Tony Shireman has seen the smoke and heard the crowd cheering as he competed in the tractor pull at the Johnson County 4-H Fair the past eight years.
It never gets old.
But as much as the Franklin resident relishes good competition, the chance to see tractors of other makes and generations is just as exciting.
“I just like being around tractors and farm equipment,” said Shireman, who grew up on a 35-acre farm in Union Township where his parents, Ronnie and Louise, continue to reside. “I still farm just the family farm. The same 35 acres.”
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The acreage originally belonged to Shireman’s great-grandfather, which means it’s been in the family since the 1920s or 1930s.
Asked what his ancestors would think of him using tractors to pull a 12,000-pound steel sled (or more) at a county fair, Shireman laughs.
“Most of them probably wouldn’t like it,” said Shireman, a licensed plumber for CMP Trades Inc. in Trafalgar. “They would probably be afraid I would tear it up.”
Tractor pulling became popular in the United States in the 1950s, though rules varied depending on which county or state the competition was in. Today, there are four primary divisions — two-wheel drive truck class, super stock, pro stock and modified — though some venues add classes such as antique and farm stock.
An antique tractor must be from 1959 or earlier. Shireman’s is a 1953 Farmall Super M he bought eight years ago for $1,700. It weighs 5,300 pounds and has a four-cylinder gas engine. He’ll compete in farm stock at the county fair in a 1976 International Harvester 966.
The horsepower of the tractor’s engine determines the division. Whichever driver pulls the sled the furthest on the 330-foot dirt track is the winner. A tie forces what is referred to as a pull-off, where the sled to be pulled is re-weighted and the finalists line up and do it again.
“I do it for the fun of it. As long as the sled is moving, it’s fine. If the sled stops, that’s where they mark your distance,” Shireman said. “I’d say I like the farm stock more because it’s a little higher speed, more horsepower, more smoke. It’s what people like to see.”
Shireman isn’t the only tractor pull participant from Johnson County looking forward to Monday’s tractor pulls at the fair.
Jeff Allen, who lives in Whiteland, has been pulling for 27 years. At first it was just something to do; over time Allen has grown to love everything about it.
“It’s hard to explain,” said Allen, who is in the 10,000-pound non-turbo class at this year’s fair. “I guess it’s like some people always wanting to play basketball or drive race cars.”
Needham resident Marvin Smith, 69, has competed in tractor pulls the past two decades, which means he didn’t get hooked until he was about 50. Smith, who is bringing two antique tractors — a 1952 Farmall M and 1953 Farmall Super M — to the county fair, has two sons and a grandson also taking part.
“It’s just the competition and to see how well you can do. You get to see people, talk and have fun,” Smith said. “I’m getting older, but I still enjoy it. I’ll do it as long as I’m still able.”
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Farm Stock & Antique Tractor Pull
When: July 16, 7 p.m.
Where: Johnson County Fairgrounds
Admission: $10 per person or $15 for pit pass
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