National Farm Machinery Show Highlighted By Championship Tractor Pull
February 9, 2017 
More than 70,000 fans will flood Freedom Hall February 15-18 for the super-charged Championship Tractor Pull at the Kentucky Exposition Center.
The scream of monster engines, the stench of burning rubber and the ground-pounding vibrations of the country’s largest, loudest and most powerful pulling machines. Ask anyone who has ever been in the stands, there’s nothing like the annual Championship Tractor Pull.
Championship Tractor Pull
More than 70,000 fans will flood Freedom Hall February 15-18 for the super-charged Championship Tractor Pull at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Sponsored by Syngenta, the event draws the nation’s top drivers as they compete for the title of Grand Champion and a share of over $200,000 in prize money. In fact, competitors are not restricted to the U.S. Rowan Zeinstra will travel from the Netherlands to hit the track, putting his 8,000 pound tractor to the test.
The year 2017 promises to be one for the history books, with the number of women competitors hitting an all-time high. The 2016 Grand Champion Mendi Nelson, the second woman to win the title, will return with her truck Lil’ Whip. Her goal? To become the first woman with back-to-back national championship wins.
Tractor Pull 101
Drivers compete in 10 divisions based on the weight of their machine, for example: 7,500 pound 4×4 super stock diesel trucks and 10,200 pound pro stock tractors. Competition begins when weighted sleds are attached to the machines. Competitors then “gun for a full pull” – pulling their sled the full length of the track for a win. If two or more drivers in a division nail a full pull, more weight is added. The driver who pulls the farthest wins. It’s the kind of excitement that keeps people on the edge of their seats, because a fraction of an inch can make the difference between first and second place.
Tip: Consider wearing ear plugs during the pull, because these machines are loud – some are even powered by modified airplane engines.
The Pit: Up Close and Personal
Want to check out the wheeled beasts before they roar into gear? Visit “The Pit” in Broadbent Arena and get up close to competing tractors and trucks, meet drivers, get autographs and take photos with favorite vehicles. Admission is free and open to the public Wednesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 to 11 a.m.
Tickets on Sale Now
Tickets for the Championship Tractor Pull are available at the Kentucky Exposition Center Ticket Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000. Event times and prices vary by day:
- Wednesday, Feb. 15 7 p.m. $20 and $40
- Thursday, Feb. 16 7 p.m. $20 and $40
- Friday, Feb. 17 7:30 p.m. $25 and $45
- Saturday, Feb. 18 1 p.m. $20 and $40; 7:30 p.m. $25 and $45
A detailed tractor pull schedule is available at www.champpull.org.
Biggest Indoor Farm Machinery Show
The Championship Tractor Pull is held in conjunction with the National Farm Machinery Show, the largest indoor farm show in the country. Each year more than 300,000 attendees from around the world explore the agricultural industry’s most comprehensive display of equipment, services and technology – more than 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space to be exact.
With a nod to Kentucky’s heritage as an agricultural state, it doesn’t matter whether someone is “in the business” or just curious about what the future holds for the world of farming, there’s something for everyone. From alternative energy and new product launches, to computers and seeds, to livestock handling equipment and sheds, there are 880 booths to discover.
Watch a live-taping of “U.S. Farm Report” market roundtable with Tyne Morgan and special guests Thursday, February 16 at 2:30 p.m. Listen as expert analysts debate if 2017 will be the year the bull prevails in commodity markets. Presented by Farm Journal Media in South Wing B105.
Free seminars are scheduled February 15-17 in the South Wing, with subjects ranging from market and weather strategies to world record corn and soybean yields; aerial imagery to fertilizer application; and new sprayer techniques to farm data. Sponsors include Farm Journal Media, Farm Industry News, DTN/The Progressive Farmer and the Monsanto Company.
Admission to the National Farm Machinery Show is free and open to the public February 15-18 from 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Parking is $8 per vehicle. More information is available at www.farmmachineryshow.org.
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