Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 09:10AM
Most motorsports have a minimum age limit for how old someone must be before they can compete. Should pulling also have an upper age limit?

We all understand some people start sundowning earlier than others. But.... some 16 year olds are more mature than others so if there is a minimum age guideline, what is the logic behind not also having a maximum age?

Asked another way, would you feel comfortable if a 102 year old man was driving a high horsepower vehicle?
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 10:48AM
What would you set the upper age limit at? The problem facing pulling is there is no such thing as “entry level”. I don’t care if it’s a Hot Farm, LLSS, Classic Super etc, the initial investment to build from the ground up is the same. A billet crank is a billet crank, same with rods, pistons, cams, turbos, pumps etc. While they may have different gearing but billet gears are billet gears. You are looking at $175,000 + to build one from the ground up and I think that number is conservative and could very easily eclipse the 200k mark. The number of guys doing their own builds anymore is minimal. That’s just to buy a tractor, that doesn’t include truck, trailer, pit vehicle, tools etc. Real quick $500,000 is invested and you haven’t even hit the track. I use the term old loosely but old guys have worked their whole lives for this moment and they are the ones that have the money to play. Very few young guys comparatively speaking can play this game. Are you going to tell Bill Voreis he is too old to pull? The man could pilot just about anything out there I believe. Ron Barga is another one I would let pilot my tractor any day of the week. Reasonably define old.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 10:50AM
I've seen a 98 year old man pull in person, and he pulled at the age of 100 on his Massey Harris 44; he died at the ripe old age of 102. Otto Graep from Washington State.
He was vibrant and full of life the last time I saw him, as much as other 30-40 years younger than he was.

I've also seen a man on an antique Oliver having to lift his leg, by hand, up onto the clutch pedal. He was an elderly gentleman, not sure of his age. He had limited mobility for sure.

Seeing both ends of the spectrum, it really has to be a call on the part of the puller and his or her family/crew. It's very similar to taking the keys from a parent whose driving skills have left them.

So, what's the precedent? Chris Karamesines was still making hits in a top fuel car until 2020 when he was 89 years old. Chris went 305 at 86 years old, for what it's worth.

In the end it's a personal decision; a driver knows when it's time.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 12:20PM
Bryan,
you brought up a very good example with The Greek. The name that came to mind for me was Red Farmer, who was making competitive laps in a dirt late model to an advanced age.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 12:30PM
No..but a do believe there should be a "drivers test" for each level and noon should have a problem taking it when asked..I personally watched a 2 year old on a gt by himself,while his dad and grandpa were at both sides..they were static because thier child pulled at 2.I thought they were first rate a-holes for considering jeopardizing the club due to a legal suit loss from an injury.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2025 01:01PM by Dick Morgan.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 20, 2025 12:07PM
if the kid aint big enough to drive it themself they shouldnt be driving
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 12:34PM
How old was Henry "Hank" Piper when he hung it up.

I saw him go down the track on his 560 when I knew he was getting up in age.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 20, 2025 09:16AM
Quote
Mark (EC,IN)
How old was Henry "Hank" Piper when he hung it up.

I saw him go down the track on his 560 when I knew he was getting up in age.

If memory serves me correctly, I believe Henry was 89 when he gave it up?
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 01:54PM
Fielding a pulling vehicle is a lot of work, that bumps alot of people out the sport right there. If you want to do all that work and campaign a couple events, why not. You will soon find out when you are done!
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 02:47PM
This could be one of the dumbest topics I’ve see on here in quite some time…….
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 20, 2025 02:18AM
Pro Stock-- I agree completely, this Is a stupid topic in my opinion, like Dick said if you can drive to the pull you should be able to pull when you get there, in my opinion this wouldn't be a good move in tryn to grow the sport, most pullers are level headed enough to know when it'll be time to step down.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 11:20PM
If you can drive to the pull you can hook to the sled.


Dick Morgan

www.PULLOFF.com
Independent Pulling News
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 19, 2025 06:02PM
Couldn't this be solved by mandating a yearly physical with a doctor giving you the greenlight?
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 20, 2025 01:09AM
I know I shudder when I was on the big end of the track when certain "older" pullers hooked to the sled. Granted, the vehicles they were driving, were proven straight liners, but I really questioned their ability to adapt quickly enough if things went sideways.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 20, 2025 03:36AM
This seems like something that is of less concern for pulling in particular than almost any other motorsport (basically none of which have an age limit). Unlike other motorsports, the competing vehicle is tethered to another object, which itself is controlled by another competent person (the sled operator). If things get hairy, the sled operator has the ability to pull the plug and stop things mighty quickly. Yes, strange things happen and systems sometimes don't work like they should and/or happen too quickly and damage is done before the operator can react but... if you multiply the probability that a driver will have a major problem on a given pass due to age x the probability that the controls and fail-safes in place won't work... you'll end up with an awfully small number.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 20, 2025 11:26AM
First off, how many 102 year old men do you know that are still driving a tractor down the track? Secondly, there is no age limit on a person driving a 80,000 pound Semi tractor trailer rig down a public road of any kind, as long as the person can pass a DOT plysical. If something went wrong in either case, which one would probably be the worse of the two examples?
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 20, 2025 01:00PM
That question could (maybe should) be asked of anything or everything any of us do. I am 76 and retired from motorcycling after 57 years of injury free riding. Just because I hit a deer with the bike. My reflexes seemed a bit slow, and I knew it was time. I remember distinctly Henery Pieper pulling his 560 safely well into his golden years. I have also seen people in their 20s do stupid stuff that thoughtlessly endangered themselves and those in the stands. I miss quick 1/4 mile passes, I miss the feel of "the Hook" and feeling on the edge of catastrophe. For me I just knew the time had come to park the wild stuff.
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Re: Should pulling have an upper age limit? February 21, 2025 02:30AM
Go tell Ken Veney he's to old to pull i DARE YOU!!!!!
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