400hp Massey Ferguson 8S tractor tackles rally-raid

After eight days blasting along rough, rock-strewn tracks and scrabbling for grip scaling tall sand dunes, a much-modified farm tractor completed a gruelling rally-raid motorsport event for the first time.

The Massey Ferguson 8S, entered by Swiss machinery dealer Kuffer Agri, finished a creditable fourth out of eight seasoned competitors in the truck category of the Morocco Desert Challenge, and in 75th place overall out of 144 competitors.

See also: Owner rates Massey Ferguson 8S.265 tractor with Dyna E-Power transmission

Rally-raid events cover long distances over the toughest terrain – this one was 3,500km across eight stages – attracting entrants with a varied mix of purpose-built rally vehicles, highly modified production cars, motorbikes and hugely powerful trucks.

A rally-raid is widely acknowledged as being one of the most demanding off-road motorsport events, testing the endurance of drivers, navigators and vehicles alike.

A Massey Ferguson 8S Dyna E-Power was Gilles Kuffer’s chosen steed, but extensively modified from the standard-spec machines tackling a few hectares of ploughing or baling.

For one thing, the wick was well and truly turned up on the tractor’s 7.4-litre Agco Power engine.

It normally maxes out at 285hp with the E-Power tranny, but 400hp was on tap for the rally, while juggling some gear ratios in the 28-speed, double-clutch powershift took its top speed from 50kph to 75kph.

Gilles’ choice from the transmissions available on the 8S centred on its ability to deliver maximum power continuously while tackling the sand dunes without gear- or range-shifting interruptions.

He adds that in addition to the rally itself, the E-Power unit proved durable over 2,000km of rigorous testing and more than 13 hours of continuous gear changing.

© Dakar Tractor Rally

Big Michelin Evobib VF tyres front and rear, together with the PTG tyre inflation management system available through the MF By You bespoke options programme, helped keep the tractor afloat on soft sand, and two spares carried at the back plus a handling crane covered the risk of punctures.

Other contingency kit included aluminium sand ladders and a shovel, while more substantial additions were a heavy-duty roll cage that fully enclosed the cab, in which the driver and navigator sit snuggly restrained by full harness belts on the side-by-side rally seats, with all controls offset in front of the pilot.

Lithuanian farmers stage a tractor rally-raid

Farmers in the Baltic state of Lithuania staged their own rally-raid event, this one exclusively for tractors, with 31 teams taking to the 48km route in a time trial with a challenging navigation road book, four checkpoints and strict observation of speed limits.

© Dakar Tractor Rally

The class structure covered open 40kph and 30kph top-speed categories, and a class for new factory-built farm tractors – drivers and navigators with John Deere 6M 250, Massey Ferguson 9S.425 and Case IH Optum CVX 250 machines took the top three places.

© Dakar Tractor Rally

All teams completed the route, including a Ukrainian-built XTZ T-150K that took second place in the 30kph class despite losing one of its rear wheels as it approached the finish line.

The event is said to have attracted around 10,000 spectators and key elements of the event including communication between the farming community and public, and educational activities for children.