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Trucks, tractors set to compete in power pulling contests

By Jon Stevens, For The Greene County Messenger 3 min read
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WAYNESBURG – Trucks and tractors straining their engines to pull sleds loaded with thousands of pounds of weight will again entertain fans as Power Pulling Productions LLC is coming back to the Greene County Fair to present two nights of smoke and noise.

The first power pulling event will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, sponsored by Fox Ford, and will feature mostly trucks.

The power pulling competition on Saturday, Aug. 12, sponsored by Bortz Chevrolet Subaru, will feature heavier duty trucks and tractors and also will begin at 7 p.m.

Power Pulling Productions, LLC, of Western Pennsylvania, has the distinct honor of being the first regional sanctioning group to join with the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League.

Power Pulling Productions, LLC based in New Brighton, produces truck and tractor pulling events in the territories of Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and Northern West Virginia.

Bob Blank, operating director of Power Pulling Productions, said this is the 11th year that the Greene County Fair has served as a venue for the competition.

The two separate competitions will give truck and tractor pullers a chance to participate in highly competitive power pulling events for points.

Vehicles that can be registered for the event vary from classic-looking tractors to 20,000-pound open semi-trucks to diesel-powered four by fours.

The Greene County Fair was one of the first fairs to sign on with Power Pulling Productions, which is why it is meaningful to Blank.

Blank has high praise for the Greene County Fair Board, noting “they are always good to us. They are easy to get along with and they do a good job and treat us right.”

The Power Pulling competitions give viewers the unique opportunity to witness trucks and tractors furiously spit out smoke while wheels create deep ruts in the dirt track, all in an effort to pulls sleds of various weights to complete a course.

If more than one vehicle can complete a full pull, more weight is added to the sleds and the competitors will continue to complete as many full pulls as possible.

The competitor who can pull the sled with the most weight will be declared the winner.

The Power Pulling competition remains a staple at the Greene County Fair.

“We always have a good turnout of vehicles and we always have a nice-sized crowd,” Blank said.

Blank has been involved in truck and tractor pulling since 1972 when his brother-in-law built a modified tractor that competed on the state and local levels.

During the years of competition with this tractor, Blank and others decided to build a pulling sled.

Their sled was used on the state and local level and was also used as a backup sled for TNT pulling events, which took them to pulls on a national level.

This group also had equipment needed to promote their own pulling events.

Blank has been a member of the Big Knob Grange Fair Board for more than 10 years and his responsibility was the securing and operation of all track events.

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