TRACTOR PULLING RETURNS TO THE BIG BUTLER FAIR 

PHOTOS BY BRIAN SEELY

The Big Butler Fair in Prospect, Pennsylvania has had 4x4 truck pulling and semi truck pulling for the past five years, but the high-powered “Smoker” Tractors have not pulled at this gigantic fair just north of Pittsburgh for many, many years.  In fact the pullers coming into the fairgrounds did know where to park or even where the track was located.  But after this night the Big Butler Fair has been firmly established as a tractor pull stop on the USA-EAST Pulling Series circuit.   On Thursday night an excellent field of tractors was greeted with a super crowd in the grandstand for the return of the sport of tractor pulling.  Two divisions from the USA-EAST series were contested under almost ideal conditions using Eric Chellman and the blue ‘Decision Maker’ transfer for the stopping power.

The opening class for the Limited Pro Stocks and Super Farms was just about perfect as Nathan Graham and the “Blue Reaper” from Greensburg, Pennsylvania got the victory with the only full pull of the class of seventeen tractors.  The actual measured distance for the reigning USA-EAST champion and his very stout Ford 9000 was 301.43 measured by the laser.  No other tractor in the class could get beyond the magic three hundred foot line, but many tractors got very close as the Big Butler Fair crowd was literally on the edge of the seats.  Owen McGill, who took over the USA-EAST point lead on this night, ended up as the runner-up with a pull of 299.88 with the “Code Red” International.

Third place went to Larry Ferringer from Dayton, Pennsylvania with “Smokin’ John” at an incredible 298.98 while the 4th place tractor was Ralph Hamilton and “Unforgiven” from Adena, Ohio measured at 298.23.  “Buck Fever”  from Ruffsdale, Pennsylvania went 296.36 with Fred Hildenbrand filling in as the driver for his brother Dan to grab fifth place.  Right behind in sixth place at 295.75 was the “Runnin’ Red Warrior” and Ross Martin from Enon Valley, Pennsylvania and seventh went to Brady Mermon, Jr and the “Barnburner I” from Avella, Pennsylvania at 294.11.  The top seven tractors were all within seven feet of each other for an outstandingly competitive class of pulling.

The second class on the evening was an open affair for the USA-EAST “Smoker Series” tractors with the Pro Stock Tractors shining on this night in Butler.  Tim McClelland from Wheeling, West Virginia came up from the Mountaineer State with his “Simply Awesome” International to make his first pull of 2010 a winning run after a stirring pull-off with four other competitors.   The runner-up was Russell Hildenbrand from Ruffsdale with the very strong running “JD Express” a John Deere 7920 with big block Deere power.  Last season’s USA-EAST champion, Kris Hoyt from Shikshinny, Pennsylvania, was third in the pull off with his Case 870 named the “Nut Case”.  Also making the pull-off was “Gone ‘Mokin” and Ray Link from Patton, Pennsylvania however a gear box failure in the pull-off relegated that JD 4560 to 4th in the pull-off. 

Neither of the top two tractors from last Saturday evening at the Trumbull County Fair in Cortland, Ohio were able to make full pulls on this evening in Butler County.  Rick Campbell took the win last week with his “Soupline Express”, but the new component never hookup up at Butler and finished 6th,  while the runner-up in Ohio,  Aaron Bradish and “Recycled Red”,  got to 294.68 just shy of the pull-off line.

With a solid field of tractors and an excellent crowd in the grandstands it would certainly appear that tractor pulling is firmly entrenched at the Big Butler Fair for the future.