Low numbers in pulling September 17, 2018 07:32AM
Got home last night after cleaning things up at our camping site from all week at the Kansas State Fair. We always stay for Sunday just to see the truck and tractor pull. It was a warm day but the fans have it made sitting in the covered grandstand looking to the east. I am concerened about the future of pulling as there is less and less rigs showing up. This is what happened to demo derbys, car racing and they just died out around here. There wasn't but about 40 some hooks and one of my favorite classes, the diesel trucks just had 2 trucks in it. Other classes just had 4 or 5. I don't think any class had over 10. The one pleasant surprise was the big smoker tractor class showed up and was not advertised that way. It ended up being one of the bigger classes and good thing as the other 6 classes had only 30 some hooks total. My question? is this a Kansas thing as not much pulling out here? Or is it time of year or hot weather? The bad ag economy? There have been more rigs than this in the past years with less classes, so is it an outlaw thing. Could this be the new norm now and not going to have many vehicles show up at pulls anymore. Just a concerned fan about the direction pulls are going. Grant it I don't see many but the state fair has always been our big pull to watch. Thanks for this site.
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 17, 2018 09:33AM
Maybe a little of all things. Some associations are still growing but Outlaws been struggling last couple of years since Roberts retired. Ag economy may be the reason some have slowed down, but some just switched associations, so that wouldn’t be the reason.
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 17, 2018 09:43AM
Looking back at the results from the last few years here are the numbers:

2018: 47 hooks
2017: 52 hooks
2016: 50 hooks
2015: 46 hooks

Seems pretty consistent to me for this pull. Yes, you will have some that might not show because of late year breakage, they are out of the points and won't make the long trips, farming or work getting in the way, or some other reason that may cause them to not show up. That is the one downfall of having late season hooks, but those numbers seem to be good for the Outlaws for late in the season.


Brent Yaron
Hooked Up Pulling Productions
hookeduppullingproductions@gmail.com
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 17, 2018 10:16AM
They problem I see as a promoter is they had 5 classes in 2015 to get the same number of hooks in in 2018 with 7 classes. The two previous years that had 50 or more hooks with 6 classes. These same 6 classes this year was in the mid 30’s on hooks. When promoters have to pay the top end of purse for only 2 to 5 vehicles it gets pretty darn expensive. So basically $8000 to $10,000 more purse depending on class for two more classes. If Outlaws pays 10 places everyone got a check and maybe that is what Outlaws are trying to do. Promoters count on some classes having enough participation that some do not get a check and makes it more economic for them to put on a pull.
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 17, 2018 11:34AM
I am confused by the part about wanting vehicles that don't get any purse. Seems if there aren't enough to complete the slots that money isn't spent or does the association get the purse whether or not it is filled. I don't know outlaw procedure but if the class isn't full then the promoter shouldn't have to pay out for places that have no competitor. That is something not right in the running by these standards.
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 17, 2018 12:49PM
Not sure on Outlaws but let’s say it’s a $5000 purse that pays out 10 places in this order $1200, $1000, $800, etc and pays out 7 more places. If just 3 show up the promoter pays $3000 of the purse for (3 hooks) or 12 to 15 minutes of entertainment where the next 7 hooks would be splitting the rest of the $2000 over another 1/2 hour of entertainment. Any extra over 10 wouldn’t get a check and they get more entertainment at no cost. So if three shows up it is $3000 divided by 15 minutes or $200 per minute for entertainment. If 15 show up its $5000 divided by 60 minutes or $83 per minute entertainment. Then when classes are short the promoter then has to have more of the short classes to have a long enough pull and it just gets more and more expensive. Then they quit or look for another group to do the pull. Some promoters have to raise the price of admission for this added costs and that leads to less fans and then the pull is done.
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 17, 2018 01:41PM
Its not the agg prices pork bellies corn,beans or none of that Its the price to compete theres 30 thousand dollar tractors out the pulling antique for a 15 dollar trophy,Any pulling tractor is just a toy and we dont have China building us cheaper more affordable toys
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 18, 2018 12:23AM
Another thing that happens when numbers get low on these classes is we pay for say a higher horsepower class with a higher purse. Only 2 show up and then others from lower horsepower cheaper classes jump in and we get screwed again. Seen it happen many a time and at some Outlaw events this year as well.
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 19, 2018 12:31AM
used to be that way.....Doug stopped that........
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Re: Low numbers in pulling September 20, 2018 02:57AM
I agree Tugger, Doug kept things in line and some may not have liked it but he did what was best for the promoters and fans. The pullers too, some just didnt know it. The pullers are not going to agree on most things but he took control and made the right decisions. I remember when he was first to come out with box turbo in I think the super farm class and people just raised a stink. Sure stopped the arguing and made class more competitive without breaking the bank. Numbers went up and in all the other classes he started with set rules had great numbers. Just seems like Outlaws are going away from what made the classes work and have good numbers.
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