its evolution. After watching some of the new LPS that were at Gordyville it is becoming apparent that the class is showing tremendous growth . Some of the concerns that were voiced to me was the direction that the class may be headed in. The talk at Gordyville was that one, if not more of the LPS where in the 2000 HP territory. While I realize that 2000 HP in itself is not too amazing it does beg the question: what now? Is the class moving into the component chassis area? Are “box” turbo’s and pump rules needed?

While I realize that every puller will approach this issue different is does make me wonder. I wonder did this class see such dramatic growth because it was an alternative to the guy that wanted his SF to go a little faster or the puller with the state level OEM PS that wanted to stay in the sport and still keep a wife and farm? Was the growth because pullers convinced themselves that this could somehow be a “low” [wishful thinking] budget class? From where the class was headed to now where the class has the potential of going what will transpire? One has to ask themselves, how can this class not grow? As every pulling fans knows there seems to be about 5000 Supers Farms out there. Bolt on a bigger turbo and make a few other changes and bingo 600-800 new HP!

LPS sits where SF did some years back , lots of growth but the potential to head in different directions.With my crystal ball in the shop for cleaning I have a couple of guesses;
1-the class will splinter into a box turbo class [SF on steroids] in some clubs and in other clubs it will grow to a component, 640 4.1 PS class.

2- With the potential growth of the 4.1 class the state level PS will become a thing of the past and the current PS will become a national only class, i.e. Open/Unlimited Super, 5-6 engine mods. The current PS’s will run only national events, with the possibility of only one of the two major organizations offering the class.

3-Will state/regional level pulling become the 540 Lt PS, SF and the LPS class. Will the state level DSS and PS’s disappear?

One thing for sure this, for smoke fans these are exciting times. For the benefit of this class and the organizations who are tying themselves to it, a set of uniform rules need to be locked in. History does not need to repeat itself when we see how SF became fractionalized with three different sets of rules nationally. The pullers in this class need to work together to keep a good thing going, to keep the current excitement for the class at a high level.