After the Blue Fighter sled from Germany, the next sled was sold in Europe. The Belgium sled called ''Dinosaurus'' of the Belgium Sledge Clan Team from Sint-Niklaas, near Antwerp, was sold to Italy. The sled was purchased by the Italian Tractor pulling organization Power Pulling Italia (PPI) with headquarters in Beinette, Italy. The organization was founded in Beinette (CN), Italy on January 15, 2014. Since then, they have been committed to promoting the sport of tractor pulling, organizing an annual championship. The PPI is affiliated with the ''MSP Italia'' association, which is a sports promotion body recognized by the Italian National Olympic Committee - CONI. The sled was built by the Belgium Sledge Clan around the team founder and owner Kamiel Stuer in 1995. The sled was built in a method of construction different compared to the De Stille Genieter sled of the Belgium team, which was built in 1990/1991. But also, a lot of components in the sled are the same as in the Stille Genieter sled.
They decided before they started to build the sled to use many same components, which also had proven themselves in the De Stille Genieter sled at the time. But the frame of the sled was different built and the weight box was wider built compared to the De Stille Genieter. The tandem axle for the sled was purchased from an old sled in France at the time. So the axle was fitted into the sled, but with the advantage, of moving the axle hydraulically forward and backward in the frame. This movable tandem axle creates the possibility of varying the pressure on the pan at the start. Also, the pan of the sled was completely different constructed compared to the older De Stille Genieter sled. Like the De Stille Genieter, the Dinosaurus sled was built self-propelled.
The Dinosaurus sled received a turbocharged, 6 cylinder DAF semi truck engine. The team got the Dinosaurus sled ready for the first BKTV/NTTO B-Division pull in Kruisland, the Netherlands on the 12th of May 1996. But the Belgium Sledge Clan Team used the already proven De Stille Genieter sled on the pull in Kruisland, and the new Dinosaurus sled was as a backup sled there. The Dinosaurus sled had its first real deployment 3 weeks later at the BKTV/NTTO B-Division pull in Achterberg, the Netherlands. They stopped everything from normal stock tractors up to 4.4t heavy modified tractors on that day. In 1996, it was the first private-owned sled team in Europe that had 2 sleds on offer for the event organizers. In the first 12 years, the Dinosaurus sled was mas mainly used on national pulls in Belgium and on BKTV/NTTO B-division pulls in the Netherlands.
But when the Belgium team was on a Euro Cup or European Championship with the De Stille Genieter, they also brought the Dinosaurus sled as a backup to the events, if the event organizers him wanted. After 2 seasons on national pulls, the Dinosaurus sled was used in an International event for the first time in September 1997. That was at the European Championship in Erkelenz-Holzweiler, Germany. The Belgium Sledge Clan used the sled in the mighty 5.4t unlimited modified and in the 2.5t light modified class. The sled worked behind the top international tractor very well and the Belgium team was pretty satisfied with the result.
After the 2007 season, the Dinosaurus sled was completely rebuilt due to the new ETPC sled safety rules for 2008. Almost the whole mainframe, the weight box, and the pan remained the same, but there were made some changes. The front end of the mainframe on the sled was changed, they made it stronger and heavier due to the new safety rules.
Also, 2 homemade crash boxes were installed on the weight box of the sled. The homemade crash boxes should absorb the forces of the weight box on the front end of the frame on the sled If the weight box should run out of control and hit the front end of the frame. The crash boxes were calculated and built in the company called ''Stuer-Egghe'' (the company of sled owner Kamiel and Stefan Stuer) in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. Also, the pan of the sled was rebuilt in the big rebuilt of the sled. They improved some things underneath the pan, and both wheels on the outside of the pan for easier steering of the sled were fitted in the middle of the pan. With the wheels in the middle of the pan, the Belgium team hoped the sled is easier to steer in event locations with not so much space in the areas before the pulling track.
The whole hydraulic and the electric for the sled were totally redone, plus the box movement control system was added to the sled due to the new safety rules. The rebuilt Dinosaurus sled debuted in the spring/summer of 2008 on a national pull in Belgium. During the year, the sled was also used on NTTO B-division (now NTTO National) events in the Netherlands. But in July 2008, the sled also had its first deployment on an International competition in Putten the Netherlands in the 2.5t light modified Euro Cup class. That first deployment in the Euro Cup worked pretty well. Later, the Dinosaurus sled was Gold certificated by the ETPC Sledge Inspection Team (SIT). From 2009 until 2019, the sled was everywhere in deployment.
They stopped pulling tractors on national pulls in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and many other pulls in the rest of Europe. The sled was especially very liked by the Super Sport and Farm Stock competitors due to the light weight on the start.
After the 2021 event in Pezzolo di Russi, Italy, the PPI started to discuss purchasing an ETPC certificated sled for their organization. After some contact with different sled teams in Europe, the PPI organization finally found out that both Belgium sleds called ''De Stille Genieter'' and Dinosaurus'' are for sale.
After a phone call with Stefan Stuer, Mauro, Mirco and some guys of the PPI were invited to a workshop visit in Belgium to take a look around both sleds before Christmas 2021. After some further talks with Stefan Stuer and the Belgium Sledge Clan Team about the advantages and disadvantages of the sleds for the different classes, the Italians were mainly interested in the Dinosaurus sled. Stefan made an offer for the Dinosaurus sled for them.
With the offer in the bag, the people of the PPI returned to Italy. During the next months, the offer was discussed in the meetings with the board members of the organization. The final decision of the board members was made in February 2022. In February, they decided to rent the Dinosaurus sled from the Belgium Sledge Clan, with the purchase option at the end of the season. Before it was handed over to the Italians, the sled was technically checked and made ready for the PPI by the Belgium Team. Finally, the Dinosaurus sled was handed over by Stefan Stuer to the PPI on the 20th of April 2022. In return, the Belgium Sledge Clan also rented the old Italian sled of the PPI for Antique tractor pulling with stock tractors in Belgium.
With the switch to the new owners, the Dinosaurus sled will lose its ETPC Gold Level certificate, but with a check by the ETPC SIT, the sled will receive for sure an ETPC Silver Level certificate. In 2022, the Italians had the support and help from the Belgium Sledge Clan on the events to get to know the sled better. During the last event of the 2022 season in Villafranca, Padua, thanks to help of the teams, the PPI concluded the purchase of the Dinosaurus sled, the scraper and the roller for the tractor and the scale for the pulling tractors. With the sale of the sled to Italy, the Belgium Sledge Clan will not stop with tractor pulling.
Obviously, the Belgium Sledge Clan also has confirmed the purchase of the old PPI sled. But the Belgians are also currently working on a brand-new sled for the future, which also can be transported without a low loader on the roads and highways, for example like the Keep Moving Orange sled from the Netherlands or the Red Shadow TE sled from Germany.
https://youtu.be/KiWjl-icNt8
