TRUMBULL COUNTY FAIR – CORTLAND, OHIO – JULY 11 & 12
Full Pull Productions will bring the first-ever USA-EAST Sanctioned Tractor and Truck Pulls to the Trumbull County Fair in Cortland, Ohio in 2008. The twin pulling events will be held on Friday, July 11 at 6:30pm and on Saturday, July 12 at 6:00pm. All of the professional classes that are running for USA-EAST Points in 2008 will be represented at these two huge pulling events.
Dan Nearpass from Michigan has been hired as the weight transfer machine for the pulls. Nearpass is a long-time NTPA and Wolverine State sled contractor and his sleds have provided the stopping power for some of the top NTPA venues in the Midwest over the past years. The director of competition will be Jim Miller, formerly with the Ohio pullers and now the regional coordinator for the National Tractor Pullers of Worthington, Ohio. Jim has been the head official at Trumbull County for over twenty years.
FRIDAY, JULY 11
The incredible Big Rigs Pulling Series will headline the Friday evening session at the Trumbull County Fair this year. These modified semi trucks with multiple turbo chargers will amaze with the awesome power that they provide. Three events in 2008 have all produced a different winner and the point race is very tight with any one of four trucks capable of emerging as the point leader after the Trumbull County pull. The Sander’s Team from Ravenna, Ohio have two of the top contenders: Richard Scott from Diamond, Ohio drives “Silver Bullet II” a Mack with a V-8 Mack engine while “Silver Bullet I” with a Cummins engine is driven to team owner, Fred Sanders. The 2007 champion, “Killer” with Dick Bonner from Mantua is a Mack powered Super Liner that is always in contention.
Four-Wheel Drive truck fans will enjoy the Modified Four-Wheel Drive trucks from the “Run What Ya Brung” series that will contest for USA-EAST points. This class allows both the big cubic inch gasoline trucks and the twin-turbo diesel pick-ups to compete in the same class in order to settle the age old ‘gas vs. diesel’ question. Last season the winner of the class was the Chevrolet of Jeremy Davis from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania with 600 cubic inch big block GM power plant. Jack Kiehl from Cabot, Pennsylvania sits atop the point race currently with a Chevrolet named “Size Matters” while the much improved “Never Satisfied II” Ford of Fred Virgili from Mather, Pennsylvania has a victory in 2008 and Eddie Zedreck from Chicora, Pennsylvania has shown that his “Little Irish II” Chevrolet is ready to compete with a resounding victory recently at the Big Butler Fair.
Also on Friday evening a special USA-EAST sanctioned class for the 10,000 pound “hot farm” tractors will be contested. This open-to-the-world division features all of the various manufacturers and as a first-year division looks to be a very interesting class of tractor pulling. Dick Martin from Volant, Pennsylvania has his 1066 International currently in first place in the point race.
SATURDAY, JULY 12
One of the most incredible pulling classes in the USA-EAST sanctioned arena is the All-American “Smoker Series” featuring the 10,000lb. Pro Stock and the 9,500lb. Super Stock tractors. This class will be lead into Cortland by last season’s point champion, Ray Link from Patton, Pennsylvania, and his awesome “Gone Mokin’” John Deere Pro Stocker. Another strong contender will be the twin Deere tractors from the Martin Team of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. “Dairy Deere” was the national champion in 2007 after winning the “Smoker Series” crown the year before while “Another Darn Deere” is another awesome machine that will operated by Josh Martin. And the venerable “Shotgun Red” International and John Wilkins from Fresno, Ohio are also expected to contest for the win at the Trumbull County Fair on Saturday evening.
New to the Trumbull County Fair this year will be the off-the-highway semi trucks. All trucks in this class must be driven to the pull and must be registered for the highway. A special fifth wheel hitching device will be provided by the promoter. A number of trucks from the powerful “Pennsylvania Posse” have indicated that they will attend the Cortland event on Saturday night, including the 2007 point champion, Cory Fox from Cabot, Pennsylvania with “Ain’t No Dog”, a Peterbilt with 625 CAT power. Jim Barron from Somerset, Pennsylvania is the current point leader with a 1973 International with Cummins power.
The combined 9300lb. Super Farm and 8700lb. Limited Pro Stock Tractor classes will be one of the top classes during this session at Cortland. The Super Farm Tractor named “Shazzam” of Ted Giovanelli from Frederictown, Pennsylvania currently leads the ’08 USA-EAST point race. Gregg Ferringer from Dayton, Pennsylvania with a John Deere named “Smokin’ John” is in second place. Mike Lozier of Mechanicstown, Ohio is the reigning champion in this division with his IH 1066 named, “Indian Outlaw”. A field of a dozen or more tractors will be in this USA-EAST sanctioned class.
For truck fans the USA-EAST Pro Street Diesel 4x4 class is scheduled to run first on Saturday evening. These specially built ‘hot diesel’ trucks sport twin turbos, special transmissions and lots of black smoke. Ford, Chevy and Dodge all compete in this class. Justin Wilkins from Fresno, Ohio was both the 2006 and the 2007 point champion in this highly competitive division with “Bad Reputation”, a Dodge with Cummins’ diesel power. However the current point leader is John Lorenz from Dover, Ohio with his Dodge named “GreyWolf”. Chevrolet is represented by the awesome “Goin’ The Distance” and Matt Cooper from Portersville, Pennsylvania.
The USA-EAST sanctioned classes will be running for both prize money and valuable end-of-season points in the Cen.Pe.Co. Lubricants’ Series. No memberships are required for any of the classes that are scheduled at the Trumbull County Fair. For rules questions, please go to the official Full Pull Productions’ website at www.fullpullproductions.com.
The Trumbull County Fair is one of the largest agricultural fairs in the state of Ohio and draws a huge crowd for the annual tractor and truck pulls. The Trumbull County Fair is located just off of Route 305 about twenty miles north of Interstate 80 near Youngstown, Ohio. All fans are admitted to the Fair for just $8.00 and that includes the admission to the grandstand for the pulling events. The Fair is actually less than 25 miles from the office of Full Pull Productions in Jamestown, Pennsylvania. Full Pull Productions can be reached toll-free at 1.888.FULLPUL.
