West Coast Nationals Tractor Pull 2010

Stockers coming back to West Coast Nationals

Download 2010 Program (pdf)

After a successful debut last year, stock, showroom tractors will be back at West Coast Nationals Power Pulling Series Feb. 9-10 at the Tulare County Fairgrounds, Tulare, Calif.

More than 3,500 people saw the 2009 event. It was a record crowd, and Donnie Fagundes of Hanford, Calif., president of the sanctioning Pacific Tractor Pullers Association, said the Manufacturer’s Cup is coming back by popular demand. A lot of that “popular demand” is coming from the half dozen local dealers who participated last year.

“It was a real crowd pleaser with great participation from six local dealers. They were great to work with last year and are eager to come back in 2010. It looks like we will have additional factory entries this year,” said Fagundes.

The local dealers want to dethrone Quality Machinery’s AGCO that took home the Manufacturer’s Cup last year. Quality’s entry had two pulls totaling just under 250 feet, topping the second place New Holland entry from Garton Tractor by only 11 feet.

“We are definitely looking forward to defending the title AGCO and Quality Machinery took home last year,” said Brian Potter, Quality’s operations manager. “I think the entire event turned out really well last year. We would like to see it grow year after year.”

The 2009 Manufacturer’s Cup Trophy is on display in Quality’s Tulare store along with articles about the winning entry. “Everyone sees it when they come into the dealership. It has very much been a positive for us.”

AGCO had one of the smaller tractors in the field last year, but won the event on weight distribution strategy. Most of the professional pullers like the factory pullers because many started pulling with stock tractors and modified them as they progressed in the sport, said Fagundes.

Gates open at 4:30 p.m. at the Tulare County Fairgrounds and the first pull is at 6 p.m. Those who pre-register online for World Ag Expo will receive a complimentary ticket to the truck and tractor pulls. For those who pay when they arrive at World Ag Expo gate, they can go by West Coast Nationals’ exhibit space (J30) and register for a complimentary souvenir badge that will get them into the pulls in the evening.

While the 18,000-pound factory pullers friendly competition will be great to watch, it is the front-end hopping, high horsepower pullers that everyone comes to watch.

When one or more of those 1,800-horsepower motors is opened full throttle and the nose of the tractor points skyward, the noise is deafening—and the crowd goes wild. There is lots of yelling when an entry collects a full pull, but not much clapping. Everyone’s got their fingers in their ears.

No four-cylinder front-wheel drive pocket rockets here among the truck and tractor pullers. It is all about earth pounding horsepower; the smell of burning fuel and six-foot tall tractor tires spinning faster than a windmill in a hurricane. Fagundes expects 85 to 95 hooks for this year’s event.

This year could attract as many as 100 for the Tuesday and Wednesday night events, according Fagundes. He is not spinning his wheels when he talks about a big turnout. Last September, he finished one of his busiest pulling seasons year.

“More people have been calling asking about the purse structure and pay out. There is definitely more interest than in the past.” The cost of fuel has been an ongoing concern with truck and tractor pullers who haul their equipment in large trucks, motor homes or beefy pickups.

“They seem to make it work economically. We are ahead of where we were last year. If people want to come, they will find a way,” said Fagundes.

“The motorsport of truck and tractor pulling is having resurgence. I usually pull eight to 10 events during the season. Last year I went to 17 events. We even pulled on weekdays,” said Fagundes.

The Central Valley veteran tractor puller said motorsport popularity is a cyclic. It was monster trucks for awhile and then sprint cars.

Truck and tractor pulling is taking center stage again. Promoters are being more successful and that is increasing the prize money.

For the unenlightened, the objective of the truck and tractor pull competition is to pull a weighted sled the farthest on a dirt track. The dirt track is 300 feet long, with boundaries on each side. If a driver touches or crosses a boundary, they are disqualified. If a driver pulls the entire 300 feet, it’s called a “Full Pull.” If more than one driver in a class goes out the back of the gate with 300-foot pull, there is a pull-off. In a pull-off, another weight can be added to the sled or a faster gear will be selected to increase the speed of the box, which makes the sled harder to pull.

The sled is hooked to the pulling truck or tractor by a chain. As the driver begins their pull down the track, the load will get heavier to pull as the weight transfers. The box and pan are the two key parts to the sled. The pan slides on the ground without much resistance at the start of the pull, but will increase friction with the track as the box, which is chain driven, slides towards the front of the sled transferring the weight. Inside of the box are lead blocks weighing a ton. Once the box stops, the friction of the pan is at its greatest, and the pulling truck or tractor comes to a stop.

“Truck and tractor pulling is good entertainment. People come to see all the horsepower. We want to put on a good show for them,” said Fagundes. “And we will.”