Lately some of our customers have been asking questions about our pulling designs. Namely, “Are those tractors with custom paint jobs?!” and, “I have never seen a truck like that, what do they use it for?” and my favorite (in regards to the modified tractors), “What IS that?!” So many have asked, we thought we would not only address those questions, but feature our Pullers on our website for a few weeks.
When you ask the Pullers and fans to describe this time honored past time the comments range from, “Best 15 second ride in the world,” to, “Biggest thrill ever,” or my personal favorite, “It’s the biggest waste of money ever, waste of time…. In other words it’s AWESOME!!!!!!”
In general, Pulling is a motorsport where people modify trucks and tractors to pull a weighted sled. The goal is to pull the sled 300 feet, or have a “Full Pull”. Some of these teams have been pulling for generations and it’s really a family tradition, others grew up watching the pulls and just had to get in the game themselves as they got older.
Excel Sportswear has quickly become a known name amongst the sport to Pullers and fans alike. They appreciate that we love the sport and the raw power of the machinery. They also appreciate our detailed artwork because it helps to show off the uniqueness of each tractor and truck. It’s really a perfect fit for the sport, product and community.
One of the things that we love about this sport is the connection they have with their fans. Unlike other motorsports, the teams, drivers and equipment are highly accessible. At many events they have open pits. At these events it’s not uncommon for fans to meet the drivers, see teams working on upgrades or repairs and see the intricate paint jobs and exposed engines up close and personal. Bottom line, you can see, smell and even feel the ground rumble as they fire up in the pits. That’s something you just don’t get at other sporting events.
Like most sports, teams and fans have their favorites. Some have a favorite truck or tractor, others favorite teams (who have multiple pieces they run), but most tend to have at least a brand favorite. There are Green fans, who like John Deere, Red fans, who like International or Case IH, and there are Blue fans who like Ford and New Holland. Not to be forgotten are the Mini-Mo fans, Allis fans or any of the other numerous tractor brands out there.
And you cannot forget the truck fans. They range from Four Wheel Drive fans, Two Wheel Drive fans, Super Semi fans and have brand favorites as well that range from Ford to Chevy to Mack trucks. Some of these trucks look like something you would see on the road (just weighted in the front), others, like the T-Buckets have a unique look all their own. A good bit of them however, in many classes have smoke stacks that will blacken the sky with their power on a run…. a sight that really gets the fans geared up.
Another group of fans to remember are the modified fans. If you are not familiar with Pulling, I can guarantee you have never seen anything like these before. These are modified tractors that have exposed engines on a modified chassis. They range from Mini Mods that are 2,000lbs (one of the lightest classes) which are one of the hardest to control; to the Unlimited Mods that have been known to have 5-6 race engines, a few jet or helicopter engines or even V-12 Allison aircraft engines. It’s an insane amount of power (15,000HP) under the control of one driver, held back only by the weight of the sled. It’s definitely a unique sight.
We know that many have never heard of this sport, but let me tell you first hand – once you get a taste of this, it gets under your skin and you want to see more. The colorful paint, clever names, sheer power of the equipment and the passion that the teams have for this sport; there just isn’t anything else quite like it.
Excel is proud to be a part of this sport’s culture and to help show off these great pieces of equipment that, for some, may have otherwise never knew existed.
We hope that this write up helps to clear up some of the questions our customers may have had about pulling teams and the sport in general. We also hope that this might help get a few more fans for the sport and general interest in what pulling entails.
Let us know how we did. Give us some feedback. What else would you like to know about pulling? Any other customers that you would like to see highlighted on our website? Do you like this type of feature on our page?
To see more of the designs featuring this sport and the Pullers, please check out our Facebook page and website:
Facebook Tractor Pulling Album
Tractor Pulling Design Gallery On Our Website
To learn more about the sport in general visit:
