32 33PULLERTH

E June 2016

Super National Event Preview

“Blue” turns gold in Bowling GreenThursday opener, Super Sunday mark a half century of full pulls

The “Blue Shirts” have revealed their blueprint for the 50th National Tractor Pulling Championships. This year’s event is certain to be an unforgettable experience for spectators, an unprecedented opportunity for competitors, and an unabashed tribute to past participants.

CompetitionMost notable is the expansion of

the program to six sessions over four days. Session One has been advanced to the evening of Thursday, August 18. Action will begin at 6:30 p.m. with four NTPA sanctioned classes. Start times are 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. for Sessions Two through Five on Friday and Saturday to complete the competition for national points.

Then at noon on August 21 comes the return of Super Sunday, which will showcase the weekend’s top

five competitors from each of 12 divisions as ranked by placings and total distance. A throwback to the event’s early years that incorporated qualifying heats and final rounds, Super Sunday 2016 will result in the awarding of commemorative trophies—not to mention the most coveted championship rings ever.

The total purse for the weekend will exceed $350,000. Additionally, Case IH Agriculture will offer $5,000 to any competitor in the Super Stock Diesel, Pro Stock, or Super Farm Tractor division who can complete a three-hook weekend sweep.

HistoryIn recognition of the significance of

this year’s event, the Retired Pulling Tractor Museum has been dramatically expanded. More than 30 vehicles and countless pieces of pulling

memorabilia will be exhibited under the covered south-side grandstand. NTPC announcer and pulling blogger Miles Krieger will present several sessions of his “Miles Beyond 300” road show with interviews of special guests. In between live productions, attendees can still take a break from the bright Ohio sunshine by watching videos of pulling days gone by.

Select vehicles—25 invitees at last count—will once again roar to life when the National Tractor Pulling Legends make exhibition passes down the twin tracks throughout the weekend and as part of the Super Sunday opening ceremonies. Past competitors will have their voices heard, too, as several of the men and women who have driven their way into the Bowling Green record books, including three confirmed to have competed in the 1967 pull, will serve as special guest announcers.

2016 will also mark the induction of the inaugural class of the National Tractor Pulling Championships Hall of Fame. The Hall will be represented both by a traveling plaque, viewable throughout the weekend at the museum, and by a permanent monument to be erected at the Haskins Road office of the “Blue Shirts,” the Northwest Ohio Tractor Pullers Association.

Contests and GiveawaysFans of all ages will have

opportunities to win special 50th anniversary prizes, the first of which will kick off the show itself. The qualifying round of the 50th Anniversary Cooler Contest will take place Thursday afternoon at Crazy Frank’s Pavilion located in the

campground area. Judging of the 20 finalists will then occur on the pulling tracks after Thursday evening’s session. Contest rules are posted at the event’s official website, www.PullTown.com.

Pulling’s youngest fans are invited to participate in three

sessions of Kiddie Pedal Pulls on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

mornings with an unprecedented reward for each winner: a full-size pedal tractor. Attendees who can prove they do understand “a Bowling Green thing” by wearing official NTPC apparel from previous years might earn themselves a prize awarded by crowd-roving spies. One crisp $50 bill will be given away every 15 minutes, all weekend long. And some lucky spectators will earn a “fan appreciation experience” like no other.

Concerts and CampingNo edition of the NTPC would

be complete without live music. Following Thursday’s Session One, Mustang Sally, presented by Callies Performance Products of Fostoria and the NWOTPA, will perform in front of the grandstand. Campground concerts after Friday and Saturday’s

evening sessions will be headlined by the Southern Rock Superstars and Unpaved, respectively.

The campground area, expanded by 25 acres to accommodate the explosive growth in attendance, will open at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17. Additional competitor parking and spectator seating have also been secured.

MerchandiseCan’t wait until August to begin

celebrating? You can already enjoy the expanded 50th anniversary NTPC

official souvenir program. Containing 164 pages of stories and photographs that cover the event’s first 49 years, the program will be available in mid-June at the event’s online store and at Tractor Supply Company outlets, and it will also be sold during the event. Additionally ready for purchase at www.PullTown.com are event tickets and commemorative merchandise.

For up-to-the-minute details on these and other happenings at the world’s largest truck and tractor pulling event, visit www.PullTown.com.

Story by NTPA StaffPhotos courtesy of NWOTPA

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