Living in the cornfields outside of Bowling Green means that I’m no stranger to tractors. I’ve known what the tractor is all about ever since I was a kid living in Illinois: they are work tools that do maybe 25 miles an hour on a good day. The Fords that I used when I spent a summer cutting hay back in 2013 were simple and easy to use, with everything up front and the controls were as basic as it got. I like working with tractors. But if there is one thing that I damn sure would not be doing, it would be racing one. Okay, maybe across an open field against another tractor. But I sure wouldn’t try my luck against a motorcycle and I damn sure wouldn’t have a tractor on the street…what kind of mental patient does that? Just what kind of sick individual takes a look at their New Holland and decides that they are going to show the kid on the Kawasaki what’s up?
Welcome to Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. It’s the oldest continually occupied location within England, with settlements dating back to 8820 B.C., and it’s the home of Stonehenge. And, it turns out, the home to one of the wildest street racing stories we never thought we’d get to write about. Police in Amesbury impounded a New Holland T6.715 tractor on February 15th, 2019 after they caught the driver out on public roads. While they didn’t actually witness the farmer with the speed fetish in the act of trying out luck, they did get the operator on several other charges, including being unable to prove insurance and for running the tractor on red diesel on public roadways. In the UK, diesel that is sold at a lower tax rate for use in situations like farming, generator fuel, and for the mining sector is dyed red and isn’t supposed to be used on the roadways without explicit permission…which the Hot Rod Hay Hauler here didn’t have.
Our bigger question, though: just what ass did this guy think he was going to kick with an 11,000 pound tractor that might hit 30 MPH on a good day?
Rather unusual stop for team 1 tonight. Tractor stopped after being reported for drag racing motorbikes!
Vehicle was seized as the driver couldn’t prove he was insured and was driving on red diesel.#driveinsured #2845 #1956 pic.twitter.com/QuFjFLcsnL— Amesbury Police (@AmesburyCPT) February 16, 2019
I believe we have that same thing . Ag diesel and road diesel. How are you supposed to get your tractor from one field to the other ? Your allowed to drive it at slow speeds . Generally 35 mph or less with that triangle sign on the back . Says they have no witnesses . Good possibility he was going to the next field and some kids on their little diet bikes decide to race him . This should be easy to get out of .
Yeah non taxed is red here too. It’s a Clinton era thing. European tractors typically have much higher gearing than American ones do. They spend more time on the road as farms tend to be smaller and tillage can be a ways away from eachother and tractors are used more like pickups there as well