Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 17, 2022 07:48AM
In my opinion pulling is dying and has been on a steady decline since the 90s. That being said Motorsports as a whole has been on the decline since the 90s. People don't go out to see something exciting anymore when they can watch something on their phones or their Tv. How is it that pulling's going to survive if nobody's watching it? Is it going to come to a point where it's just the pullers out in some field and the only people watching are their families? Already seems like that the case sometimes. What made Pulling so exciting that it used to draw thousands of people multiple times a month? i think part of it was the sense of danger, tractors popping huge wheelies flying down the track with a guy in sneakers sitting on a barstool on the rearend of the tractor. As screwed up as it sounds i think that people liked seeing guys sticking their necks out for a 300ft pull. No chance that it will ever be as popular as it was, change in culture, but what can be changed from an entertainment aspect to help grow the sport from its current low? (im aware that the big pulls still draw crowds but I'm talking about pulls that aren't the main events.)
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 17, 2022 08:12AM
You took the words out of my mouth!
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 21, 2022 03:16AM
I'm glad I'm not the only one that has realized this. I stand by the idea that YouTube could be one hell of promotion platform. Like Deere Puller said Cleetus has made drag racing very popular, especially street cars, seems like everyone is building one now. Hell, even i watch sometimes and wonder if i would have been better off spending all my money on a car instead of a tractor. But then i get in the seat and make a pass and it comes back to me that i made the right decision. I do wonder if there were tractor pulling youtubers, if more people would get into it. Also, i feel that racing and other motor sports have more professionalism. By that i mean that they have set national circuits and go all over the country in a points hunt. I know that tractor pullers are blue collar workers and that's almost impossible when there's not any money in it, but can you imagine if that was possible. I feel that pulling gets a bad rap, mainly diesels because of the smoke, i dont think we can get away from that because everyone thinks thats going into the atmosphere. We could all go the gale banks route and use electric fuel injection and lean them out, but thats a expensive route to cover up a problem thats not really true. Alot to figure out in preservation of pulling.
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 21, 2022 04:32AM
The pit scene gas a lot of improvement to be had.in the 80s most all ss/ps were hauled on an open trailer,fans could walk around and look at the details,now they sit in enclosed trailers.in the heyday tractors had the sides off,the engine could be seen,those always had a crowd around them watching,now ya very rarely see that.those 2 would be huge Improvements.
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 17, 2022 08:46AM
The local demo durby draws 10 times the crowd the tractor pull does. People like to see things wreak and blow up. Racing would have a fraction of the audience if they never wreaked. Start blowing up more tractors and the entertainment value will go up.
On a more serious note though I find it more entertaining when you got 10 or more tractors competing for a win within less then 10 or 20 feet. When you got a class of 5 and you know before it starts who will win by 50 plus feet and who will only go 200 ft if lucky then the entire class becomes pointless to watch. Less classes more competition in the classes thats about all we can do. If you got the payouts up like NHRA you might see more limits pushed and more blown up engines. I believe that ads to the drag racing following. People like to see @#$%& break and blow up. Its always going to be that way. Thats why they sell the wild wreaks and rides dvds.
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 17, 2022 02:52PM
The announcers make a huge difference. When they know their stuff (pullers, equipment and the sport) and can manage a crowd the people remember that and they build a following. Contrast that to the good ole boys that don't know anything, but how to play some loud music and run their mouths... people remember that too and stay home.
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 18, 2022 01:15PM
lots of small family farms is what fueled tractor pulling in the 70s threw 90s in rural areas there whas nothing else to do until once a year the County fair would come around besides now we have TICl TOCK on a cell phone how can pulling compete with that lol
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 19, 2022 12:44PM
Quote
Lewis Conner
lots of small family farms is what fueled tractor pulling in the 70s threw 90s in rural areas there whas nothing else to do until once a year the County fair would come around besides now we have TICl TOCK on a cell phone how can pulling compete with that lol

Frankly, watching a video on tv, phone or laptop isn't the same as in person, whether it's a grand national or local brush pull, super stock or a strait out of the field 180 hp tractor.
The younger crowd these days, especially the ones that didn't come from a farming background , didn't experience "pulling" back in the 70's to 2000's and are used to the wheel speed, smoke and flames and speed with which the vehicle's go down the tract today, that's all they know.
Personally, I don't think they can relate to the sport, thus it's not "in their blood", so to speak.
How does one draw someone to a sport that they can't relate to ?
Just my $.02
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 19, 2022 02:00PM
I know Beer Money has been encouraging it, I wonder if teams having a YouTube channel with consistent content would help. I know my interest in drag racing has been rekindled due to Cletus McFarland, Steve Morris, and others putting good and consistent content on YouTube. I think we can reach and maybe interest the kids thru their phones but we have to go to them.
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 19, 2022 02:40PM
Yes having consistent content and videos is a positive, but also through promotions and ads and parents/friends convincing others to attend these events. Persuasion from others also pays dividends into this
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 20, 2022 01:28AM
100% pulling needs to be looked at as entertainment. And everyone involved needs to understand this. The product isn't bad, it's actually pretty good. I feel there are a fair amount of pullers that when they show up to an event, they don't think about the entertainment aspect. There just there to pull and to stay in the points hunt. When a venue or fair books an organization, they are paying for entertainment. We need to do the best job at entertaining that we can. We don't need to risk lives, or blow something up every other pass. We simply just need to put on a good fan experience.

The social media aspect. I don't think we can get too much exposure. I don't feel it hurts attendance at all. Think about it this way. You can watch a NFL game on T.V. and you will see better coverage, you will have cheaper drinks, comfy seats, etc. But people go to the games every year. Singers post all kinds of stuff on social media. You can listen to there music whenever you want. But yet people pay hundreds of dollars to go watch them sing in person. And I have been to concerts where that artist sounded worse in person. So I don't believe that posting all over social media is keeping people out of the stands.

On a side note. There is one aspect that I feel we could currently take advantage of. Toys. In the last couple years, ERTL has started making some generic pulling tractors and sleds. There not great quality, but they are cheep and meant to be played with. I love the detailed pulling tractors that I have. But they are 100% meant to be displayed. What if an organization, like PPL or NTPA hooked up with ERTL to have tractors that you could actually see at events and that are still meant to be played with. I feel this could be a great opportunity.
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Re: Pulling needs to be looked at from a entertainment standpoint November 20, 2022 01:43AM
At CS Pulling Promotions, we have incorporated a pulling clown (similar to a rodeo clown), flamethrowers, fireworks, music and much more. We have worked really hard this season to try to make entertaining events. If you can get the spectators to come, then we can afford to offer more money for the competitors.
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