Tractor pull offers ‘rush’ for some

Article Photos

HUGHESVILLE - The Lycoming County Fair was filled with the hum of tractor engines on Sunday, as dozens of tractors sped down the grandstand midway, pulling tremendous weights behind them.

Many who attended described the garden tractor pull as a good family activity.

"It's a great place to come and bring the whole family," Ronie Hauck of Wingfield said.

Hauck's 5-year-old daughter, Tabby, competed in the children's pull, in which the tractors, driven by children with parental supervision, hauled 700 pounds behind them.

Tabby said she likes "to win" the most, but that she likes seeing her friends at tractor pulls, and she likes to "sometimes" help her father work on her tractor.

Hauck has been pulling since he was 10 years old, and said the events are a good way to get children involved in an activity.

"It gives kids something to do, and it's organized," he said.

Bruce Rambler of Palmyra agreed.

"I started because it was something to help me bond with my kids," he said.

Rambler said he doesn't have a strategy going into the pull, he just tries "to have fun."

"The whole thing's a rush," he said.

The adult division pulls are divided into several categories, based on the type of tractor being used, and pull between 900 and 1,150 pounds of weight behind them.

Charlie Budman of Allenwood also said he doesn't have a strategy during a pull, he just tries "to go as far as I can."

However, Budman said that in addition to the competition, he enjoys the atmosphere of the pulls.

"It's something to do for friends and neighbors," he said.

Unlike Rambler and Budman, David Helpman of Williamsport has a strategy going into a competition. While he doesn't race the tractors himself, he owns several, which race in pulls and focuses on making sure they are "built right."

"If you don't have them built right, they aren't going to be any good," he said.

Helpman's focus on tractor tuning may come from his experience as a car repairman. Helpman owns Dave's Repair Service in Williamsport and said his background in auto repairs as "probably" helped him in competitions.

Helpman also said while his team "tries to win," its main goal is "to have fun."

Dery Kerwell of Montgomery summed up the feelings of a lot people at the event when he said, "I just like tractor pulling."