Sneaky Bastard

I love tractor pulling. There, I said it. It’s irrational and abhorrent to my tree hugging sensibilities. I’m nostalgic for the farmer lifestyle that I’ve never known. And, for some reason, I’m a loyal fan of John Deere. I can’t cheer for any tractor that isn’t sporting green and yellow. The only John Deere product I’ve ever owned was a mediocre residential weed cutter made in China.

I went to the Cal Poly Tractor Pull as a child with my dad. It was awesome. I remember the Godfather and Nitemare with multiple V8 engines strapped onto their frames. The sound of these machines with their massive superchargers sitting atop big blocks made the air vibrate and the ground shake. I remember the smell of nitromethane. When a blower belt would break, little bits of rubber would rain down on us like confetti. It’s one of the best memories I have. Even as an adult, I get teary when watching these spectacles.

Today I am a fan of super stock and pro stock tractor pulling classes. These are massively modified diesel engines with multiple turbo compressors that produce nearly ten times the horsepower of the tractors they vaguely resemble.

I haven’t been to a tractor pull in more than a year. Hopefully ESPN will pick up the ATPA or NTPA series this summer. If you’ve never seen a tractor pull, there is a video on YouTube titled Horsepower! Tractor Pulling in the American Heartland that captures a small slice of the sport. I’ve seen many tractor pulling videos from European countries, especially Finland and Germany, lately. Go figure.