Pro Stocks at the Precipice of Pulling. Driver Rankings Reviewed

Pro Stocks at the Precipice of Pulling. Driver Rankings Reviewed

Watch the full podcast revealing the driver rankings here! 

This Week In Pulling: EP 5 - Pro Stock Driver Rankings Reveal

The latest ranking has been revealed by Full Pull in their peer rankings power systems. This time we meander on over to the second heaviest class in all of professional pulling, and potentially the absolute fan favorite: The 10,000 pound Pro Stocks. Not only is this one of the largest and most populated classes in the sport, but it is also absolutely filled to the brim with preeminent drivers. This class is littered so fully with skilled competitors, that when trying to compile a list, it’s actually quite easy to make blunders, and erroneously leave off obvious choices. 

To review, the driver ranking system is just that- a system where drivers vote on their fellow competitors to determine who they believe have the most skill on the track. They are not voting for the tractors, they are voting on the skill level of drivers. They cannot vote for themselves. Drivers must have competed at the national level, or high state level within the past year to be eligible. This Week in Pulling revealed the top five Pro Stock drivers last Wednesday (link above). This one was pretty spot on. As a matter of fact, I shot from the hip and made my own list by the seat of my pants on the Let’s Grow Pulling podcast just a few days before. In a class that contains so many top tier winners, I blatantly left off some obvious choices. My list included the following drivers: Carlton Cope, Justin Wagler, Julia Ray, Brent Meyer, and Rob Russell. See any obvious oversights? If not, you will when you read the driver voted list. I smacked myself in the forehead with frustration when the list was released, immediately recognizing my blunder. And yet, I would be hard pressed to want to leave any of my choices off the list. A testament to the notion that this class is simply overflowing with legendary competition. 

The official driver ranking list for Pro Stocks is as follows: 

5) Carlton Cope

4) Tim Cain

3) Brandon Simon

2) Danny Schmucker 

1)Kevin Masterson 

This is a tough tough list to analyze and break down. Firstly, my gut reaction upon looking at it (after recovering from the shock of blatantly leaving Kevin Masterson off my own list), was that this list was perfect. I had very little qualms or tough reactions to it. Let’s dive deeper. I have gone on public record stating I think Carlton Cope is not only one of the best drivers in the Pro Stock class, but the best driver in all of tractor pulling. My theory is that if he took the exact same traditional setup that everyone else, or almost everyone else, uses in his class, he would win numerous championships, but hey, after the renaissance pass he showed us at the farm show, maybe he can do it with the v8. 

Speaking of renaissance, Tim Cain is enjoying a resurgence on a tractor that has a freshened heart and soul, also coming off a very impressive Louisville showing. Much to the aspect of Carlton Cope, would Tim Cain’s legacy have looked like had he instead broken brand loyalty and sat atop a big block John Deere for twenty years? Highlighting again how the competitors understood they were voting for driving talent. 

I had initially left either of the Simons off my list, because to me this was an exclusively Pro Stock list, and their multitudinous array of pulling vehicles in their stable doesn’t immediately make me associate them with only this class. However, reflecting on it now, it would have the opposite result on me. This is about driver skill. Being able to win multiple championships across multiple classes is a testament, not a detriment, to that skill. 

Danny Schmucker and Kevin Masterson are some of the elder statesmen of the sport. They have been dominant, especially in Pro Pulling League for quite some time now. Kevin’s last name has literally become synonymous with Freedom Hall. These are the two I kicked myself for leaving off my own list. 

And yet, is it ever truly that simple? Our driver voted list omits both the PPL and NTPA 2024 national champions. Brent Meyer is a bit of a new kid on the block, though his horsepower has backed it up on the track. Injected Funds is a back to back, two time champion on the oldest stage in pulling. Perhaps the drivers recognized this more as the vehicle, and are waiting to see if his legacy keeps his name as a skilled driver atop the ranks. 

Darryl Folz, the teammate of Kevin Masterson, with his Tinker Toy machine does cause me to raise my eyebrows ever so slightly, though. Oftentimes I almost think of River Rat and Tinker Toy; Kevin Masterson and Darryl Folz as a package deal. I know Masterson has the prestige and resume, but breaking it down, Folz is the one with the more recent championship. Since we saw Masterson on the list, I would have expected to see Folz on there as well. 

All simply food for thought, and as I have mentioned before, I am not one in the driver's seat, therefore will never know and see these things from that vantage point. This list was just about as dialed in as a list could be, in my opinion. It is just a testament to how stellar the competition is in not only this class, but our sport as a whole. 

I like slamming doors and spark plugs, but composing this article has me craving some big turbos and coal black smoke. 

Green Flags and Tight Chains. 

Pullin’ is fun. 

Mike Eitel 

Beer Money Pulling Team 

Engagement Specialist 

michael.eitel.bevier@gmail.com

660.342.0206