Revving up the Rivalry

Revving up the Rivalry

Revving up the Rivalry


The articles produced in my pulling office as of late have shared a certain theme: the emphasis of the sporting side and competition of truck and tractor pulling. We all bring our own personality traits and background experiences to the table of whatever passion we partake in. And, as much as I may wish it were otherwise, the auto mechanical know-how is not at the top of my report card A-list. I understand just enough about the internals of the horsepower process to make myself sound foolish on a microphone. I do, however, come very comfortably and confidently from a sporting household. Lucky for myself, the sport of pulling doesn’t exist singularly in the shops and on the dyno’s, but is measured, gauged, and competed out on the track. We keep track of the winners. It’s a sport, built on the motivation to outdo your foe, and push yourself and machine to the limits of performance. 


Winning is an enthralling and captivating experience, even for those not directly engaged in the battle of competition. This is why we can spend whole afternoons, or even days, consuming sports of all kinds, simply as fans. For myself, this weekend, that included college basketball and the onset of NASCAR’s upcoming season. The clash at Bowman Gray was one of the more entertaining races I have watched in a while, exhibition or not, and my Missouri Tigers are riding one of the most enjoyable hot streaks they have seen in some time. In fact, it was college basketball that inspired the topic for today’s reflections. You see, when scrolling social media during and after Mizzou’s latest win, it wasn’t only the Tigers’ success that had us Missouri residents in such a positive mood, but also the downfall of the Kansas Jayhawks. A power-house team to the west suddenly found itself in the loser’s column, the same day we picked up a very impressive win. Well that seems a bit mean-spirited. Why would a fan base be relishing in the struggles of another team? 


Rivalry. 


This week’s discussion topic is perhaps the most motivating thing from a fan’s and competitor's aspect in sports. The burning desire to take on that one specific opponent that gets under your skin. The antitheses of your program. A rivalry is the spark that ignites the most motivated flame in any activity. The Missouri vs. Kansas or Duke vs. North Carolina matchups of the world. Heck, it extends beyond sports. This can be as simple as Coke vs. Pepsi for anyone not versed in the sporting world. The question then is a simple one. Who holds the biggest rivalry in pulling? Well… that is a sticky question, and I like being everyone’s friend. Seriously. I think all drivers are awesome. Now, make no mistake, pullers and teams came to mind. Some, rather quickly. But all person to person rivalries have two sides to the story, and that is the drivers’ tale to tell, not mine. In fact, the track itself usually plays referee to any feuds or grudge matches as well as anything. 


So instead of asking ourselves who is pulling’s biggest rivalry, I think instead the question should be what is pulling’s biggest rivalry? The answer to that question, in my opinion, gets settled once a year on pulling’s biggest stage, when the National Farm Machinery Show hosts “The Duel of the Fuels.” I have written articles in the past discussing my opinion that the Heavy Super Stock class is pulling’s most original and cornerstone class. I have even written articles discussing how alcohol and diesel teams should try to get along. Play nicely. Support one another. Today, however, we acknowledge a rivalry, that done through spark or compression can most certainly get heated. 


As a kid, I can remember two major changes running through the world of pulling in the mid to late 1990’s. Roll cages and alcohol powered super stocks. The times were changing, and there was pushback. Would the alcohol guys overtake the entire super stock world? Would smoke blowers be forced to retire their equipment, jump to a different class, or even, god forbid, convert to alcohol? A little bit of all of the three in all honesty. But the question was eventually settled when the classes were split, and the Diesel Super Stock class was born. 


[Anytime this discussion gets brought up this is the part where I incessantly always point out that technically, the classes weren’t split. That in reality a new, exclusive class was born. The Super Stock Diesel class exists separately, but the Heavy Super Stock class, per the rulebook, stayed the same. Remember, a diesel burner is, and always has been allowed to pull in the original class. This comes into play later] 


In the final stages of the 2019 season the Triple Bypass tractor laid down a nonpoints pass at a local track, opting to put his diesel powered super stock in against the alcohol burners. He won spectacularly, and the cry from the fans was on. Combine the classes! A few short months later, at the summit of all pulling, Louisville answered by announcing the Duel of the Fuels. ALL super stocks would be ran in the same class. Six alcohol representatives. Six diesels. The finals would be the top six spots of either, regardless of fuels. The rivalry renewed. The biggest rivalry in pulling. 


So how has this head to head challenge played out over the years? The statistics are small, but it seems we have a pattern. The winners have gone alcohol, diesel, alcohol, in that order. John Strickland in 2020, Travis Schlabach in 2022, and Josh Blackbourn in 2024. Some might say that it isn’t a fair test. Alcohol is more finicky in colder weather and changing temperatures, and also traditionally performs better on a longer track, opting for speed over torque. I imagine diesel guys turn a deaf ear to this, and just play reruns of Slowride, Running Bear, and Bad Medicine from the 90’s in their mind, not feeling the least bit sorry for their sparkplug counterparts. 


Where do you stand on this fence of the rivalry? Better yet, what is your prediction for this latest installment of the horsepower in the Hall? Let’s take a quick look together and see if we can land on a decent prediction. Sticking with the pattern, for the sake of fun, it looks like it’s the diesels’ turn to walk away with a win. My eyes are quickly drawn to three diesel competitors. The Blagraves in Red Horse, Brandon Hunt in Liv’n A Dream, and Colin Ross in Triple Bypass. Redhorse is entirely picking from the heart. This was my favorite tractor growing up as a kid, and I tend to cheer for them any chance I get. However, after running a limited schedule in 2024 I don’t know we have enough data to solidly lock that in. The Liv’n A Dream tractor has shown flashes of brilliance at Freedom Hall, and is one of those machines that can win at the drop of a hat. He’s a force to be reckoned with. But, with 11 wins on the 2024 season, how could we ever pick against the tractor that has led the crusade on this endeavor? Colin Ross and Triple Bypass set this whole thing into motion in 2019. They even ran a dual schedule in 2022. I think that is the tractor we need to watch in the best rivalry in pulling. 


Green Flags and Tight Chains 

Pulling is Fun.

 

Mike Eitel

Beer Money Pulling Team 

Engagement Specialist 

michael.eitel.bevier@gmail.com

660.342.0206

 


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