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Know some guys that have taken dickey-john radars and mounted them on their tractors, less delay on a reading from what I understand. Bryan Lively - 
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How about a speedometer?
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Speed limit pulling is more like a chess match than anything, and I sure as heck don't see any sissies doing it. You take away momentum like you have in a class without a speed limit and it makes every part of the equation (gear, balance, track reading,etc) that much more critical. Of course, what do I know, I've only seen about 2500 hooks this winter of this stuff  Bryan Lively -
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Still Sucks:
You have caught me in a good mood this morning! First of all, what youre not getting is that speed, tire cut/size, and rpm are the great equalizers here, how much money you spend to operate in those parameters is entirely up to the puller. Yes $ can come into play, but from my vantage point, it whats you do with what you have! Some folks don't have the deep pockets to run hotter stuff and they have every right to hook to a sled in some form or fashion and be competitive with it. I have seen too many good tractors and drivers this winter to not defend this aspect of the sport and I truly enjoy it all from a barnyard class to a 5 engine mod. My advice is this: when approaching a speed limit pull, either turn and run in the opposite direction, or come PARTICIPATE and spend time with those who do it. I go to pulls now 90% for the fellowship and friendship and 10% for the pulling, and I am far happier in my enjoyment of the sport now than I have ever been in the past because of that. PS I had your attitude a long time ago, until I heard the sound of an 88 Oliver singing and the cackle of a UB Moline. I figured out that there's a place for everyone in this sport, and thats why I support and promote it like I do now Bryan Lively -
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I didnt mean to come off as condescending or a smart---. It just seemed that the idea of the speed limit puller be it a antique or farm stock was being smeared. My thought is this: Speed limit pulling, matched with rpm and tire limits, is a means to level the playing field. Let me give the scenario as it plays out: The Butch Wood Memorial 7250 King of the Hill class at Tunica, MS has a speed limit and at that weight you let a lot of tractors in....Big Molines with the HD800 as the powerplant, Big two-cylinder JD's, IH's of all kinds, etc. The last two years have been won by M Farmalls, very well-funded and executed M's of course, but not the highest hp tractors in the class. My observation is that some of the higher hp tractors in the lower mph classes are much more apt to blow the horn and are much harder to keep reined in. Get above a 12 mph limit, the world changes and hp (which could also be read as $$$) becomes an issue. The fun in these classes is the participation in the class and the bull session before and after. I keep thinking analogy is golf, where you watch the professionals and participate yourself as an amateur. However thats an unfair comparison to the speed limit pullers,at it implies that what they do is not as impressive as the NTPA/PPL/Outlaw pullers, and that is simply not the case. There are some brain cells at work in speed limit pulling that I don't even claim to have, and it's that what I call "intellectual capital" that is just as critical as anything to be a success in that realm of the sport.
With no speed limits in antiques it depends on what the rules are. With the liberal USAP-style rules you'll see a broad brush-stroke of tractors that run open. The Olivers and Molines can be pretty brutal because of the ability to swap parts pretty easily, with the 320 Waukesha as the motor of choice in Olivers and those HD 800 jugs placed on U and 5-star crankcases. Farmall 460's and 560's with a Red Diamond or a 400 series motor are becoming more common and are asserting themselves. L and 600 model Cases are players. NATPA rules are more stringent and the methods of modification are different as such and makes some brands more dominant than others. I don't see a whole bunch of open rpm antiques, but I am always impressed with the tractors that show up in the N/A classes at Dekalb and Gordyville. Ed and Scott Shoobridge's Farmall is very potent, and any of those big cube moline concoctions like those out of the Ron Shipman stable are a treat to watch, and these are just a couple of examples. Bryan Lively -
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Youre forgetting the amount of horsepower between the ears of the driver. A novice driver in a speed limit class on the highest hp tractor will find it hard to get first place, and Im talking 8mph and below. The best drivers with the highest hp tractor, even they hear the horn from time to time. YES, all things being equal, that being driver, balance, track position, tires, etc, and the only variable is hp, more hp will emerge on top. Bryan Lively -
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Heres the best way...The group I pull with bought a scoreboard that shows the mph and distance the entire length of the track...Heres the winning pull in the 4750 lb 10 mph class...Its a 6000 Ford that ran 9.7 mph and pulled 306.75. |
Sled operators do an amazing job of being pretty close most of the time, but sometimes they do miss their guess on settings. If that many tractors full pulled, they should have floated the finish line or had the sled a little heavier to begin with. If it were a missed guess, I'll bet he doesn't let six of you out next time you hook that sled.  I've also seen that done on purpose before, if say the class is a little short of tractors, or sometimes just to add a little more intrigue to the show. Just another thought, would it have been better or made anyone happier if he had set the sled for speed pulling and stopped all of you in the same place?
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