A full stadium welcomed back the Truck and Tractor Pulls at Cornerstone Raceway for its second year after a 20 year hiatus on August 17 and 18.
The event was coordinated by the Yorkton Exhibition Association, which booked Pinnacle Motorsports to put on the production.
Stacey Getz of Saskatoon is one half of the Pinnacle Motorsports duo that is bringing back the sport to areas across Western Canada.
Getz and Ken Beauchemin's team run the Dirt Wrangler, a modified tractor, and five different vehicles. In addition they organize officials, a weight scale, track setup, measuring, announcers.
"We have our hands quite full," said Getz of the two-day affair.
The organizers faced every challenge with a focus on keeping things going. A few issues with the sled, which is pulled behind the vehicles, caused delays.
A broken air line was replaced and a drive shaft re-welded on the mechanical weight transfer.
Larry Hillworth from Maple Farm Equipment "had a wild ride" on his trip down the track when the weight box did not move, said Getz. At the end of Hillworth's run a lack of friction from the sled kept it from slowing down, making for a bumpy end.
It is a labour of love for the participants. Engines can run up to $60,000 and are replaced many times throughout a tractor or truck's career. A lot of money went into the approximately 24 vehicles participating in the demanding sport.
"It's quite a rush. It's a massive amount of horsepower, there are engines anywhere here around 2500 horsepower," said Getz.
Horsepower is not the key to success though, he noted. Outdriving others by "being able to handle the power you have" is most important.
Knowing how to keep the vehicle pointed straight on the 300 foot track is important. For some competitors who went beyond the track's length, staying straight on the grass was an extra challenge.
In a tractor picking a gear and staying in that gear is the trick, said competitor Ken Beauchemin.
When asked for more advice he laughed while saying "we don't even tell our mom that." More seriously he added that getting to know your vehicle and how to use the weight of the sled to your advantage takes time.
