R.I.P Peter Gregor

Last Saturday, the German tractor pulling scene was informed by the death of former modified and mini modified competitor Peter Gregor from Wadersloh in Germany. Peter Gregor passed away on Friday, the 11th of March 2022 at the age of 65 after a long illness.
Peter was, in the year 1980, one of the founding members of the German Tractor Pulling Organization ''DTTO''. But, Peter already started with tractor pulling before the DTTO was founded. Usually, Peter wanted to build a single axle trailer, out of an old Henschel truck. After Theo Beumker from his neighborhood had caused quite a stir with his legendary modified tractor called ''Zwölfender'', Gregor decided to build his own modified tractor on Christmas 1979.

He, together with Andreas Finger, build the modified tractor called ''Orly'' during the winter of 1979/1980. That tractor was powered by a Henschel semi-truck engine and did his maiden run in Lippstadt 1980. After that first event, the tractor received a roots blower for more power. But that roots blower wasn't driven by the Henschel truck engine. That roots blower was driven by a petrol fuel car engine. This car engine with the roots blower was positioned in a box behind the driver's seat. With that car engine-driven roots blower setup, Peter and Andreas saved horsepower for the Henschel engine. After the establishment of the DTTO in 1981, new tractors entered the classes and the power of the tractors also increased.

That meant, Peter put on the Henschel engine a turbocharger for more power. With that setup, the engine made around 650hp. With the extra horsepower of the engine, Peter Gregor and Andreas Finger saved the runner-up position in the 4.2t and 5.7 modified class in the 1981 German Championship point standings. In 1982, Peter and Andreas built their second modified tractor called ''Twenty Four''. This machine was completely different to their first tractor Orly. This Twenty Four tractor was powered by 3 Opel Diplomat V8 engines (the engine is like a Chevy 327 V8). Each engine had around 250hp, so in total the tractor had around 750hp, which was a lot at that time.

The engines were positioned on the chassis in stair-step configuration. During the 1982 season, they sold their old Orly tractor to Johann Schnackenberg (the late dad of tractor pulling announcer Ulf Schnackenberg) from Oldendorf in Germany. Johann renamed the tractor into ''Swingel''. After the sale of the tractor, they concentrated fully now on the new triple V8. At the end of 1984, Peter stopped with tractor pulling because his family was more important to him.
But in 1994, he returned actively to the tractor pulling sport again. 

In that year, Peter and Andreas got a Klimov Isotov TV 2 turbine from modified competitor Martin Ortkrass and a used mini mod chassis was purchased from Mark Hermoneit in North Germany. With those 2 major components, they built a new mini mod tractor which has nobody seen before in Europe. Due to the length of the Russian turbine, the turbine needed the whole middle part of the chassis. That space problem meant the driver's position was not on the rear axle of the tractor. The driver's position on the tractor was on the left side of the chassis, alongside the turbine. The new mini mod got the name ''Sky Scraper''. Sky Scraper was Germany's first turbine-powered mini mod. The maiden voyage was usually planned for the first outdoor pull of the season in Füchtorf in 1995. But issues with the turbine didn't allow a start in front of the sled. 

In Anholt, they had issues getting the gear out of the tractor and the starter lock prevented the turbine from starting. Peter did its first meters in front of the sled in Haßmoor 1995. But Peter Gregor and Andreas Finger found quickly out it was difficult to drive the side steered tractor straight on the track. The steer and brake feeling were completely different compared to a normal pulling tractor. Over the years, Andreas Finger and Peter Gregor shared the driver's duties on the Sky Scraper until the end of 98. For the 99 season, Peter took over steering for all pulls on the tractor and drove a bit braver. Due to changes during the winter of 98/99, they saved some weight for more movable weight on the tractor.

After those important changes, the Sky Scraper was better drivable and the power could be increased during the season. 

With a lot of great results during the 1999 season, Peter finished the year in runner-up position in the German Championship point standings behind Thomas Zimmermann and his Arias V8 powered Joker.

Definitely, the highlight of the season was his first victory with the tractor in Edewecht, Germany. He had beaten the later champion, Thomas Zimmerman, by 5m. With the runner-up position in the German Championship, he was qualified for the European Championship too. He went with his white turbine tractor as a secret favorite to the 1999 EC in Bouconville in France.

But that EC wasn't very good for him. After a very good start, the rear axle, unfortunately, broke for the third time that season.

Another exciting thing, by the way, at that time he was sponsored by the Hohenfelder brewery. Because of the alcohol and tobacco advertising ban in France, the stickers of the Hohenfelder brewery had to be taped over for the 1999 EC in France.
After those problems with the Dana 60 rearend, the rearend was replaced by a new homemade axle with Mercedes components. Also, the look of the Sky Scraper changed for the 2000 season. After 5 years in white colors, the tractor was repainted in black, due to sponsor reasons. He did on his mini mod tractor advertising for the Hohenfelder brewery's new Black beer ''Lippmann's Dunkel''. After the problems were solved with the rear axle, then he had problems with the gearbox of the Sky Scraper during the 2000 season. But those gearbox issues on the mini cost him a place under the top 3 in the German Championship in 2000. 

The season was finished behind Joker, Mr. Rabbit, and Ghost Buster 1 in 4th place in the German Championship point standings. With this 4th place, Peter was again qualified for the European Championship in Herning, Denmark. But a further gearbox damage at the German season finals in Erkelenz-Holzweiler and already plans for a new mini mod tractor brought Peter to the decision not to repair the tractor anymore.

Already during the 2000 season, he had some plans in his head to build a new mini mod tractor for the upcoming season in 2001. Peter felt not well anymore on the side steered tractor, and also the power of the turbine wasn't enough anymore for the top positions. He started to make the first measurements and calculations for the parts and consulted with Günter Bals and Martin Ortkrass about his new project during the year 2000. Peter's plan was a completely new mini modified tractor with a Klimov Isotov TV 3 - 117 turbine. Peter started with the new mini modified project in the winter of 2000. He built for the tractor a completely new homemade steel tube frame with a 2 bar steel roll cage and a homemade rearend with Mercedes components. The driver's position on the new Sky Scraper was on the rear axle now and not anymore on the site of the chassis. The gearbox in the turbine mini was homemade and received custom-built shafts and gears from Höner Technic. Martin Ortkrass, the driver and owner of the modified tractor called ''Iwan'' developed the gearbox for the mini at that time. At the first half of the season, he drove with the old set of Firestone 18.4x16.1 tires of his old tractor on the new Sky Scraper.During the summer of 2001, the old set of tires was replaced by a set of new special cut mini rod tires from Bob Parks from the USA. Peter did his maiden voyage with the new Sky Scraper at the German Championship opener in Weseke 2001. And it was a success. 

Peter made 2 nice passes in front of Iron Maniac sled and finished second behind Ghost Buster 3 there. Already at the 3rd Championship round in Eschach-Seifertshofen, he won his first event with the new tractor. During the rest of the season, he finished on 2 further events in runner up position. That was in Krumbach-Breitenthal and Edewecht. The year was finished in an impressive 3rd place in the German Championship point standings behind Ghost Buster 1 and Mr. Rabbit. But Peter Gregor not only competed in the German Championship in 2001. Peter also registered his new Sky Scraper for the Euro Cup in 2001. His best results in the 2001 Euro Cup were a 6th place in Herning, Denmark, and 8th place on the Windenhof in France. Sky Scraper was to find in 10th in Euro Cup point standings in 2001. With his 3rd place in the German Championship, Peter was again qualified for the European Championship. The result at the EC in Hörby, Sweden was only a 10th place. The track there was very difficult due to a lot of rain in the days before. So the track suit him not really and the tractor was difficult to drive.

That the new Sky Scraper was sometimes difficult showed Peter in 2002. That season was maybe one of the worse mini-mod seasons in his active pulling career. The new Sky Scraper with the new cut Bob Parks tires was difficult to drive, and Peter had lots of trouble keeping the tractor in bounds. The pull in Verl was perhaps the lowest point of the year. He couldn't keep the tractor in bounds in both qualifying attempts. After that, he built a new rear axle for the tractor with new modified components. Unfortunately, he missed the German Championship round in Krumbach-Breitenthal and the Euro Cup rounds in Putten, the Netherlands, and in Herning, Denmark at that time, due to the troubles with the rear axle. At the German Championship finals in Edewecht, he returned to the pulling track with the mini and a new rear axle. The new rear axle in the tractor worked properly, and he did 2 straight pulls for the first time that season. The result in Edewecht was a 6th place and a 6th place in the 2002 German Championship point standings as well. After Edewecht, the form curve was pointing upwards again. Another nice 4th place finish followed at the Euro Cup finals in Bettborn, Luxembourg, it also was the best Euro Cup result of the season.
After the positive end in 2002, Peter was motivated again to fight back in 2003. 

The 2003 pulling season started for him in Weseke, Germany. It was the first outdoor pull of the season at the end of March. Peter's first hook of the year was pretty well. He did a nice qualifying pass over the hundred with the Sky Scraper and was qualified for the pull off. The new needle bearing differential which he has built during the winter of 2002/2003 worked pretty well. The turbine-powered mini was better drivable with the new diff. But in the finals, he had a wild run again. After a good start, like in the first pass, the left rear tire lost traction and the pull ended with a broken steering at around 50m. But fortunately, no further damage was found on the tractor back home in the workshop. About 4 weeks later, was the official German Championship opener in Füchtorf. Like in Weseke, he had a great start, but at around 70m the driveshaft broke, and his pull was over. This broken driveshaft and the problems with the Sky Scraper in the past were for Peter Gregor the occasion to retire from the tractor pulling sport after the event in Füchtorf. Peter sold the turbine-powered mini mod to Austria.
Also, after his retirement as a competitor from the tractor pulling sport in 2003, he was always connected to the sport.
With him, the tractor pulling sport has lost another great person who has shaped the sport from the beginning in Germany. One is sure, he will never be forgotten, and his unique tractor designs will be in the mind of the people.

Our thoughts are with the whole family. We wish his wife, his 3 children Nina, Jeannette, Andre and his entire family a lot of strength to cope with this loss.