2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 25, 2019 08:30AM
Article about dirt track replacement

I missed this until seeing an article in the morning paper about the USAC Silver Crown race (Hoosier 100) being the last race at the 1 mile dirt oval. There is an HSTPA pull this year in front of the grandstand, but with the new surface for 2020, no more pulling. I assume crushed limestone will absolutely not work for pulling.

In the 1970s through the early '90s, there was a dedicated tractor pull strip on the northeast corner of the grounds (now a kiddie area), but the main grandstand hosted a few NTPA pulls in the 'mid 80s and more recently a PPL Champions Tour pull held for quite a few years. Very sad day for a venue that hosted some of the most memorable events in pulling.

A few years ago, they revamped the Coliseum where the Indy Super Pulls were held. I doubt the new Coliseum could even host an indoor event. The tractor pull strip held NTPA pulls that were among the biggest in America. In the 1970s, the Indiana State Fair pull was one of the top 5 pulls along with Bowling Green, Ohio State Fair, and maybe a couple others. The main grandstand didn't have a great track, but PPL exposed a lot of people to the sport, even if just walking through the pits. In 2020 when they get the new surface laid down, I'm not sure if there is a suitable area on the entire grounds to host a pull even if someone wanted to.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2019 08:34AM by The Original Michael.
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 25, 2019 11:06AM
That’s a real shame
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 29, 2019 02:44PM
Unfortunately, that has been the trend with most state fairs. Cater to the suburbanites and horses. So much for a state agricultural fair.
Just think of what state fairs use to have NTPA pulls in the 70/80/90's. None today.
What states fairs today do have some association's sanctioned tractor/truck pull? I think Illinois and Missouri do.
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 30, 2019 02:58PM
The Indiana State Fair was one of the pulls that got me to love pulling. We used to show horses and I would be at the fair for that but would always gravitate to the machinery area and pulling strip. Its a shame that these things are going away.

S'no Farmer
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 29, 2019 10:40AM
We as a family pretty much stopped attending the Indiana State Fair years ago when they did away with the pulling strip in the Machine Field Area. Tractor pulling and the name State Fair are almost synonymous. The State Fair Board Members are too worried about what the Urbanites and Suburbanites want, not what some of the rural people of Indiana want. I was told many years ago by a State Fair Board Member that it was only going to get more and more removed from Farming families and rural people. He was right!!!!!
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 29, 2019 02:40PM
Same thing happened at the Iowa State Fair, track was removed almost before the last Pull was over, sad day.
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 29, 2019 08:01PM
Difference is Iowa state fair is going to build another venue for pulls, rodeos, etc in another location, so it is not the end.
It'll be the end for stock car racing there, but not pulling.
It'll be a pull on a smaller scale than it used to be, but the size of the pull vs the area to have in was becoming unmanageable
and less fun for the puller.
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 30, 2019 02:34PM
Iowa State Fair is gonna build another track my Ass.
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 30, 2019 05:45PM
Bad Medicine, I agree!
Everyone got excited when they started moving dirt in the area the fair manager said they were going to build a smaller race track at.
But as the project progressed, the project is for better hard surface streets, and improved drainage.
Now it looks like the story is evolving to not include racing,,, but tractor pulling, and roadeo's ???
Nope!
All bullcrap!
If you are in Iowa, and want to see the premiere Ag Fair, and a good tractor pull, Clay County fair in Spencer!
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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 31, 2019 07:56AM
Supposedly the reason why the Iowa SF didn't build it last year, was the city needed to put a water main on the west side of the grounds, which would have prevented any construction in that area for a new track area.


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Re: 2019 is final year for pulling at Indiana State Fair May 30, 2019 12:21AM
I got some dry farm ground I wanna sell you too.
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