10:26:03pm, Friday, April 26, 2024
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Favorite Puller
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I'm curious to hear who people's favorite pullers/vehicles are and what drew you to them? Obviously we all have different opinions but usually there's a distinct reason we choose our guy. So who's your favorites?
Having grown up 3 miles north of Bowling Green Ohio, tractor pulling has been a huge interest of mine my entire life. As a 6 year old Mike Boyd let me get my picture taken on the Green Streak II pro stock in 2003. He went on to win the ring that weekend and I've been a fan ever since. Two trips to the Boyd's farm, and I don't know how many pulls attended to watch the various Green Streaks over the years. I had to pick a John Deere as my favorite, that was in my blood but the professionalism, winning, and friendliness of the Boyd family has always made it easy for me to support them! They've treated me as a friend not a fan! |
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Re: Favorite Vehicle/Puller
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Registered: 03/25/2008 Posts: 2,526 |
This is a fun question, and thanks for the nice story about the Boyd family and you're right, they have brought a very high level of professionalism to this motorsport and they've been a force to be reckoned with since they first started pulling. They excel at doing things the right way and raising the bar for everyone in their class/classes.
There are ton's of pullers I look forward to talking with and I can think of numerous guys that I hope to see at events now days, but this conversation takes me back 40ish years... I've always viewed the tractors as the stars of the motorsport, yes people are important but to me the tractors were/are the stars. I've also always been a Deere guy (yes, I want rules that promote/include the off-brands and I appreciate any well built machine no matter the color but I grew up with a two cylinder John Deere and I still love them and I still think the New Generation tractors are some of the best looking tractors). My favorite tractor growing up fits that criteria, the John Deere 4010 of Jimmy Meeder, The Green Demon. It was formally the Delaware Either Eater of Coleman Wheatley and it pulled in just about every weight class that WNYTPA (now ESP) and the NTPA offered. It was never too showy (satin aluminum rims) but it was always consistent. It was always fun to watch the little 4010 sneak into the winners circle at a national event or two. Just a nice tractor and a nice guy driving it. As far as people go, growing up Mark Hootman was a guy who always treated my father and I like old friends even before we knew him and before he knew our names. He'd always stop whatever he was doing to say hi and chat with us before an event. He never seemed bothered or annoyed and he never acted like he didn't have time to chat with fans. I remember walking by his tractor in the pits one year right before his class and he seemed busy so we didn't stop and he dropped what he was doing and came over and asked us how we were doing this year, I remember being a kid and being amazed that he even remembered us. Years later we got to know Mark and become friends with him but in those early days I still remember Mark as a great ambassador to fans in the pits. The Hooter Scooter in my early years, well, it wasn't the picture of consistency that The Green Demon was (at least not in a good way) it seemed to only pop and bang and it seemed like it barely ever made a pass. Mark never lost his drive and I remember when I finally saw his Ford 7910 light-up and run clean and it was impressive and his years of patience and perseverance paid off and Mark became one of the most consistent and winningest pullers in the state. It's those years of difficulty that have made him as knowledgeable about alcohol Super Stocks as almost anyone. Even though I wasn't a Ford fan it was easy to cheer for a guy that never gave up and treated us like old friends. 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: Favorite Vehicle/Puller
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lutefisk and lefsa
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[www.youtube.com] |
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Re: Favorite Vehicle/Puller
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PULLING FAN
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In tomah one year Ken and Rona invited my three boys to eat milk n cookies with them. They already like them as pullers and how Rona ran the track and waited for Ken. This was the icing on the cake for the boys. This was back in 2012 or 2013. but now as young adults when they watch pulling the subject of Ken and Rona comes up with cookies. They were so great with the kids and they all got a chance to sit in the Funny lil Farmall. |
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Re: Favorite Vehicle/Puller
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Tom
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I thought you liked watching me pull! Lol |
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Re: Favorite Puller
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Stan and Steve Blagrave. I got my picture taken in front of the original Red Horse tractor when I was barely a toddler at the Show Me Showdown in Macon, MO. It immediately became my favorite tractor. Fast forward 27 years, and both Steve and Stan took time out of their championship winning season and weekend at Bowling Green, OH in 2018 to talk to my father and me. Not only 2 of the nicest pullers, but two of the nicest guys I've ever met. Combine that with their undying loyalty to the sport, and their willingness to travel, and they are a fan favorite for me.
I also think Craig Corzine does a great job talking to fans (and all his camp), as well as Jeff Hirt, and Adam Spiegelberg. Then again, I've never met a puller who wasn't top notch nice and approachable. |
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Re: Favorite Puller
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Posts: 756 |
A long time ago I was influenced by GW Sawtelle from Delavan Wisconsin.. I watched his 806 go from a new field tractor to a stout competitor. Also Al Hogan with his "Hogans Hero" tractors. |
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Re: Favorite Puller
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Registered: 03/02/2010 Posts: 69 |
I'll never forget seeing Jordan Lustik pull at such a young age at the NFMS, he was just a few years older than me and I always followed his career. Years later we got to pull at the same location in Troy, MO and he couldn't have been nicer and seemed just as genuinely interested in our tractor as I was in his. |
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Re: Favorite Puller
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The Shramick family, and all the Orange tractors over the years. |
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Re: Favorite Puller
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Moderator Registered: 01/11/2009 Posts: 1,579 |
This is an absolutely fantastic thread in my opinion. We are lucky folks in that we have a whole bunch of fantastic competitors who are ambassadors for the sport and engage fans young and old in the pits. It is especially neat to see a child get a fan card from a puller or crew member or, better yet, get a chance to get their picture taken in the seat...I honestly don't know who is wearing the bigger smile, the puller or the child! To the pullers and crew members- thank you for all you do to engage the fans! Bryan Lively - 
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Re: Favorite Puller
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Registered: 12/31/2008 Posts: 101 |
Don Masterson |
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Re: Favorite Puller
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Favorite puller has to be motorsports legend Don Deane That pulls the turbine mod Plumbers Nightmare. He is a living legend. |
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Re: Favorite Puller
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Growing up in eastern Missouri, my favorite pulling vehicle growing up was actually not a tractor (ok, there was a tractor, more on that in a minute) but it was a sled. Ever since I laid eyes on the Busch sled and it's big six pack, I was all about sleds. I actually associated tractor pulling WITH the Busch sled, and whenever it wasn't at a pull when I was younger (which was rare, actually) I would be really disappointed. There are some beautiful sleds today, many of which have fancy graphics, but none of them have the feel of ol' Busch when it was dressed in full back in the day. And of course the semi that hauled it was done up just like it. Made a pull feel "big time" to me. And, as a funny bit to power of marketing, to this day nothing says tractor pulling to me like a hot day and cold Busch (or Busch light, as that beer has gotten popular). What was hooked to the Busch sled was just as cool, though...
The Bud Digger II twin engine mod of Jim Olendorff from St. Peters, MO. Got to watch this tractor hook so many times as a kid, and thankfully I've been able to watch and photograph it multiple times after the restoration a few years ago. You won't find a better looking mod. Looked fantastic hooked to the Busch sled back in the day, too. |
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