60,000 people are expected to fill the grandstands at the Wood County fairgrounds this weekend.
Last August, the stands were full. Instead of wearing jerseys and shouting team names, fans repped John Deere trucker hats and hollered for horsepower, as tractors of varying size rolled onto a dirt track for the National Tractor Pulling Championships in Bowling Green.
“Who’s ready for truck and tractor pulling?” an announcer bellowed into a microphone.
Thursday marked the start of the world-class competition’s 58th year. People from all over the world bring their tractors to Bowling Green to pull heavy sleds in a low mileage but high octane show of competition.
The competition completely transforms the northwest Ohio town. Bowling Green’s population practically doubles, said Dave Schultz, president of the Northwestern Ohio Tractor Pullers Association.
“For three days a year, we turn the city of Bowling Green, Ohio into Pulltown, USA,” he said.
Pulling 101
Tractor pulling competitions are relatively simple. It's not about how fast a tractor can go or how impressive its engines look. Schultz said it’s all about horsepower.
“You're going against a tape measure,” he said. “How far can you pull?”
At last year’s competition, a yellow tractor decorated with horse decals, known as the “Giddy Up” ride, revved up to find out.
The tricked out tractor looked nothing like the ones that mosey through Ohio’s farm fields. “Giddy Up” was equipped with three modified engines and supercharged blowers. As it pulled a massive weighted sled, its front wheels flew off the ground in a tractor version of popping a wheelie.
The farther the tractor traveled, the heavier its load got. Smoke and dust mingled in the air as the machinery sputtered out around 347 feet from its start. Some tractors in its class, which includes fully custom machines with up to 5800 horsepower, can pull 40,000 pounds, or the weight of several adult elephants.
“I love watching people's first reaction to seeing something get pulled,” Schultz said. “Once you kind of experience it, there's a good chance you're going to get hooked at it.”
A world-class competition
As more people have gotten hooked, the competition has gotten bigger over the years. But it's a tradition that’s been around since the late 19th century.
“I had somebody ask, ‘So when was the first tractor pull?’ I said, ‘Probably about five minutes after they built the second tractor,’” Schultz said.
The Northwestern Ohio Tractor Pullers Association raised the stakes by establishing the championship title in 1967.
It’s a big deal: not just in Bowling Green, but around the world. A couple competitors are shipping their tractors all the way from the Netherlands to participate in this year’s championships.
Shultz said it’s like the World Series in baseball or the Indy 500 for racing. But for Port Clinton puller Jeff Hirt it feels even bigger than that.
“I’ve never played football and that, but, in my eyes, it's kind of like the guys that walk out on the field at the Superbowl,” he said. “You stand in front of that many people, the lights, it’s just a different feeling on that track.”
Taking home the prize
Much like the Super Bowl, a coveted ring is on the line. Hirt has pulled since he was in high school. The 45-year old farmer has placed second many times at the national championships, but this year, he’s hopeful he can come home with some jewelry.
“That would be a very humbling moment. I’ve tried a lot of years to do it. There's been a lot of people who work real hard to do and earn it. It's a big honor to get it,” he said.
For Schultz, it doesn’t matter who winds up in the winners circle. He’s just proud to be a part of an event that's become a beacon for pulling fans across the country.
“I'm gonna enjoy every single minute while it's here,” he said. “But then as soon as it's over, I'm ready for the next one to start.”
The three-day competition wraps up on Saturday. That night, Schultz said he’ll start planning for 2026.
