Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 06, 2019 09:07AM
I've been thinking for along time how to improve tractor pulling and raise money to make it more profitable. Don't get we wrong I know it will never be profitable but for lack of better words make it better. I love tractor pulling and have been involved in it for 40+ years but compared to the prize money won in rodeos and horse racing or, well, almost everything else tractor pulling is ridicules. When you got guys spending 100 to 200 thousand in a pulling vehicle alone not to mention the hauler and tow vehicles some have and work and time and money spent on up keep maintenance and updating coming home with $1,000 or $1,500 to win is just insanity. I am not saying it will ever be profitable but it needs too be better and I believe it can be

First off I will always believe a set of national rules for most if not all classes would be super beneficial and you could still keep all the different organizations in their respected geographical locations. I Invision this similar to IMCA rules in dirt track racing. You can race or pull in this case at your local track or in pulling with your local group and still have the freedom to go anywhere in the country if you choose too. This would also allow pullers to raise more sponsorship money from more sponsors by not competing against ourselves and other associations. Also I think it would be nice to get more money out of the big equipment company's instead of giving them all this free advertisement. Take the money John Deere spends on Nascar for example compared to pulling and its completely screwed up in my opinion.

This is mostly just me dreaming as there is just too many chiefs and not enough Indians involved in pulling and everyone wants there own sandbox to play in. I don't believe this will ever change and I find that sad.

But today while watching horse racing and discussing tractor pulling with neighbors and friends I believe i came up with an idea. Let start gambling or let the spectators gamble on tractor pulling. Figure your odds your favorites your long shots and let anybody and everybody place bets. You could choose to participate or not it wouldn't be mandatory but it would be a great way to raise more money to increase the payouts and get more TV time in better time slots which in turn would eventually result in more sponsorships and more money.

Again this is just an opinion from a long time tractor puller who is just sick of the cost to compete or just simply participate getting completely out of hand compared to the prize money. I don't know what it would take to do this and I realize it wouldn't even be legal to do in some places but I think it's worth trying. I am just a Joe blow nobody and I have poor grammar and spelling abilities so please bash away at me but today I felt like sharing my opinion. This is what this board is for I believe isn't it.
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 06, 2019 11:28AM
To piggyback a little on that idea. The FPL could benefit pulling as well. - Fantasy Pulling League. Anyone who knows anything about sports knows that’s an easy money maker. Just ask Draft Kings. You could just go off the GN and Champions tours.
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 06, 2019 01:54PM
This is kind of a cool idea I never thought about, just say Super Stock Diesel, first NTPA hook of the year:

Red Horse -700
Triple Bypass - 500
Bone Twister - 110
Lock N Load +200
Super Rooster + 350
Redline Fever +550
Smoke N Mirrors +850
Digging Fever +1100
Kryptonite +1250

Who would everybody bet on?
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 06, 2019 02:49PM
High Tech Redneck
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 06, 2019 04:18PM
Miles Krieger had a pulling fantasy league a few years ago on Milesbeyond300. He did an awesome job with it. Unfortunately it had some issues and it was going to be costly to get it right. Maybe one day he or someone else could start it up again.
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 07, 2019 01:14AM
This is an old idea we had that at a brush pull 35 yrs ago at Camden Michigan. We had more fun and made more money then ever thought possible pulling stock tractors.the crowd loved it and we had a blast. I don't know if they still do that but I'm pretty sure by now some idiot with hier moral standards and some kind of good intentions has probably screwed it up
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 07, 2019 01:54AM
Ya every farm stock puller that shows up
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Moral standards and good intentions March 07, 2019 02:03AM
Moral standards and good Intentions do not make one an idiot. One can possess moral standards and good Intentions and still have fun with family and friends at a tractor pull.
Enjoy the pulls and have fun with your family and friends!
rw
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Re: Moral standards and good intentions March 07, 2019 04:37AM
Yes sir
Amen
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 10, 2019 07:02AM
Well, FPL, I, too, not know what a Calcutta is. So I google it & read what Wikipedia said. It and fantasy league, to me sounds like gambling. Just complicate the pulling sport now with more bureaucratic dirty fingers in the little pie. Not for me. Takes the enjoyment out of pulling.

It is easy to see why John Deere spends their advertising $$$ on Nascar. They are after the consumer to buy lawnmowers, the estate owner with lawnmower and the 4000 &/or 5000 series tractors with attachments. Sure, they are not the big $ like ag and construction equipment, but their are a lot of consumers, unlike farmers and excavating owners. So all those little units may total more gross $ revenue per year than those big equipment new sales. Perhaps - I really do not know. If that theory is correct, than easy to see why JD spends their advertising $$ on the consumer level sports. But, I do appreciate Case/IH committment to NTPA.

Pulling will not become a big league sport because it basically only attracts the agriculture base, which is a very tiny % of the nation's population.
Tractor & truck pullers are hobbyists. If they can afford it (or think they can), they will. It is not about making a financial return on investment. It is hopefully about relieving some daily business stress, having fun and family time.
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 07, 2019 03:43AM
Just goes to show people that money can made just like everything else - takes time and money to do it. Seems like something that could be done at various events especially since everyone has a smart phone these days
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 07, 2019 09:31AM
I really like this idea! Actually just this year at Louisville some buddies and I set an over/under distance for every puller and bet on every single pass. We had an absolute blast with it. Like said above, even a farmstock pull could work well bc it gives everybody somebody to root for and cause excitement. I always wondered what happened to the fantasy tractor pulling league. I never got to participate, but would be very interested in doing so. I am interested in gambling on the tractors, I would definitely participate! Great idea Joe Blow.
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 07, 2019 02:02PM
when i was into a lot of competition coon hunts we auctioned off each dog before the hunt anyone could could participate which made for a lot of fun
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 08, 2019 03:01AM
Calcutta auction for tractor pulls, I'm in sounds like fun. Put the money back in the purse for the respective class 70 30 split with winning bidder.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2019 03:03AM by Billet-boy.
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 08, 2019 04:33AM
We have done the Calcutta many times. Usually at benefit pulls to raise money for FFA's and other groups needing help. Really get some good sized pots


David Runkle class rep for Badger State LLSS class. 815-821-4686



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2019 04:34AM by David Runkle(earls dream).
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 09, 2019 01:58AM
When I first started pulling a lot of pulls were doing the Calcutta thing, the biggest issue I remember was the time it took to auction all of the tractors. Seems to me that it took a LOT of time to accomplish.

S'no Farmer
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 09, 2019 08:42AM
Not sure of the Calcutta idea (scratching my head on what that is) but would today’s technology help speed up the process? I’m thinking Blue Shirts could put a package together just for the BG event. Think of the $$ that’d bring!
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Thumbs up for Longtimer March 10, 2019 01:19PM
To each their own. Enjoy the pulls how you all see fit. How one chooses to enjoy the sport is each of our own choices. I'm sure not everybody enjoys the pulls the same way. However i agree with how longtimers final 4 sentences pretty much sums it up. So here's your Thumbs up! Longtimer
Best regards rw
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Re: Thumbs up for Longtimer March 10, 2019 01:32PM
Make that two thumbs up for Long Timer a nice compact tractor class to resemble those 4 and 5 thousand series tractors could pull a little interest to the small ackerage home owner
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Re: Thumbs up for Longtimer March 10, 2019 03:00PM
Make it 3
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 11, 2019 01:40AM
It all comes down to eye balls and proving you have the coverage potential sponsors want and need? If you look at most big time motor sports, drag racing, nascar, F1.F3 whatever? the race teams fund themselves! the track owner charges admission to maintain the venue and himself? Sometimes wonder how some pull venues survive with so many empty seats? as seen on many UTUBE videos, as for the big equipment companies being represented in Nascar? Eye balls! make a lot more selling to the consumer market then AG. just a few thoughts?
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 11, 2019 03:01PM
Wow! Thanks, guys, for your 'thumbs up' approval !! Seems like I usually wrinkle someone's feathers. However, so nice to have some in agreement. Much appreciated, guys!!!

Lewis, I agree we need an Ultra Light Limited Super Stock class for those tractors. That was a thread or two we have had on here a year ago or so.

Hopefully, this post is at the bottom of this thread, unlike last night's. Think I figured out how that happened.
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable March 14, 2019 06:07AM
I was up to Camden for one of their truck pulls recently and they was still doing calcutta on some of the truck classes. Slows the pull down when you take time to auction off the entries. Calcutta was a blast at Camden when you could have two drivers on the same tractor per class. Not only did you have to pick the right tractor, but also the right driver.
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Re: Making tractor pulling more interesting and profitable February 26, 2023 09:51AM
I guess this was a decent idea 4 years ago.
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