Pennsylvania Pulling in Shippensburg July 2018

July 12, 2018

(Photos by Will Whitt) – We go all over the world in search of the best pulling out there. We tend to only get 2 hours from the house! On this Friday night, I traveled up Interstate 81 to Shippensburg Pennsylvania. Anyone who is anyone knows that Blue Power reigns supreme up there. And with Forrester New Holland just down the road in Chambersburg, PA you don't really have to wonder why. Upon arrival, we meet a few pullers and re-met pullers that have met us a dozen times. You forget, as they do, that you have met before or was it their body double or their twin brother. On this night a fellow came up and told us how easy the videos are to watch. We spend a lot of money and time making this the case. If you have suggestions for improving, let us know!

The 7700 Light Limited Turbo Tractor class was once the biggest show on the East Coast. The numbers have waned a bit due to tractors moving up a class. But this is still a very, very competitive class featuring Case, International, Ford, New Holland, and sometimes John Deere. Greg Gress got the evening started out on Eagle Lite. The old style Case just looks awesome and it took a few attempts but got dialed in and led the class with a pull of 264.52. With the baddest looking Farmall around, Matt Dersham went 270.98 and led promptly to a reset of the Crouse Moonshine Camo sled. Next came local puller Matt Smith aka "Smokey" and laid down a good run of 298.41. Smokey's big brother Mark came in a bit later and ran 299.17 besting little brother. Matt Dersham came back and drug the sled 301.09 to land a solid second place. Ben Flaherty Jr put some WWPTV bumper stickers on his tractor first pull of the year which gave him extra HP, imagery HP, and a whole lot of cool points. It proved to be the difference on this night putting 3 foot on the next nearest competitor in Dersham. Ben Jr went 304.26. We are working on Ben's new shirts and they are three kinds of badass. Be looking for those shirts soon!

WWPTV Employee number 2, Chris Baker, comes up to me and says to me, "You know this class is really growing on me?" My response is simply, "We are funded by truck guys! What isn't to like about TRUCKS?!?! They pay the bills!" It is the truth we love putting logos on everything but we only have one tractor sponsor. Help us out, meat! So the class Baker was alluding to was the 4500 Small Block 4x4. If you can't get out to a Grand National truck pull, just watch these guys! They look and sound as bad as anything else out there and there are a good many of them. So the sled was on point for this class just removing a few thousand pounds. Denny Stoner took his Ford "Makin' Tracks" and drove the sled some 305 feet and dropped the winning hook! Ryan Varner and "Mountain Maniac" came next and pulled 297.36. [Swallow] Yep, those are lumps in the throat. A few pullers later, Derek Dice comes in with this vibrant Dodge called Mopar Magic Too and lays down some serious feet 297.82 [Gulp] I can't take this NO MORE! I am chugging tea like crazy, no way this happening. I can't stand it when guys drop the winning hook. Austin Stoner and his beautiful blue Ford Ranger dubbed "Analyze This" lay down a pull of 295.78. Savagery! They have officially built a highway and it stops at 297 feet. That is what we call it anytime we start seeing similar distances with no real advance in the leader mark. Denny Stoner comes back and lays some serious feet down going 301.70 to make amends for dropping the best truck hook of the night! And you were so worried! Congrats to all the pullers in this class. We think the world of you and can't wait to catch you next time around.

The 8500 Mod Turbo tractor class get a lot of discussion on YouTube. "What does the name mean?", "Isn't there already a class like this?", "Why don't they run this or that?" They run what they and agreed to the specs to keep this class from getting out of hand! It is the biggest HP class on the East Coast and it makes me happy. That's all you really need to know. I am researching what the name actually means, as I do want to know!!! Adam House moved south to Virginia last year. Virginia is no longer for just Lovers anymore, it's for Pullers, WWPTV coined and patent applied for!!! So Adam, "Do you like living in Virginia?" AH, "It is amazing! It is so beautiful and I get to work on these beasts from 7-5 every day." Adam House got the class started out with a fine pass of 312.82. Phillip Price came a few hooks later and laid down a pass of 300.43. How good was that first hook? A few more pullers came and did business and then Vern Zerby brought his brood of tractors and went 304.58 on "00Z" and 300.98 on "Dr LZ". The long drivers Jeff Mikloiche and Adam Diaz took their Ace Chassis pullers some 293.92 and 285.01 respectively.

Last on the evening was the 9000 Limited Super Stock class. I don't have distances, but local puller Paul Hoch doing the track work and crew kept the show moving on all night. He came first and took the class with the first hook. Check their runs out at the end of the video. The feel-good run of the night was watching Destinee Olden Palmer watch husband Carl Palmer do work with her tractor. He did great! Back to Virginia, it is for Pullers after all and this video guy.