Our RV park was the site of garden tractor pulls on May 23 and again on July 5. I had never seen one, so I asked a few questions about the sport. I learned that they competed in 9 classes, that the garden tractors cost from $1,000 to nearly $40,000 (without the trailers to transport them) and a few run on alcohol or nitro. Engines in the tractors generally had 2 cylinders. Weights are added at the front of the tractors to keep the front wheels on the ground for steering and at the rear to get more traction out of the back wheels. There were two lanes but each competitor went down the course alone. The winner in each class pulled the sled farther than the others in the class.
The entry fee is $15.00, $10.00 going to pay the prizes. First place in a class typically will have a prize of $15.00, not enough to pay the cost of gasoline to get it to the track!
Classes are based on the weight of the tractor and driver or the horsepower of the tractor engine. Many of the tractors are not significantly modified other than to have adjustable weights to get in the desired weight class. Others in the higher classes have special engines.
The sled increases the weight to the front flat plate (orange and white striped) as it is being pulled down track by the garden tractor. The forward motion pulls forward the weighted black box (here over the back wheels).
This tractor just left the starting line pulling the sled. The sled is owned by the Mississippi Valley Garden Tractor Pullers Association.
Many tractors have custom bodies. Some are lettered “Alllis Chalmers”, others have the green John Deere paint scheme and lettering. Those in the entry level class usually are Cub Cadet models made by International Harvester.
While the sled is being towed back to the starting line by the large John Deere farm tractor, the red farm tractor pulls a roller over the course to smooth out the dirt stirred up by the garden tractor rear wheels and the sled.
This is a highly modified tractor with the hood up. In the picture below it is going down the track with wheels in the air.
The tractors below also are heavily modified.
I was told that this tractor develops 80 hp for 80 seconds for a run.
Spinning tires on the highly modified tractors kick up the dust here.
This one is powered by a 3 cylinder diesel engine. It did well.
The drivers of this one and the one below must be no more than 12 years old.
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