Tractor Pulling: John Oncken Takes a Local Look

A little background on tractor Pulls. They began with farmers gathering on Sundays to see who had the best tractor. Farmers took turns pulling a flat stoneboat or sled onto which men jumped as it was pulled down a dirt track. When the weight was too much and the tractor stopped, the distance was measured. Tractor pulls took off as a sport with the advent of the modern "sled," which gradually adds downforce weight.

The Wileman brothers started a small tractor pull in Edgerton in 1995, Kraig says. "Kurt and I built the track and ran it for a few years."

When the 140-cow dairy herd of Crazy Acres was sold in 1998, the Wileman brothers got serious about tractor pulling.

A year later the boys were competing in local and statewide events with the Badger State Tractor Pullers Association. Their big boost came when they began using better engines.

Posted by James Zellmer at April 14, 2005 1:08 PM | Subscribe to this site via RSS:
Posted to Agriculture | Culture