By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
With black smoke billowing into the air and the roar of engines pulling a heavy load, the Crawford County Fair featured the annual Friday tractor pull at the grandstands.
Beginning at 7 p.m. the grandstands dirt straightaway became the site for the Ohio State Tractor Pullers Association (OSTPA) Tractor Pull. It featured pulls from five classes beginning with the 9,000 Light Pro Limited Class and finishing with the Pro Stock Semi class.
The event packed the grandstands with friends and fans of the pullers. Entering the pit area with his girlfriend was Peter Keller. Keller, who came out to support friends pulling, explained his favorite aspects of tractor pulls.
“All the diesel, all the smoke, all the rednecks, all the good ole times, that’s about it,” Keller said.
Prepping his tractor, the “Alcoholic Harvester,” for the 8300 Super Stock Class was First Vice President of the OSTPA Mark Metzger. Metzger explained what he enjoys about pulling at the Crawford County Fair.
“The excitement of the power, the friends that come back every year, the family that have joined with the Ohio State Tractor Pullers, the fair board that puts this pull on is exceptionally nice people. The Burkhart Farm Center that does the track does a wonderful job too,” Metzger said.
Metzger, who has his engines for his tractor built at Wind It Tight Engines in Willard, noted that the Crawford County Fair is like a hometown show.
Pulling in the 2.6 Diesel class was Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League points leader Adam Hallien. After his pull of 336 feet, Hallien explained how he felt about his pull.
“I felt really good about the pull, when the time came,” Hallien said. “I think the track is going to get a little bit better, so hopefully it holds up for a pretty decent finish, but I felt pretty good about it. The track is really good today.”
Hallien’s pull was good enough for third place, as Rob Wright’s pull of 337 feet and Josh Bowers’ pull of 338 feet claimed the top two spots.