If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 01:09AM
Hypothetically- suppose the sport of pulling began this century instead of sometime in the 1940s/50s. One thing that is consistent is just like our grandfathers desired more power than a farm tractor (later stock truck) could provide, if the sport began in the early 21st century, by now imo somebody would be boosting horsepower and different classes would form (most likely).

So.... If pulling had began this century, how would it be different?
Would someone who's never seen a Bauer sled design a weight transfer with a totally different design?
Would superchargers and turbochargers be used as much?
Would there even be multi-charger or multi-engine tractors?
Would the trucks have started with diesel classes instead of stock gas as happened in the early '70s?
Would EFI and other newer technologies be the norm without controversies when the topic is brought up?
Would minis be around, or would they have developed first?
Would "antique" classes be around at all if the sport began this century?
Would the sport be more niche with a smaller agricultural population than 70 years ago, or would it attract a younger, more suburban audience like drifting has developed?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2023 01:11AM by The Original Michael.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 01:45AM
I think a couple things that would be different is that there would be no multi charger classes, 2 is the cubic inches in all tractor classes would be limited to 540 or less. Mods would be capped at 3 engines and sleds would have electronics, such as box vs groundspeed monitored. Computer driven engine control would be allowed.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... August 01, 2023 04:42AM
Pulling would start with a lot of empty seats with your rules! 3 motor mod class? Cheaper?

"This sport is going to get real expensive when they start counting motors'! (Ralph Banter)

I know you've said fans don't know the difference. Well, many fans do! There sure were a lot of them there for the last Unlimited pass at Ft Recovery Sat night!
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Re: If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 05:04AM
Here's your alternate universe Michael -





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Re: If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 06:24AM
Bryan, I'm familiar with Indian tractor pulling. No, that's not what the sport would look like in the U.S. Too many lawyers over here.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 07:34AM
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The Original Michael
Bryan, I'm familiar with Indian tractor pulling. No, that's not what the sport would look like in the U.S. Too many lawyers over here.

Remember we are in the age of social media; bombastic activities are the norm now. By your metric we shouldn't have no prep racing, burnout contests, and any other sketchy thing that happens...and yet here we are. Insurance companies feed the lawyers who feed off the injured and afflicted who feed the insurance companies exorbitant premiums...that dog will forever chase its' tail...so human adventure/risk-taking/stupidity would alter the course of what our idea of a "tractor power demonstration," which is essentially what pulling is, and devolve it in to what we see elsewhere...India and other countries of that ilk are a vibrant petri dish for exploring what a "tractor power demonstration" would have been here without the foundation we (THANKFULLY) have.

Excuse me whilst I go to the Dollar General for some groceries...

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Re: If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 02:30PM
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Bryan Lively
Here's your alternate universe Michael -






Well.......that was painful to watch.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 12:44PM
It may have started in the first 8 years of the century. If it did not it would never be started here in the USA. Ever since the 2008 presidential election the government would not let it happen.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 12:53PM
Who are you kidding pulling is such small potatoes that no one washington even knows it's a real thing.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... July 31, 2023 01:04PM
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My thoughts
It may have started in the first 8 years of the century. If it did not it would never be started here in the USA. Ever since the 2008 presidential election the government would not let it happen.
I must have missed all of those debates and press conferences that Obama, Trump and Biden discussed the evils of agriculturally based motorsports. LOL.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... August 01, 2023 08:30AM
If pulling started today, it would be with today's "modern" engines, just like they pretty well did when organized sanctioned pulling started in 1969.
But unfortunately, those are still predominantly the motors being used in today's pulling ('60's to 80's era motors). Which are now "classics".
So if pulling started today, we could have "modern", "classic" and "antique" motor classes.
Would be interesting to see what today's "modern" engine technology combined with all the availability of todays's aftermarket
high performance 'add-ons' could produce for power.
And likely blowing another big wad of multiples of hundred dollar bills.
But prove to me that it just might be cheaper to go the "modern" engine route to produce the same current horsepower out there on the pulling track.
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680 cubes, no way Jose August 02, 2023 03:45AM
If pulling began this century, no way on earth 680 cubes would see the light of day.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... August 04, 2023 02:03PM
If pulling began this century is probably one of the best hypothetical questions on here in a very long time. It’s interesting to try and put yourself in this parallel universe/world. It reminds me of the premise to the show The Man in the High Castle for those who have seen any of it.

I don’t agree with agree with Bryan’s premise. India…. Is India. That culture is very, very, very different and I just don’t see the US looking like that.

General Differences:
  • I do think pulling would have electronics in all classes.
  • I think 4-valve heads would be common place.
  • Common rail would be allowed in all diesel classes
  • EFI in all gas/alcohol classes
  • Overhead cams would be allowed.
  • I think there would be no compound/multi-turbo classes. This sport has carried the torch for that technology of 50 years and that history wouldn’t be a thing so I don’t think compound turbos would be a thing.

Tractor Classes:
  • I think we probably have a 480-510 cubic inch limit in the tractor classes.
  • I think there would probably be only two main tractor classes:
    • One of them would probably look an awful lot like the video Sascha posted the other day [www.pulloff.com]
    • The other one might resemble the light pro, but honestly Twd tractors are a relic of last century, so I don’t know if there would be a Twd tractor class.
  • I don’t think there would be more than one alcohol tractor class, and there might not even be one since gas tractors went out of production decades ago.
  • I do think there would be a compact tractor class. Kubotas! (and the approximately 200 other brands out there).
  • I don’t think component tractors would be a thing.
  • I honestly don’t know if there would be a mod class. If there was it would be LS and small block engines.
  • I don’t know if there would be mini class either.

Truck classes:
  • Diesel trucks would be huge… it would be the biggest truck class. Actually, there would probably be two classes of diesel trucks:
    • One version would be street legal and limited.
    • One version would be more of a Prostock type of class.
  • Gas/alcohol trucks would probably be small block or Chevy LS type engines. Turbos and superchargers would battle it out and they’d be Twd.
  • Probably a single charger Semi class.


The sport would only be 20ish years old and I don’t think we’d have nearly as many classes as we have today. We also wouldn't have near the spending and exotic parts that we see... remember it's a 20 year old sport.


Jake Morgan
Owner, PULLOFF.COM
Independent Pulling News


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Re: If pulling began this century..... August 05, 2023 02:07AM
I would agree with a lot of that. One other thing I would ad is, pulling has this absolute terror about nitrous oxide. I have seen what blue bottles can do over on the drag racing side for diesels. Paired with common rail fuel delivery and standalone management, the clean-burning power scale is simply astonishing and not even fully understood yet. Straight up learning curves are being probed on this. For those pushing back on the danger of it, the systems are totally safe despite what a 2001 movie made everyone think.

CP
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Nitrous August 05, 2023 03:13AM
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cpr
I would agree with a lot of that. One other thing I would ad is, pulling has this absolute terror about nitrous oxide. I have seen what blue bottles can do over on the drag racing side for diesels. Paired with common rail fuel delivery and standalone management, the clean-burning power scale is simply astonishing and not even fully understood yet. Straight up learning curves are being probed on this. For those pushing back on the danger of it, the systems are totally safe despite what a 2001 movie made everyone think.

CP

CP, I would encourage people to go to youtube and find a Full Pull Productions RWYB truck video from any time in the past decade.

Guy named Huffman ran an orange nitrous truck. It won some but not all hooks. There is no reason PPL or NTPA couldn't experiment with nitrous in the same way non- blown nitrous runs against blown cars in Pro Mod , Top Sportsman, or Top Dragster in NHRA.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2023 03:14AM by The Original Michael.
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Nitrous August 05, 2023 03:53AM
Yessir! Love it.

CP
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Re: If pulling began this century..... August 05, 2023 12:24PM
Completely agree.


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: If pulling began this century..... August 06, 2023 10:43PM
2 classes of diesel trucks in Rockwell this weekend would have had 2 trucks in each class! All these classes want to be GN until it's time to actually support the GN circuit. I feel for the promoters that book some these classes.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... August 07, 2023 07:37AM
It's a real shame that compact tractor pulling isn't more of a thing. It would be a nice gap between garden tractors and the full size stuff, and with how popular they are they'd be relatable. A lot more relatable than mini rods.

As for the question though, aside from compact tractor pulling being a thing I think you would def see versions of 4WD tractor pulling.
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Re: If pulling began this century..... August 08, 2023 01:43PM
It would not exist.
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