Last night I managed to acquire a ticket for an event described by its promoters as “and all-American sport” and described by my hotel porter as “a buncha hollerin’ red-necks an’ their machines”.
The West Coast Tractor Pull Finals had been advertised at the World Ag Expo here in California all week, and having seen some of the monster tractors at the show, I felt I had to go along to the finals to see them in action.
The competition involves some impressively souped-up tractors dragging a very heavy weight as fast and far down a dirt track as they can go.
They are either stopped by mud collecting under the weight and dragging them backwards, their giant wheels falling off, or their engines exploding in a ball of flames.
I’ve got some pictures and videos of the machines which I’ll have to put in my expo gallery when I get the chance, because it’s hard describe just how big and powerful the machines are, or to describe how ear-splittingly loud the engines are.
Even with earplugs my head was ringing by the end of the night, and I was left covered in dust that the giant wheels had kicked up.
The people at the show seemed to get very excited about the competition and with huge cash prizes on offer for the winners it’s not difficult to see why it’s a big sport over here – one of the tractor owners I spoke to said there is even a course at one of the local universities in tractor pull construction.
I couldn’t possibly comment on who was right out of the show’s promoters and my hotel porter, but it was quite entertaining nevertheless.
Driving one of the machines would certainly be a way to make those long hours of ploughing more entertaining!
Caroline Stocks - Business Reporter