After being bumped for music, tractor pull back at DuPage fair

Posted July 22, 2009 11:00 pm

Robert Sanchez

Tractor pulling - along with plumes of black smoke, roaring engines and flying dirt - is making its return Saturday to the DuPage County Fair in Wheaton.

Roughly 60 drivers from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin will compete in various weight classes with their souped-up tractors during the competition starting at 6 p.m. at the fair grandstand, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton.

"It feels great to be back," said Doug Bend, president of Illini State Pullers, which organized the event. "DuPage County is one of the larger county fairs in the state of Illinois. You always love pulling in front of a big crowd."

In 2005, fair organizers ditched the tractor pull to book more musical acts. But now the one-time staple is back.

To help ensure the event is a crowd-pleaser, officials with Illini State Pullers plan to use two packed dirt tracks. The goal is to have nonstop action of high-powered tractors pulling sleds with 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of weight.

The competitor who pulls the heaviest sled the farthest wins.

Bend said tractor pulling is a popular spectator sport because it's fascinating to see the modifications done to the once-conventional tractors.

Six classes of tractors are scheduled to compete, including 5,000-pound vehicles with non-turbo engines and "Super Stock" ones with turbochargers.

Bend said his tractor, a 1959 Minneapolis Moline G6, has a naturally aspirated engine capable of generating more than 500 horsepower.

"When it was farming, it was lucky to have 85 horsepower," he said. "It's not close to stock anymore."

Drivers spend anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 to modify their tractors. Tires alone cost as much as $6,000.

"Basically, you're working on them year-round," Bend said. "You're pulling them for three months and then you are working on them the rest of the time."

While the sport offers prize money, it's not much. The top prize for Saturday's winner is no more than $600.

"You do it for the love and the competition," Bend said. "This is a hobby."

The Shabbona resident said he was inspired to start competitive tractor pulling at age 16 because his dad and uncles used to compete.

"It's kind of a family tradition with me," he said.

The drivers expected to compete Saturday range in age from 17 to 60. Bend said the best drivers can read the track and determine where to get the best traction.

But unlike other sports, the phrase "practice makes perfect" doesn't necessarily apply to tractor pulling.

"Your practice is done right on the track when you pull," Bend said. "You've only got so many runs in all this high-performance equipment. You don't want to waste it on practice runs."

Several classes of tractors are scheduled to compete during Saturday's tractor pull event, organized by Illini State Pullers, at the DuPage County Fair in Wheaton. Daily Herald file photo, 2004

Illini State Pullers tractor pull competition When: 6 p.m. Saturday, July 25 Where: DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton Cost: $7 per person in addition to fair admission Info: (630) 668-6636 or <a href="http://dupagecountyfair.org" target="new">dupagecountyfair.org</a>

Article Comments

Article Categories
Communities Entertainment Festivals and Fairs Lifestyle Wheaton

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.