(Words and photos by David Whealon) – Holy Smokes!! When Galot Motorsports Park announced that they had 10 Grand National classes on the card for the 3rd Annual “Mule City 300” NTPA tractor pull I was stoked and really had no idea what we were going to get. What we got was nearly 200 diesel smoke blowin’, multi engine thumpin’, part slingin’, fire breathin’ monsters tearing up our Benson North Carolina turf. There are no limits to GMP’s owner Earl Wells’ vision of what he wants his diverse motorsports complex to transcend into in becoming the best of its kind anywhere on the planet bar none. And this past weekend’s show was one for the record books. NTPA pulling stars showed up from all over the country including Canada and even overseas.
Gert Dingerink traveled across the big pond from his home of Zwolle, Netherlands to compete in the Mini Rod class. With 2 tracks running wide open, the weekend was slam full of non-stop pullin’ excitement with 3 sessions starting off Friday night and into Saturday. For the first time at GMP, the multi engine Unlimited Modifieds put on a show that was nothing short of extreme awesomeness. How they tune and sync up to 5 engines on one chassis is still a conundrum to me. Nevertheless, if pure power and torque gets your blood pumping these beasts are a must to see.
Along with the Unlimited class, a multitude of 31 Two Wheel Drives and 18 Mini Rods was probably the most the state of North Carolina has ever seen in one place. With 26 Four Wheel Drives and 27 Super Farms on site, the hooks went on well into the night. Rounding out the sessions were the Light Modifieds which are limited to only 2 blown Hemis. As well as the smoke rollin’ Open Super Stock, Diesel Super Stocks, Light Super Stock and Pro Stock Tractors. The weekend ended up with 334 total hooks for the 3 session event.
The NTPA has what I would call their three crown jewel events each year which are the Budweiser Dairyland Super Nationals in Tomah, Wisconsin, the Enderle Pull Off in Urbana, Ohio and the National Tractor Pulling Championships in Bowling Green Ohio. Now we have one more jewel we can add to the list, thanks to Earl Wells and the Galot Motorsports Park.
Great pics David.