(Photos by David Whealon) – Much like the 2017 tractor pulling season we have reached the end of the line with these awesome David Whealon photos from the 2017 NTPA Southern Showdown at the NC State Fair. Unlike drag racers, stock car racers, road racers, and mud boggers, the tractor pullers technically don’t have an off-season because they take their act inside. Indoor pulls are already happening in areas of the country where the temps have hit the floor and they will go strong all winter until the Spring breaks and the outdoor courses are groomed for battle once more.
We love running pulling coverage here on BangShift and David Whealon absolutely and utterly crushes the photos every time he is at a pull. Some of the most compelling action photos we see each year come from the pulls. Tractors clawing at the Earth, throwing dirt, and drivers who are basically out in the open all add up to an intensity that in our estimation is nearly unmatched in motorsports. Hell, look at the guy in the lead photo!
His head is about a foot away from the blower, his foot is under the header, and the tractor has the wheel base of a shopping cart. It’s violent, it is angry, it is awesome and yes, it is tractor pulling!
Click the images below to expand them and then scroll to see the rest of the photos –
