Friday, May 28, 2010
Popular Rumble At The Crossroads Is Coming
Big-time truck and tractor pulling is coming to Lawrenceburg’s Rotary Park on Saturday, May 29. The Lawrenceburg Rotary Club and the Crossroads of Dixie Antique Tractor & Engine Club are preparing to unleash a one-night spectacle of sight, sound, and professional motorsports fury with the 7th Annual “Rumble at the Crossroads” NTPA-sanctioned Truck & Tractor Pull.
Lawrenceburg has long been a hotbed of pulling action and Saturday’s pull will again feature several local competitors. Participants include 2009 National Champion of the NTPA Grand National Circuit Russell Counce and Jed Pettus with “Dixie Deere” (John Deere 4255), Jerrett Curtis’s “Pop Tart Monkey” (Super Modified 4WD Ford), Cranford Jennings’ “Bare Bones Binder” (1066 International), Eddie Kerr’s “Spendin’ Daddy’s Money” (Oliver 2255), and Steven Long’s “Just a Plow Tractor” (JD 6030).
In addition to the local talent, there will also be several well-known contestants including Pulaski resident Larry Douthit, the owner of “Big Daddy Magic” (Dodge) and 2009 Grand National Champion in the Four-wheel-drive truck category.
The competition will be hosted by NTPA-sanctioned Mid-South Pullers Association which draws top competitors from Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. Pulling classes for Saturday include Light Super Stock Tractors, Super Farm Tractors, Heavy Super Stock Tractors (Regional), 2WD Trucks (Regional), Super Modified 4WD Trucks, and Stock 4WD Trucks.
Many competitors, as well as fans, have journeyed to Lawrenceburg from many miles away for The Rumble. Guests from Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Wisconsin have made the trip to beautiful Rotary Park over the past few years. This year, special guest, Sterling Marlin – Columbia native and 2-time Daytona 500 winner - will be in attendance. Editor Joe Egli – “Photo Joe” as he is known to the pulling world – will travel from South Pekin, Illinois to cover the event for Full Pull Magazine, which is the authority of pulling across the United States. A representative from the NTPA’s monthly publication “The Puller Magazine” will also be at the park to cover the contest.
The major sponsor of the professional pulling event is Precision Turbo and Engine, located in Hebron, Indiana, and arena sponsors are Black Warrior Auction Company, Farm Credit Services, and Lawrence Farmers Co-op. Additional local sponsors are Chaparral’s Steakhouse, Crop Production Services, Farmer’s Supply, First Farmers & Merchants Bank, Pettus-McLain Trucking Company, Perry Brothers Tractor Company, Sharp Transport, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Tri Green Equipment, LLC, and Wilson Oil Company.
The National Tractor Pullers Association was established in 1969 and sets the standard in the pulling industry for safety and competition rules. The Crossroads of Dixie Antique Tractor & Engine Club was established in 1996 and hosts a two-day tractor show in August which has grown to be one of the largest in the South. For more information, visit www.midsouthpullers.com or www.crossroadsofdixie.com.
Admission to the event is $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 6 through 12. The first pull begins at 6:00 p.m., and Rotary Park gates open at 4:00. Come early to meet the drivers, then settle back and experience the feel of raw horsepower!
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