About Us

BEGINNINGS & CLASSIFICATIONS

It all began before the 1970s — but in 1970 a large group of pullers from across the state got together to start the association. They had their work cut out for them. They had to decide what (and how many classes) to run, rules for the classes, purse payout, and other areas of the association too numerous to list.

They first started out with the Super Stock tractor classes and Hot Rod or Modified tractor classes. They basically set their rules back then on a mile-per-hour basis on the vehicles. The maximum allowed was 7 MPH (wow, things have changed!). They basically set their rules in accordance with the National Tractor Pullers Association.

 SPECIFICATIONS & FUEL
    Cubic inch limitations were far smaller than those of today’s tractors. For instance, a 5500 lbs Super Stock Tractor was around 285 cubic inches. Today’s 6000 lbs Super Stock Tractors are limited to 505 cubic inches. There were no turbo charger limitations. Today’s Super Stock Tractors are limited to 4 turbos of any size wished.

Alcohol was something that had not been done a lot to the tractors back in the 70s. They experimented with running tractors on gasoline assisted by alcohol. As the technology advanced with the times, alcohol was used as the primary fuel. Today you see many of the Super Stocks being campaigned, run on alcohol only. They are able to increase the horsepower of the engines when they run on alcohol.

You can tell the difference when watching these tractors: they do not have the classic black smoke that the diesel powered tractors do. Alcohol is now also being used in many of our pickups.

 SLEDS
  The sleds that were used were also very different than sleds you see today. The first sled was a manned sled. What does that mean? Well, they set chairs along the track at about 2 foot intervals. People would sit on the chairs. As the sled went down the track, the person at the chair at that point on the track would step on the sled — all the way down the track — until the tractor stopped.

This is how they increased the weight on the sled.

Today’s sleds are very different than those of the 70s. The sleds are self-propelled, have brakes and gears, and are equipped to add and take off weights in the weight box. Besides, I don’t think anyone would be willing to step on the side of a sled today. The power has increased in the vehicles as quickly as the times.

 CLASSES
There have been changes in classes over the 40-plus years. For the year 2017 we have 11 classes of vehicles. They are:

2 classes Econo-Mods

6000 lbs. Super Stock

8200 lbs. Super Stock

2 classes at 6500 lbs. Two Wheel Drive Pickups

2 classes of 6200 lbs. Four Wheel Drive Pickups

8000 lbs. 466 Limited Pro-Stocks

9000 lbs. 466 Limited Pro-Stocks

10,000 lbs. Pro-Stocks

 SAFETY
   We are a very family-oriented group of pullers. Safety is a big concern to all of our pullers. Each class has a specific set of safety rules to follow and are checked by elected Tech Officials.

All vehicles have a fire extinguisher on board, kill switches and a back-up light. All drivers are required to wear fire-proof racing suits, gloves, and shoes. Helmets and seat belts are also required.

The Super Stock classes and the Limited Pro-Stock classes are required to have rollover protection devices (roll bars) on their tractors. These are also teched to make sure they are built durable enough to hold the weight of the tractor in case of a rollover.

 THE PULLS
   We all enjoy pulling down that 300-foot track. We all like to win, but we understand that only one person will win the class. Maybe next time it will be my turn. We pull all over the state of Nebraska. We are always looking for new promoters and enjoy working with our dedicated promoters also.

Putting on a pull is not an easy task. We put on the show, but the promoters have to get the spectators there. They also have to provide us with a track, lots of pit area, and tractors to maintain the track. This is not an over-night set-up. It takes weeks and months of preparation.

We do pull for a purse at our pulls. Now, you may think, “Well, they do it for the money.” That’s not exactly true. We don’t come close to breaking even at the end of the season. All of the vehicles you see pulling take a lot of specialized parts. And very many of those parts include a hefty price tag.

We all run for points at each pull. At the end of the year we have a banquet and give our awards to the top five pullers in each class. Needless to say we finally have a fun evening without changing weights.

 CONCLUSION
   Over the last 40+ years there have been many changes with classes and vehicles. The association progressed with the times and technology. We have remained successful and will continue to find success with the support of our pullers, promoters, and numerous fans. Hope to see you at track-side!