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Tractor pull roars into town Friday By Jason Schaefer The Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling Association will roll into town this weekend, tearing up the dirt on the floor of the East Williamson County Event Center. The Taylor Rodeo Association will host the event, which will start at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights. Entry is free for children under 5, $10 for children 5 to 13 and $15 for adults 13 and older. Tractor owners from seven different states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, will compete in four different classes — four-wheel-drive pickup, light super-stock tractor, two-wheel-drive truck and modified tractor — for a winner’s purse of up to $5,000. The trucks and tractors, with engines from 1,000 to 5,000 horsepower, will haul a sled weighing 60,000 pounds down a runway. For each competitor, the weight of the load increases as the sled is moved. Between six and 12 vehicles will compete in each class, and the competitors will use a variety of engines including methanol, diesel, triple V-8, double hemi and aircraft engines. “The tractor pull is one of those motor sports that’s so much better there than on TV,” Doug Roberts, OTTPA representative, said. “They really shake the ground, and you can feel them, kind of like when you go to the drag race.” Taylor Rodeo Association expects a huge turnout for the event, with guests from all over the United States, some from as far as North Dakota and Montana, said TRA Vice President Donald Hancock. The event will also include several vendors’ booths selling items such as children’s toys and jewelry, and concessions will be available. The Taylor Rodeo Association hosts large-scale events like the tractor pull to draw out-of-towners to businesses in Taylor. Proceeds go to maintaining and improving the East Williamson County Event Center, bringing in more shows and donations to Willamson County 4-H clubs, FFA, Relay for Life and other organizations. The event is for all ages, Hancock said. About one hour before the event, children can sit in some of the tractors, and adults can peruse the tractors up close and visit with the builders and drivers. “It’s just a lot of fun for people who like raw horsepower,” he said.
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