—UncMter Firming. Saturday. Oct 19.1974
16
Buck Track Head Anxious For ’75
IContinued From Paul)
many more. “Weather really
hurt us this year," Funk said
Tuesday morning at the
track. “Friday nights were
especially bad. Next year
we're going to be thinking
about eliminating Friday
lights altogether, and
ichedule everything for
Saturdays."
Tractor pulling is one sport
.hat’s dominated by tur
ners. “I think 80 percent of
he top pullers in the state
md the country are far
mers,” Funk said, “tractor
lulling started as a fanner’s
jport, and I think it’s going to
rtay that way.
“The first tractor pulls
were held when fanners got
ogether at county fairs and
xied to see which tractor
rould pull a dead weight
arther than any other
xactor. These tractors came
•ight out of the field, and
arm classes are still an
mportant part of the sport
Today, though, pullers are
jetting more sophisticated.
They’re building modified
rectors and super stock
machines that really put out
i lot of power. A modified
Wood
take it
That’s why they use Renta
treated clear yellow pine in
avery New Idea Spreader box.
£very New Idea spreader in the line has wood sides,
>ottom and end . , . because wood-can take it. Wood
cattles against damage. Wood won’t bend, can’t rust...
ind fights corrosive acids better than any other spreader
>ox material.
Varranty On Wood That's why only New Idea says, “In
he unlikely event that any of the wood components in
'our New Idea Manure Spreader rot through, Avco New
dea will make replacement, no charge. Replacement will
ie made without cost to you, the original purchaser, at
'our nearby New Idea dealer... no charge for wood, no
.harge for labor or freight.”
We make your job a little easier.
UMBERGERS MILL
RD4 Lebanon
(Fontana)
717-867 8221
A L HERR &BRO
Quarryville
717-786 3521
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Cochranville Pa Rheems
215-593 5280 717-367 3590
ABC GROFF, INC
New Holland
717-354 4191
tractor can be built for $4OOO
or 15000.
“Converting an old field
tractor to turbo-charged
super stock macine can get a
farmer into the sport fairly
cheaply. But the man who
buys a new tractor and
converts it for super stock
competition can lay out up to
$20,000 or $25,000."
Funk pointed out that
pullers very seldom get into
the sport to make money.
“Most of them are there to
have a good time and they’ll
usually be happy if they can
make enough prize money to
pay expenses."
If tractor pulling is to grow
as a sport, there will have to
be skilled drivers, with
competitive machines,
pulling on top quality tracks.
Funk feels that the track at
the Buck is helping drivers
develop the skills they need
to compete against the top
national pullers. “We give
the drivers a chance to pull
every week, and I think
there’s lieen an im
provement already. There
was a time when pullers
from the Midwest could
come into our national meets
can
i
LANC. EQUIP CENTER, INC
Kmzer Pa
717-442 4186 or
717-768 8916
ROYH BUCK, INC
Ephrata R D 2
717-859 2441
LANDIS BROS, INC.
Lancaster
717-393 3906
here and Just dean up. This
year we gave them some
competition. Our drivers
stayed right with the best in
the country."
Another factor in the
growth of the sport is the size
of the audience. Here, too,
Funk feels the Buck track is
helping tractor pullers. "We
were really stung by the
weather, this year, but we
still had an average
Saturday night crowd of over
1200 people. Next year we
hope to do even better. We
may dedde to change to just
Saturday nights, next year.
I’m not sure we can get
enough people out on Friday
nights to justify a pull.
“We’ve got to have the
spectators there. The more
spectators we get, the more
prize money we’ll be able to
offer, and the better show
we’ll be able to put on. And
the better show we put on,
the more spectators we’ll
get. The whole thing feeds on
itself.”
Funk feels there is still a
tremendous potential for
growth. Every night there’s
a pull at the Buck, the an
nouncer asks the audience,
“How many people are at
tending a tractor pull for the
first time?” The reply is a
waving forest of arms and
hands. “How many are going
to come back?” is always the
next question. Virtually
everyone of the hands stays
up in the air.
Tractor pulling has been a
big sport in the Midwest for
20 years or more, Funk
noted. Some of the big
national pulls in Indiana
might draw a crowd of 25,000
people. Crowds that size are
a bit out of reach for present
day Eastern pulls, but Funk
noted that population den
sities here are greater than
they are in the Midwest. And
as people become more
aware of tractor pulls,
audience size should in
crease.
People do come from a
wide area to witness the
Buck pulls, “surprisingly
enough, we get a lot of in
terest from Maryland
pullers and fans. We didn’t
pnrz
■SILO UNLOADER
RUGGED,
DE BENDABLE!
under all
operating
t conditions
* a
See your PATZ Dealer today
CALL 717-272-0871
MARVIN J.
HORST
Dairy Equipment and
Amana Appliances
R.D.No. l(Iona)
Lebanon, Pa.
Located on Route 897 between
Schaefferstown and Lebanon,
over 30 years in business at
same place.
&
Elwood Woody" Funk, Lititz, is seen Pulls, the track in southern Lancaster
here with the world's first tractor County which is winding up its first
pulling stadium in the background. year of business.
Funk is president of Buck Tractor
plan on their support, but I
think our location in the
southern part of the county
helped the Maryland pullers
decide that they should be up
here competing.”
Funk noted that there are
two more pulls scheduled for
this season at the Buck. One
is set for this Saturday,
October 19, and another for
next weekend, Friday,
October 25, and Saturday,
October 26. This latter is the
Buck Pull OH, and will
feature the track’s top
pullers of the season com
peting for prize money and
trophies. The first pulls are
scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on
October 19, and at 7:00 on the
25th and 26th.
TORONTO
FARM
NOVEMBER 12th & 13th
WHITE WASHING
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Also BARN CLEANING SERVICE
Available With Compressed Air
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Spraying Since 1961
Witmer. Pa. 717-392-7227
HAVE YOUR BARN CLEANED
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1. Visit Canadian Dairy Farms
2. Tour Toronto Canada
3. Evening Banquet
4. Travel by Jet Airplane & Bus
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
AND RESERVATIONS CONTACT:
VANESSA RUPP
TOUR COORDINATOR
PENN JERSEY HARVESTORE
NEW HOLLAND, PA,
717-354-4051
CANADA
TOUR