07:00:14am, Sunday, May 05, 2024
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BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Where are the big money truck and tractor pulls??
This weekend the dirt track late models are competing in St. Louis for a purse of over $150k with $30k going to the winner of the main event. Why don't we have events like this in pulling? And if there was an event like this which class would compete for the big $$$? Just some thoughts for the weekend |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Registered: 09/23/2008 Posts: 632 |
I don't know of this big of a purse but several years ago Mike Hoff but up a substantial purse for the Mod fwd class and none of the really big hitters had or would take the time to show. Didn't Jerry Read and the Henry pull put up 5k to win and only had 10 or so tractors willing to try for that. Maybe I am wrong but the main reason for the lack of purse is that we as a pulling community aren't willing to only have a 10 or 12 event show with the top of the pile at these pulls. Why pay an entrance fee to support these pulls when you can see the top of the pile at lesser pull on a different weekend. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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in play
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As discussed last late winter / early spring, the reason there is not a big / huge tractor pulling purse is because of who the target market is.
Rural folks, mainly farmers, like and obviously relate to a tractor. Cannot say the same thing about the bulk of America's population, the city and urban dweller. But they certainly do relate to a car. Literally everyone has a car, regardless of profession. Two completely different motorsports markets are in play here. Even the vehicle (car & tractor) manufacturers recognize the difference and thus it affects where, if any, of their support (sponsorship) will be and at what level (price). |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Registered: 04/04/2008 Posts: 631 |
I feel sponsors will sponsor events that involve any kind of car as opposed to tractors,that is where the support comes from.
S'no Farmer |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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On the Tomah website they claim that 60,000 fans attend the pull every year. At $24 bucks a ticket, that's $1,440,000 just at the gate. Looking at that number it's hard to understand why they can't pay more. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Registered: 02/08/2014 Posts: 406 |
Most demo derby winners get way more prize money than the pullers get at the fairs. I do think the diesel truck classes have picked up the crowds in some areas. As more people can relate to a pickup vs. a tractor. I know different promoters have tried putting on pulls as a stand alone event without a fair crowd and have failed in our area. I am really disappointed the major companies in the farm and trucking industries don't support pulling like they do overseas. Case IH supports so you would think the rest would. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Truck puller
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It's because the people putting on the pull are doing it to make money not because they love the sport and want it to grow. The big pay money motorsport events are for the competitors. If these sled pulling promoters would realize that making a move to make big payouts the attendance would increase pullers/fans and more that would more than compensate the difference. It also draws in big sponsors for the competitors and events do be part of making the win for that big check happen. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Posts: 513 |
Gotta look at it this way too.. The dirt race in the dome in St. Louis is only for late models and A-mods, well over 100 of each. Probably $500+ entry fee from each.
Even at BG and Tomah, outta say 10 or so classes, the biggest class is probably the 2wd trucks at what, 75 ish trucks. I don't know what it costs to enter for either pull, but without some serious sponsor dollars to up the purses, it's just not gonna happen. There's rumors of a high dollar payout show in Iowa in May next year, that is using some ideas that are used for the big money dirt track races. Hopefully it works out. --- 
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Registered: 04/04/2008 Posts: 1,523 |
i go to quite a few pulls,gn and brush pulls.pulling is flat boring to the non ag person.i do frequent dirt tracks too.when i go to watch the (gn caliber) lucas oil late models its exciting.my favorite driver i can see time trial,dash for cash,heatvrace,b main,or a main.then someone gets a non qualifier spot,andva consi spot.then the a main.at pulling events say tomah and bg where theres 30 in a class there needs to be 3 heats of 10,top 3 to finals plus furthest non points hook tr and pulling needs desperatly to use a time factor,say set sled for a 320 track,fastest vehicles from 100 to 300 feet to finals.then you would get interest.every single motorsport uses a distance and time factor at some point of the event for some reason...m.excxept pulling |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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been around
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What class can draw a crowd that's WORTHY of a big purse??
If you want a complete reason it's that: 1) Pullers don't demand better pay by showing up for bad purses. 2) Organizations create classes that aren't marketable (read: cant put on a show) by having people with no clue how to write fair rules. 3) Promoters get comfortable with making good money, not paying pullers and not growing their events to a point that they could pay a huge purse (by today's standards) and not think twice about it. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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hmmmm
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Quote from "Truck puller" = "If these sled pulling promoters would realize that making a move to make big payouts the attendance would increase pullers/fans and more that would more than compensate the difference."
Sounds good in theory. Unfortunately, that's all it is in the pulling world. Just listen to all the pulling fans squalk and complain at $20 or more per session. Yet it is very cheap entertainment compared to most any other entertainment. Until the perception of that sets in, the 'pulling fan' is not going to attend a higher priced pull. And what the 'pulling fan' wallet will afford for entertainment, determines if he/she will be in the pulling grandstand. And they are needed to help the promoter hopefully make a profit, along with a really good slate of local sponsors. If you think the promoters are making so much profit, you better become one. You are in for a real education. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Lewis
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Its plain and simple pulling is a rural area motor sports if it wasn't that tractor pulling was more or less a tradition for the county fairs pulling would be over ,Local farm classes should be brought back to spark some interest back in the farm boys. It don't matter how boring or slow we think it is it puts a lot of butts in the stands families and friends who don't no who Terry Blackburn is and could care less to go watch him but no there neighbor Joe Brown and want to se him pull his 4020 Jon against there other neighbor Dudley Dolittles 200 Allis |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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$30K to win Sat nite feature race, best seats $55. Pay $55 for pull admission and $30k to win wouldn't be a problem.....if attendance stayed the same, which it wouldn't, pulling crowd is more conservative and rural based, trying to make living off of $3.50 corn. Grand National Pulling events are the best value national sporting event available today for the quality and length of show you get for a very reasonable admission. You don't have to go to very many Nascar, SOD, NFL, NBA, MLB, or college sporting events to realize they are expensive to attend. Thank you to the pullers for keeping me entertained for a reasonable fee. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Truck puller
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I'm not talking about your county fair pulls. Which we dont have anymore anyways. Im talk about pulls like tomah mentioned above or any grand national pull or the nfms. there is no reason theses pulls shouldn't have big payouts for the money is made. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls?? & the Future
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hmmmm
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Truck puller, I understand your point. Those pull events you listed have worked at it for decades to become what they are today. Kudos to them.
Unfortunately, they are not the norm across the country. However, county fairs still are, at least in the Midwest, although the number of them offering a pull has declined over the past quarter century, mainly due to a decline or complete absence of state funding for the pulls. That alone has totally changed the financial dynamics of the feasibility of possibly staging a pull. Thus, the promoter - individual, group of individuals, fair board or some combination of aforementioned working cooperatively - have to undertake more risk. Certainly has an effect upon purse to be offered. Many, many pull events today are hanging by a thin financial thread that literally determines if they will host another one. Thus the challenge of how to grow pulling. A continuing declining agricultural base population adds to the challenge. NTPA is approaching a half century. Will they and/or any other pulling sanctioning body survive, let alone grow, during the next half century. Would not be surprised if governmental environmental regulations may/will be the numero uno concern someday for pulling's survivability. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Pullers that don't want to put an extra run on their machine have got there head in the wrong place. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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I am on the same page as patches. A different pulling format would be exciting to see. Something to get the tractors on the track more than one time in a 4 hour show. Plus pullers might be willing to pay a higher entry fee if they get to hook twice. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Dirtfarmer
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While I like the concept, why would pullers that don't like to put an extra run on their machine in a pulloff want to put an extra pass on it in this elimination format, unless there was a larger purse? Same with the higher entry fee for a single purse. |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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Let me ask a question that been thinking about for a long time. Why would the promotors pay more money to pullers when they don't have to. When you buy something you try to buy as cheap as you can. It would be interesting to see what promoters would pay if the people were in the stands and tractors weren't getiing unloaded till more money was paid out. Another question why should pullers pay entry fee? They are the ones putting on show so promotor has something to sell the public Just wondering, |
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Re: BIG MONEY Tractor Pulls??
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LEWIS
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Entry fees are fair but paying to get in burns me UP that is really redicoulous as far as i,m concerned if a promoter cant aford to have the event with out charging the show a admission fee dont have it really that is a disgrace |
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