NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 06:55AM
This was my 20th year going to the NFMS, and every year there are bright spots and negitive points. Hootman winning was a great moment and made the weekend for me, but overall the pull itself is going downhill IMO.

This seemed to be a low for attendence in the last while, tons of empty seats Friday night and still some to be had on Sat. night. I think the raising of ticket prices every year may be catching up to them.

The whole Deere Trax fiasco was a huge black eye, they have the right to throw someone out (The decision was stupid but it's their show) but don't treat the fans like we are stupid. To not even mention what happened and why Deere Trax was gone and not coming back was pure crap. The same is true of the Deck situation, at least mention on Sat. night why he is not there. Deere Trax won that class, he went the further than anyone else so he won, just because you pretend like somthing didn't happen does not make it so.

There needs to be a full pull line, and the sled set accordingly. The idea that the flagman can flag everyone at the same time based on speed, etc. is absurd.

The whole show needs a revamp and some fresh energy, I'm not sure how that is all done (classes, sessions, etc.) but if attendence is an indicator they better face facts and ask the pullers and fans what they want to see.

Lastly who are these people on the "committee"? Are they or have they been pullers? Do they even go to other tractor pulls? Do they care if the show looks stupid? Do they answer to anyone? I'm guessing that everything will be the same next year, tickets will go up, classes will be the same, seats will still suck and for years people still go back but I wonder for how long.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 07:48AM
Punisher,

Thanks for the great post. I think this was my 19th year there so we have the same frame of reference.

I agree that there are always highlights and lowlights as well. I also agree that this was definitely a down year with plenty of issues and too much behind the scenes drama. Personally, I think the Wednesday Evening Session may have been the worst session of pulling I've ever seen at the Farm Show. Everything just seemed out of sync , a little bit out of step.

I'm going to disagree about the Deere Trax situation; I think they made the correct call on the DQ. The reason I say that is because the red flag issue was discussed and stressed in the drivers meeting beforehand and was a legitimate safety concern. Russ knew full well to watch Scott Doty and to shut down when the flag came out. He didn't. He stayed right in it and completely disregarded Scott. Personally I would have thrown him out for that right away. The guys without wrist bands trying to fix the frontend on Russ's tractor just made things worse. In truth the reason Russ was DQed was 100% Russ's fault. If he would have pulled back on the throttle when Scott threw the flag he never would have broken the frontend and there would have never been people without wristbands trying to help him. That said, I sure hope he's back next year to redeem himself and have another shot at it because it was an awesome run and it's a shame it turned out like it did.

I completely agree with you about Butch and Dave not announcing why they didn't come back for the finals. I know the announcer's hands are tied and they probably weren't allowed to say anything so I don't blame them. It makes them look bad and it's not their fault. To the committee… please treat the fans and the fellow competitors with respect and keep them aware of the situation (any situation). If someone was DQed then tell us why, don't just pretend we won't noticed. Give us more credit than that. DQ's happen in other sports and they tell us why, it's the professional way to handle it.

As for the flagman flagging everyone to not hit the sand… amazingly Scott Doty is incredible at it. Some of us in the media area sat there and marveled at what a great job Scott does. When he throws the flag they just coast to the sand pile and just touch it. He's extremely good at it when people actually obey him (watch Scott on any video of the pull and you'll see him throw the red flag at the perfect time perfect 99% of the time). All that aside, I still would be in favor of a setting a fullpull line before the class. Having Theobold, Corzine, and Petro come back on Thursday night was not a good decision. They announced the fullpull distance with a few trucks to go and now everyone started scrambling to refuel and get ready for a Pulloff. They all re-hooked and they finished in the exact same order. The only thing it accomplished was putting a needless second run on their motors and making them scramble to get their truck ready.

I also agree about revamping the show. Here's my 4-part series on that very topic from a few years ago:
http://www.pulloff.com/phorum/list.php?6,page=4
My feelings haven't changed much since then.

My general feeling about Louisville - Sometimes they hit a homerun, sometimes a double or a triple, sometimes they just struggle to get on base, and yes, sometimes they even strike out. I'm still happy they play the game.

Thanks for the great post, we agree on some things and disagree on others and that what makes this page fun.


Jake Morgan
Owner, PULLOFF.COM
Independent Pulling News


This page is a free service. The cost is covered out of my pocket. It takes a great deal of time and a fair amount of money to keep this website going. Donations for: photos, classified ads, forum discussion, etc... are appreciated.

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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 12:16PM
Did I miss the distance reading Russ went 248 and the full pull was 245 not really burning by the blocks there and after Wednesdays treatment of Siefert why would you not make certain that the pulloff distance had been attained. I don't miss the seating or the overpriced refreshments but I do miss seeing the pull. I appreciate the committee making my decisions easier on whether to attend or not.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 01:51PM
David Siefert was flagged on his test hook and then the sled was reset. He wasn't flagged on his second pass (the official one). He spun out on that pass and he wasn't going any further. Many people seem to be confusing his two runs. David's run has no bearing on Russ's issue because David wasn't flagged.

Freeze had plenty of time to react and pull back on the throttle after Doty threw the flag; he never did until he was already on the sand pile. It was stressed in the drivers meeting on Thursday to let out of it if the red flag flew. Russ didn't, his crew didn't help his cause either (we can argue if he was DQed for the red flag vs. the non-wristbanded crew but I think it was the sum of the parts).

To rewind, here's why it was stressed in the drivers meeting - Colin Ross disobeyed a red flag on Wednesday and made a potentially dangerous pass. It was a situation that could have threatened the safety of Colin as well as fans at the end of the track if he had more ground speed. It wasn't a DQ at the time but I think the people in charge of the event (Fair Board, committee, etc...) took notice of what happened. I think they were on edge and started to think about all the potential scenarios that could have played out. Upon further review they decided to crack down and have tighter enforcement concerning disobeying the finish line flagman. The issue was then addressed at the drivers meeting and drivers were specifically told to stop at the stop sign so to speak. I think everyone involved with putting on the pull saw a potential disaster narrowly averted.

I honestly can't believe how many people are upset that they are enforcing the rules. Go on green, stop on red… very simple.


Jake Morgan
Owner, PULLOFF.COM
Independent Pulling News


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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 02:48PM
calm down a little Jake, it hasn't been that long ago that Roberts took one of the toys up under the balcony so I don't think it is a new thing, same crew working the track that night as this past week. I tend to think it had more to do with the guys coming out of the stands than it did hitting the sand, but it all comes back to an inability to set a standard and run by it. Stop when you see the flag, what does that mean when he waves it or when you see him wave it, I tend to think a little more toward the driver after all you don't just sit and watch the flagman you are supposed to be driving the tractor. I talked to well over 100 folks and I hate to break the news to you jake but it didn't matter what part of the country they were from each one said Freeze got screwed. It is what it is but maybe enough people posting here and on fonda's board in regards to the show will shed some light to those that make decisions.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 03:32PM
ol George,

I'm quite calm, sorry if it didn't come across that way. Most of my previous post wasn't directed towards you but trying to give people a background on the situation.

I agree and I think Freeze got screwed, unfortunately I think he got screwed by himself, and then got even more screwed by some friends. I know they meant well but it was a lapse of judgment on two accounts in my opinion. I'm not saying I wouldn't be excited and do it too, we all make mistakes, and I can see the excitement of both situation with the emotions running high. But ultimately he knew to stop, and if he wasn't watching the finishline flagman he sure should have been.

As for the deep in the sand run of Tim Howell, I remember it well and it was dangerous then too. I also remember a time when I first started going the Louisville when they would let you drive all over the chalk line and not give you a DQ. It happened time and time again and it was getting out of hand. Then one year Neil Gettinger took the Up n Atom 4010 way WAY WAY out of bounds on the lefthand corner. He almost hit the roller and was off of the dirt and onto the concrete. It was a wakeup call and ever since then hitting the chalk line is a DQ, no if's and or butts. And if you hit the chalk you stop immediately.

I think Colin Ross' run is that same Up n Atom moment for deep sand runs. (edited: and Mike Beck's pulloff pass on Wednesday)

I think there's been consistency in the past on the flag issue... they consistently didn't seem to care about it and that's a big part of why we have an issue now. Now they do care, and that might be a hard pill for some people to swallow. If people didn't think they were serious about stopping on a red flag in Thursdays divers meeting... well now they know they aren't screwing around anymore! The facility has a new CEO and I think safety is becoming paramount. You can't have uninsured people in a restricted area, and you can't have people disobeying track officials. A DQ is justified for either infraction in my opinion. Especially inlight of the new management.

If safety becomes too much of a concern, and if pullers can't obey the rules this pull might just become a series of Country Western concerts instead of a tractor pull, and unfortunately that's not a joke! So if I don't come across as calm I apologize, please believe me I am calm and pretty darn happy but this is much more serious than people think. Thanks for posting your thoughts.


Jake Morgan
Owner, PULLOFF.COM
Independent Pulling News


This page is a free service. The cost is covered out of my pocket. It takes a great deal of time and a fair amount of money to keep this website going. Donations for: photos, classified ads, forum discussion, etc... are appreciated.

Side Note: We are no longer accepting PayPal donations. They have changed their terms of service and stated they would fine PayPal users for spreading "misinformation" and "hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory". PayPal did not provide definitions for some of these vague terms. Woke corporate policies regarding "misinformation" could result in an automatic fine of $2,500 which would have been removed directly from the customer’s PayPal account. PayPal did backdown from some of their policies but quietly implemented portions of them in later terms of service. A financial institute has no right to monitor social media accounts or speech. This is unacceptable and I'll no longer do business with PayPal.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2014 04:30PM by Jake Morgan.

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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 02:50AM
Jake, I guess we will have to disagree on Deere Trax, I don't care what they were told in the drivers meeting they have let people smash the sand for years (I pretty sure I remember some 258+ distances) and all the sudden now they decide they are going to draw a line? A line that didn't even exist in the first session. The thing that rally irritated me is they treated the people watching like complete idiots by not explaining the reasoning.

I really do love going to the NFMS, I went with my dad growing up and I have started taking my kids as well. I would love to see some changes, I like your class list, I love the idea of LLSS but as much as people rag on SF for being low HP I think they would hate LLSS as well. But I honestly think that we are talking to ourselves because I don't think the committee has any incentive to change anything. Although I whine I'm probably going back next year, so maybe it's people like me that are the problem because we won't stay home.

It does seem like there was more empty seats this year than there have been for a while, I would like to see the numbers.

Thanks for the site.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 03:45PM
Yeah, handcuffing the announcers and not letting them explain the situation is an insult to the fans. It really gets under my skin and I couldn't agree more with you. Butch and Dave are smart guys, let them tell us what happened.

It's OK that we disagree on the Deere Trax situation but I want to give you one final example to think about:

Let's say I get a new Police chief in my little town. He's new to town and after a few weeks on the job he sees that everyone in town rolls through stop signs. They always have, it's a small rural town and most people slow down and are still safe about it. It's nothing major, but it's not a complete stop. Then one night he's out for a walk after work and he sees a car just blow through a stop sign when some people are nearing the crosswalk. He sees the same thing on his walk back home with another car.

All of a sudden he realizes that this little problem of slowly rolling through the stop sign is a potentially big problem. He decides that he's going to start enforcing to the letter of the law. He puts a full page ad in the Pennysaver and warns the town that he's enforcing the law from now on. I read the ad, so I know his stance.

The very next day I decide I want to go to the park after diner to go fishing. The park closes at dusk but they never close the gate. I fish for a while and then I pull out of the park at 10pm and roll through a stop sign. I could clearly see that nothing was coming because there were no other headlights and I slowed down to 5 mph, but I didn't stop.

All of a sudden flashing lights come on! Whose fault is it? Yep, MINE! It doesn't matter if I've fished at night at that park and rolled through stop signs for years, he's the boss now and what I've been doing is illegal, and always has been. Do I think it sucks that I have to pay a fine or two? Absolutely! Can I complain to all my friends and blame the cop? Yeah, I can but that doesn't make it true. Will almost everyone agree with me? Yeah, but it was still against the law. Technically I was trespassing and had a moving violation. Though the infractions were extremely minor and have always been overlooked in my town, they aren't anymore. It's not the cops fault, it's not the police chiefs fault, it's not the Pennysavers fault, it's not the parks fault, it's not the car's fault, it's 100% MINE. No matter how minor it was I'd still be in the wrong.

To me it's simply about personal responsibility. I gained a ton of respect for Cody Adgent for getting on here and taking responsibility for going on the track without a wristband. I've never met Cody but I really appreciate his honesty, it was a very stand-up move. We all make mistakes and it's nice to see someone own it. Especially when our society like to blame everyone else for our problems.

It's the driver's responsibility to watch the flagman. It's the driver's responsibility to stop when the flag waves. If those things were done we wouldn't be discussing this. On the bright side now we know they are serious about flagging, lets just hope they stay consistent in the future.

That's the last I'll comment about this and I probably didn't change anyone's mind but I'm a big fan of personal accountability. If you hit chalk by ½" of if you're 10' over it's still a DQ and that's how I feel on this incident. Especially with the new police chief (CEO) in town.

Regarding the LLSS class, your right, there would be people that complain because they don't make enough horsepower. They sure couldn't complain about the variety, and the fair board wouldn't complain about all the extra tickets they sell to local families who want to see the local KTPA, ORVTPA, and BOB pullers run against the other organizations. Unfortunately, even if the committee did want some new classes it would probably need to go to the fair board first, and I have no idea how much they know about pulling. I 'm not sure if they know how stale the show is.

I agree about the empty seats as well, but I wonder how much of an impact the weather had on things. A Winter weather advisory gets them in a tizzy, and many Kentucky schools were closed on Friday for weather. Being from the snowbelt I couldn't help but laugh, but to them it was a big deal. Maybe it's the stale show, maybe it was weather, maybe a combination of things, but yes, many, many empty seats all week.

Thanks again for disagreeing in a civil manner and thanks for contributing to the page.


Jake Morgan
Owner, PULLOFF.COM
Independent Pulling News


This page is a free service. The cost is covered out of my pocket. It takes a great deal of time and a fair amount of money to keep this website going. Donations for: photos, classified ads, forum discussion, etc... are appreciated.

Side Note: We are no longer accepting PayPal donations. They have changed their terms of service and stated they would fine PayPal users for spreading "misinformation" and "hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory". PayPal did not provide definitions for some of these vague terms. Woke corporate policies regarding "misinformation" could result in an automatic fine of $2,500 which would have been removed directly from the customer’s PayPal account. PayPal did backdown from some of their policies but quietly implemented portions of them in later terms of service. A financial institute has no right to monitor social media accounts or speech. This is unacceptable and I'll no longer do business with PayPal.

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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 11:33PM
the llss make as much horsepower or a little more than super farms. at least the top running ones do which is what you'd get in Louisville. they make a lot less torque but weighing 3000 lbs less makes it equal out. I've seen them go just as fast as super farms. I think they'd do fine up there.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 19, 2014 01:50AM
I thought the show went well. What did everyone think of the diesel trucks?
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 08:05AM
Since it has become a problem, should they check the sf water and fuel when they are back in the corner in freedom hall after they have run instead of waiting till after they have been crowned the winner, that way if they didnt pass they could take the public walk of shame leaving freedom hall instead of everybody thinking they were winners??? Then the right guy would be at the trophy presentation etc...
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 08:27AM
Really its a poor situation to put a flagman in regardless of how good he is. It'd be best and safest to set a full pull mark up front rather than have the flagman judge track speed to determine if he needs flagged. On top of that if they are red flagged for speed then they should automatically be in the pulloff. They need to develop some consistency in how they judge the show to get a little of its credibility back
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 08:42AM
Some on the committe have pulled. One is a multi time champion.
Some on the committe attend other pulls.
I have seen them show up at pulls in Dell Rapids, SD., Jefferson City,MO, and another I don't remember the location of.
They have a tough job!
They do have the best finish line flag man in the business!
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 08:56AM
I agree they should make sure everyone is legal BEFORE THEY ARE CROWNED. I'm sure making sure everyone is legal is possible and if not don't crown them until you know, pretty damn simple in my book. I don't believe they will be raising ticket prices for next year because they were renewing next years tickets at last years prices.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2014 08:57AM by farmall puller.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 09:10AM
I was under the impression the DQ was made because of extra people in the HOT area unathorized. They weren't happy with the sand issue but didn't DQ because of that. And yes it would be easier to follow along as a fan and kill any rumors by announcing any rulings. Just like any motor sport you watch, they tell you if there has been an infraction and what the penalties will be.


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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 09:53AM
I don't know alot of the rules for that pull, but i think it is in sane that a 150-200 thousand dollar tractor has to get into the sand pile, to get into the pull offs, is totally out of the question, and insane to ask these pullers to do this,also for the safety reason! Just my 2 cents!
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 02:11PM
Im not trying to stir the pot here, but I have a question. I wasnt at every session of the pull this year but looked at pics of a certain IH tractor that had its rear wheels in the sand before he stopped. Was anything done to him? Im aking because I dont know. I agree that a full pull mark needs set. Hats off to Doty for being as close as he can to flagging every tractor at the same point BUT there is no way he is 100% right on every tractor. I watched the pullers that obey the red flag rule end up in 4th or 5th place all because other pullers bent the rules and kept going a bit after the flag was thrown.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 03:25PM
Quote
Steel Horse
I wasnt at every session of the pull this year but looked at pics of a certain IH tractor that had its rear wheels in the sand before he stopped. Was anything done to him? Im aking because I dont know.
If you talking about Colin Ross on the McCormick - then I addressed that my second post on this thread.

Quote
Steel Horse
I watched the pullers that obey the red flag rule end up in 4th or 5th place all because other pullers bent the rules and kept going a bit after the flag was thrown.
I disagree with your comment here. They don't flag someone and not let them back for the pulloff (Renegade Deere wasn't flagged). Infact it happened this last weekend, Red Horse had a ton of ground speed and was easily going into the sand. Scott Doty threw the red flag and Stan wisely got out of the throttle and stopped just short of the fullpull line. He came back for the pulloff. The same thing happened to Phillip Parish (the Farm Show website doesn't include initial hook measurments but if you go to http://www.powerandnoisephoto.com Rodney records all the distances and you'll see 245.000 which means they stopped short of the fullpull line because they were flagged). If you obey a red flag for a fullpull it means you're in the pulloff no matter where you stop.

Have they made mistakes in the past? Sure, nobody is perfect but I'd rather argue that I was flagged instead of getting hurt, hurting someone else, or hurting my vehicle.


Jake Morgan
Owner, PULLOFF.COM
Independent Pulling News


This page is a free service. The cost is covered out of my pocket. It takes a great deal of time and a fair amount of money to keep this website going. Donations for: photos, classified ads, forum discussion, etc... are appreciated.

Side Note: We are no longer accepting PayPal donations. They have changed their terms of service and stated they would fine PayPal users for spreading "misinformation" and "hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory". PayPal did not provide definitions for some of these vague terms. Woke corporate policies regarding "misinformation" could result in an automatic fine of $2,500 which would have been removed directly from the customer’s PayPal account. PayPal did backdown from some of their policies but quietly implemented portions of them in later terms of service. A financial institute has no right to monitor social media accounts or speech. This is unacceptable and I'll no longer do business with PayPal.

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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 03:34PM
Oh sorry Jake. I guess I had it in my head Mike Beck was the one on top of the sand pile. Carry on. lol
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 03:53PM
Forgot about Beck in the pulloff, yeah, that wasn't their greatest moment either. That pulloff is a whole can of worms that I'm not getting into. Again, those things happened on Wednesday night and I think that night, and especially that class was a safety wake-up call.

As I said in one of my other posts, I'm all for a fullpull line before the class. My father an I have discussed this in years past, both with each other and often on the page. Setting an arbitrary fullpull line opens you up to speculation about favoritism. Set one line for tractors, one for Twd Trucks, etc... and be done with it. I totally agree with you.


Jake Morgan
Owner, PULLOFF.COM
Independent Pulling News


This page is a free service. The cost is covered out of my pocket. It takes a great deal of time and a fair amount of money to keep this website going. Donations for: photos, classified ads, forum discussion, etc... are appreciated.

Side Note: We are no longer accepting PayPal donations. They have changed their terms of service and stated they would fine PayPal users for spreading "misinformation" and "hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory". PayPal did not provide definitions for some of these vague terms. Woke corporate policies regarding "misinformation" could result in an automatic fine of $2,500 which would have been removed directly from the customer’s PayPal account. PayPal did backdown from some of their policies but quietly implemented portions of them in later terms of service. A financial institute has no right to monitor social media accounts or speech. This is unacceptable and I'll no longer do business with PayPal.

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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 02:55PM
Sled has to be set to get a couple in the sand deep or it's considered a boring class.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 03:40PM
Has anyone really gave a reason for not marking a full pull distance before the pull starts?
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 17, 2014 11:08PM
I have pulled for many years, and to me this is all non sense. Why put the fate of a pullers outcome in a flagmans hands? If there is a "solid" full pull line that we all aim for, this becomes a non issue. Even the newest of attendents can tell when it has been crossed. Why must we make everything so difficult? As for the Water scandal, they should not leave the end of the track before they are checked. Show the crowd what is going on. Nothing to hide, no problem. If you get caught, Take the walk of shame. How many pullers would take the chance on dirty fuel or water then? Simplicity is easy to follow. Thanks Donnie.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 12:47AM
IMO they should mark a full pull line before the pull and have that line so that once the vehicle passes the full pull line, the front wheels of the vehicle will be in the sand. The crowd still wants to see the tractors hit the sand. If none of the vehicles in a class hit the sand, the crowd isn't as loud as they are if one does.
They should set a full pull line and make it plain and simple, if you pass that line, you are in the pull off, and that would take out the need for guys to bury their tractors in the sand, not knowing where the full pull line is. Just my opinion.
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the problem is.... February 18, 2014 01:02AM
Did you ever notice that when they do a sled reset they take 30 feet out of the sled not the 10 feet that would still make the show exciting.The problem is the sled only seems to have to different distances at Louisville. Either it is set at 250 and flagged or when they reset the sled the pulls wind up at 210....the sled settings are the real problems at the show.
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Re: the problem is.... February 18, 2014 09:57AM
"250 or 210", that is the problem with pulling on a 240ish foot track with a sled built for 300 feet. a slight change that would be 10 feet on a 300 foot track can upset the vehicle enough that the 250 becomes 210 or vise versa. it's a battle they've fought since short tracks have existed.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 02:14AM
I think the problem with setting a full pull line is it could open up an influx of full pulls, which the committee does not want. I seem to remember a 2wd drive class in the early 90's that had this situation. The track changed, a road was built and 2/3 the class had full pulls. The show usually runs on a tight 3-3 1/2 hour schedule.


Dan Mayer

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Dedicated to Preserving the History of Tractor & Truck Pulling
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 02:47AM
I totally disagree with that statement. But I do so in a totally respectful way. 1- If they need a 3 hour show, cut down on the classes in one night. There was enough of the other nights that sure could have used some finals. 2- You pay a sled rental company to do a job. They should know how to set a sled for such classes. Now I know I'll take a beating for that statement, but at least hear me out. Because Im not bashing the sled guy either. These guys hook hundreds if not thousands fo tractors a year. On every kind of track you could think of. So setting up a sled for that track isn't really a guessing game. Plus the guys that do the work at the Loiusville track, spotting the tractors, getting them moved off and towed out do a great job. So a pull off here and there wouldn't be that big of a time eater. My main concern as a puller and lover of the sport, this guessing game of who is in and who is out is insane. Every other sport has a solid goal to reach. {Drag racing, Football end zone, etc}.You have to give drivers something to aim for, rather than aiming for the other side of the sand pile. A lot of things could be cured by the full pull line. Safety of the drivers, track people, and us that buy tickets. I promise I didn't mean to harm any toes in the typing of my opinion. Thanks Donnie
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 09:55AM
Redaintdead, i'll agree with you to a point, but having been there before I'll say it's just not that easy. there can be 20 feet difference from one night to the next in the track and you don't know it until a certain vehicle hooks. the track may look the same, but for whatever reason the setting you used the night before on the same class doesn't work. you should be able to get close though, and it may take some resets, but you can get it dialed in.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 05:17AM
As a puller, I understand all the comments made. Over all I thought the show was good. The only thing that I would want to change is to have 2 or 3 tow drivers out there to bring the tractors back to Broadband. The drivers that drop you off tell you the same thing "start them up and drive them back...I know they told that to DSS, lss and SF tractors.....say what you will, there is alot of people out in the parking lot, and nobody has a slow gear to drive around in......not a safe deal at all
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 05:19AM
Here's the simple fix to the full pull debacle, weigh the sleds a little heavier and set a full pull LINE at 240. Make a chalk line across the track at 240 so that way when a puller gets past the line he knows when to let off. That would eliminate all the questions on who made the pulloff and would save a lot of tractors from potential damage.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 05:28AM
Somebody tell me why that they let the 2wd and mods start there vehicle's and pull on the track but not the alcohol tractors. Pick up all of them and back them in to the sled. Would help on saving time. The mods and 2wd pull to the end of the f@#!#$@ track to back in to the sled.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 07:42AM
Quote
Answer
Somebody tell me why that they let the 2wd and mods start there vehicle's and pull on the track but not the alcohol tractors. Pick up all of them and back them in to the sled. Would help on saving time. The mods and 2wd pull to the end of the f@#!#$@ track to back in to the sled.

It has to do with building a little heat in the motors is what I've always heard.


John Murray
Two-time Pedal Pull World Champion

Let's Go Pulling, covering the sport of pulling in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 09:38AM
Full pull line. They have it at the outdoor pulls. Have seen strange things happen at Keystone too.
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Re: NFMS Thoughts.... February 18, 2014 12:43PM
Really want to comment, but not going to step on any ones toes.


Eric Prewitt
The Prewitt Pulling Team
Public Relations for
The Pulling Radio Network
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