Mike Barr from Port Matilda, Pennsylvania sort of ‘snuck up’ on the pullers in the 6200 pound street licensed gasoline class over the past couple of years.  When he showed up at the Jefferson County Fair a couple of years back with an unusually tall Chevrolet most folks figured that the driveline would explode just like other severely lifted trucks.  But when Barr’s truck did not come apart as expected, there were more than a few in attendance asking the question ‘Who is this guy??’

Now they all know who Mike Barr is….  He is the USA-EAST 2009 champion in the street licensed 4x4 truck class using gasoline for fuel.  Mike’s wife, Angela and their three daughers – Emily (10); Natalie (7); and Olivia (5) – are his biggest fans  ‘even when I don’t win’, said Barr.  Mike also credits his long time friend Jamie for helping to keep the truck running and for travelling to the pulls with him.  Mike is the owner of HalfMoon Towing, a company that he started 13 years ago and today is the sponsor for his truck called “Sled Wrecker”.  People may think that the name of the truck means that Barr is out to break the sleds, but when you think about his company and his sponsor you can figure out where the name originated.  Mike has been involved in pulling for quite some time and previously had garden tractors and even an enhanced farm tractor before getting involved with truck pulling.

The “Sled Wrecker” actually came out of a junkyard six years ago and was built frame up for pulling.  Seth’s Machine in Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania built the 565 cubic inch engine that is under the hood.  The Chevrolet had been an automatic up until this season when Barr switched to a stick shift.  The long wheelbase and even the very extreme lift kit have contibuted to the way that the burgundy Chevy hooks to the track.  Barr is know for some very wicked runs on the track.  He is not afraid to really work the steering wheel in order to gain the maximum amount of traction.

Mike says that his biggest win in 2009 came at the Big Butler Fair in early July.  “There are lots of tough running trucks at Butler each year”, said Barr.  “And with four of the best trucks in the pull-off, we had to really set the truck up properly and I had to drive with my best skill to get the win”.  The “Sled Wrecker” had five wins in total this season to go along with four 2nd place finishes.  This allowed Barr to win the crown, but only by four points over Moser’s “Marwood Express”.

With some wholesale changes coming in the gasoline 4x4 classes for 2009, Barr will likely not be able to return to this class.  “I definitely plan to be pulling for many years to come”, said Barr.  “This sport is always changing and becoming more sophisticated and I intend to keep things competitive.”