(Words and photos by David Whealon) – Street racing has been around for decades in some of the most exotic and interesting places. Monaco, Long Beach, Ilse of Man and even nowadays the 405 tearing up the streets in Oklahoma City to name a few. In the small town of Pinetops, NC their form of street racing brings on a whole new twist to the street racing scene. For 40 years on the only dirt street in the entire town, the South Edgecombe Rural Fire Department has closed down the street and has been hosting the NTPA/ UPOC annual “Pinetops 300” tractor pull.
Although the road has been shut down for several years to everyday traffic it still has a real country feel of in-town street racing. When you arrive home from work on a Friday afternoon and parked in front of your house is a semi-truck and trailer packed full of monstrous, high horsepower beasts, you know your sleep cycle is going to drastically change for the next couple of nights. With over 60 pullers showing up from all over the country there is absolutely nothing more exciting to do in this sleepy old rural NC town but to sit back and enjoy some awesome pullin’ action.
Nestled between 2 baseball parks this first hook of the season on that 400’ stretch of Carolina red clay between School and W Ashley St. has been touted as the place to be for some of the most legendary pullers in the country. And this year’s 40th edition was nothing but pure excitement. Despite the local weekend weather forecasts calling out that 4 letter word that dooms most racing events, thousands of fans packed the house regardless of the threat. The weather held off and the show went on. With a strong field of Minis, Modifieds, 2 Wheel Drives, 4 Wheel Drives, Super Stocks, Super Farms, and LT 4 Wheel Drives the ground pounded well into both the nights. This countrified down home form of racing is nothing but pure Americana and definitely worth a trip to downeast NC for some of the best BBQ and pullin’ action on the east coast.
Drone photo courtesy of the South Edgecombe Rural Fire Department/ Daniel Webb
Nice story and pics David. Thanks Brian.