Sport of tractor pulling September 13, 2016 07:24AM
IS this amazing sport of truck and tractor pulling growing?
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 13, 2016 09:13AM
I do not see it growing. The price to compete at just about any level has gotten out of control, the purse $$ vs investment suck & promoters seem to look at pullers as easy cash cows instead of the heart of the entertainment. Not to mention the impact low commodity prices have had.
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 13, 2016 11:23AM
Sport of pulling has grown over the decades. With the fall out of state membership from NTPA, other organizations/sanctioning bodies were born or grew up.
Is it still growing today is a really good question. Actually, I think so. Just look at the number of new organizations just in the past few current years (i.e. - BOB, Heartland and you can likely name a few more, too.)

However, there are so many organizations and various levels of classes and loads of vehicle classifications, that it becomes overwhelming. And the biggest problem with, and I hate to say this: 'brush level of pulling', is a huge lack of standardized rules so a vehicle go easily go pull with the neighboring organization. And many pulls could use a few more vehicles.

I agree that $ to campaign a vehicle anymore is rather outrageous, at any level of pulling. Its mind boggling even what the antique tractor pullers will spend on a motor to pull at just 3 to 4 mph that they are limited to.
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 13, 2016 02:03PM
Pulling is growing at the state level and classes like the one's that don't cost to much to run and are close to home will be ok but when another year of low crop prices hits the national pulling will see lower numbers. To many high dollar classes will be really hurt. Classes like TWD and FWD and SF will be ok.
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 14, 2016 07:33AM
How does the promoters money work, do they get a cut of the gate or does the fair board pay them a flat fee?
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 14, 2016 08:54AM
How I assume most pulling organizations work, they are hired by a promoter/fairboard for "X" amount of dollars to put on a show. Those dollars cover class payouts, sled, insurance and any other overhead costs the pulling organization may have.

Whatever money the promoter/fairboard makes is money in their pocket, hopefully it is enough to cover the pulling club's cost and allow them to have the event again the next year.

I would tend to agree with others that pulling has increased in popularity in recent years. Pulling is unique compared to other forms of motorsports, especially at the local level. A guy can't take his daily driver to the local dirt track and race on Saturday night, but he can take his pickup and enter the local truck pull at the fair.

I do agree that payouts could/should be increased, especially in the classes above farm stocks/local trucks. A demo derby pays out $750-1000 to win, and to win with a $100k tractor, a guy is lucky to win like maybe $250 most times.

I'm not sure how to fix the payout issue, short of major sponsors helping out the clubs/promoters, and I'm all ears on how to do it.


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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 13, 2016 03:38PM
Just take a look at the For Sale side and see all the prostocks and SS for sale, theres your answer. Money is out of control. Get standard rules in place across the low levels and pull back max cubes on high levels. You cannot sustain yourself on a limited budget when running a Prostock costs you $2500 a a weekend to maintain or much more the higher levels you go to. Hell competetive SF tractors running well in excess of $150,000 just to build and simple 640 Hot farms $100K??? Way out of control.

Just my 2 cents....red712
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 14, 2016 01:52AM
And just to drive the cost a little higher it's always nice to get to the pull with your family & get hit up for tickets + a pit pass arm band for the wife & kids. "Oh. you'll get it back at the entry booth" they say. No, only the driver does. Are you supposed to dump your family at the gate or give them money to buy grandstand tickets where they can't even be with you ? Always wondered if they go on these entertainers tour buses & do that. And no, I'm not talking about the guys who want to bring the 2 pickup loads of drinking buddies in as "pit crew" I don't mind the ticket so much if there's a fair or something you can go to after the pull, but pit passes for your own family ? Get serious.
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 14, 2016 05:43AM
do a lot of real tractor pulls have pedal pulls with them then maybe kids would get interested what do you think?
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 14, 2016 05:59AM
will Tractor pulling ever get to become a weekly Tv event like Nascar and Football like it is now I know that is is on like RFD and MAv but you know how fotball is on every sunday will tractor pulling getb there soon?
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 14, 2016 08:57AM
Heck I got a quote from a good builder on building a Super farm years ago and it was over 160000. There is no payback that even comes close to your expenses for the year. I 'm talking just to travel, eat, entry fees, wear and tear on your hauler etc. Leave alone maintaining the tractor. The demolition crashers make more for beating up a junker. It is even hard to get the fair boards to come up with good purse money for stock and hot stock classes. Then you have companies like Deere that won't sponsor because they get free advertising with their name already on the Deeres. Take a look at European pulls and notice the sponsor banners. I don't know if the pullers get a better payout but there seems to be more support there. Never be close to what it should be. I know some guys that made the jump from stock to Pro farm and had to get out of that class. You have to be a wealthy person to pull on a professional level and be competitive.
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 14, 2016 02:40PM
I pull with ktpa and BoB and I don't expect to make money pulling but it really pisses me off to have to pay at the Gate our clubs should have the gate fees figured in or really the fair bords and promoters should show enough respect or appreciation to wave the gate fee for at least two people if they cant afford it they don't need to have the pull .But what is really stupid us pullers would pull for a ten dollar trophy if we had to and then were stupid enough to keep adding more exppence to classes we already have
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Re: Sport of tractor pulling September 14, 2016 02:53PM
Quote
lewis
I pull with ktpa and BoB and I don't expect to make money pulling but it really pisses me off to have to pay at the Gate our clubs should have the gate fees figured in or really the fair bords and promoters should show enough respect or appreciation to wave the gate fee for at least two people if they cant afford it they don't need to have the pull .But what is really stupid us pullers would pull for a ten dollar trophy if we had to and then were stupid enough to keep adding more exppence to classes we already have


VERY good point!
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