Tractor Pulling News - Pulling-World.com

The 2024 Euro Cup season, consisted of 9 rounds in 6 different European countries. 3 Euro Cup rounds were held in the Netherlands, 2 in Denmark and one each in Germany, France, Belgium and Great Britain. Today we review what happened in the 6 different Euro Cup classes during the season.

But the surprise news came before the Euro Cup season had even started. For the first time since 1994 there was no Euro Cup for the 950kg Mini Modified class, due to a lack of interest and entries from European Mini Modified teams, the class has been dropped for the 2024 season. The Limited Super Stock class was also due to be run as a Euro Cup class for the first time in history in 2024. However, this class has also been dropped due to a lack of interest and entries.

As in the previous year, the 3.6 t Super Sport class was dominated by the red Volvo BM named Krone Red Lightning. Henrik Kjaer, the driver of the Krone Red Lightning, won a total of 3 of the 4 Euro Cup rounds to take the Euro Cup title for the third year in a row. Surprisingly, his title rival from the previous year, the Bounty Hunter from Denmark, could not keep up. The Danish team with the Volvo BM fell far short of expectations in 2024, finishing 9th in the Euro Cup series.

The only ones that came close to the Krone Red Lightning in the 2024 season were the Too Hot To Handle from Denmark and the Freek from the Netherlands. The Ford Too Hot to Handle won the Euro Cup Final in Hoogblookland in the Netherlands and finished second in the Euro Cup round in Putten in the Netherlands. This put the Danish team in 2nd place in the overall Euro Cup standings. The IH tractor named Freek from the Netherlands achieved a 2nd place at the Euro Cup race in Brande and 3 other top 5 places, which gave the Dutch team 3rd place.

The Winners of the 3.6t Super Sport competitions in 2024:

Made (NL): Krone Red Lightning (DK)
Putten (NL): Krone Red Lightning (DK)
Brande (DK): Krone Red Lightning (DK)
Hoogblokland (NL): Too Hot To Handle (DK)

The 3.5t Pro Stock class was relatively well filled in the 2024 season with 10 participants, with more than half of the participants again coming from Denmark. As in the previous year, the Danes were once again expected to fight it out for the Euro Cup title this year. Last year's champion Henrik Krarup Kristensen with his John Deere Pro Stock tractor named Green Magic from Denmark was unable to defend his title in the 2024 season. The Dane fell far short of his expectations this season and his best result was a 4th place at the Euro Cup round in Zele, Belgium.

The defending champion only finished the season in 7th place in the overall Euro Cup standings. The battle for the Euro Cup title was between the 3 Danish Pro Stock Tractors named Thymotech Deer, Thymotech Joker and the Special Deer.

In the end, Michael Galsgaard was able to secure the Euro Cup title in the Pro Stock class on the Thymotech Deer. With 2 wins and a 3rd place, the Dane from Thy won the Euro Cup title with 106 points.

Just 2 points behind him was Mike Andersen on his orange John Deere called Special Deer. The Dane had a very strong season in the Euro Cup. Mike won one Euro Cup event and always finished in the top 3 in the remaining 3 Euro Cup events. In the end, the Dane was only narrowly beaten and is already one of the title favorites for the 2025 season. Thymotech Joker with Rasmus Hoyen followed in 3rd place in the overall Euro Cup standings. At the end of the season, Rasmus was 10 points behind his stablemate Michael Galsgaard in the Euro Cup series and won the Euro Cup final in Great Eccleston, England.

The Bredahl family fell slightly short of expectations in the 2024 season with their Ford Pro Stock called Bredahl Brothers Redline. The team only managed a 3rd place at the Euro Cup Final in England, otherwise they fell short of their own expectations over the season. Tobias Bredahl had to settle for 4th place in the end. Extreme Temptation, another participant from the Netherlands, was also entered in the Euro Cup in the 2024 season. With their Case IH Magnum component pro stock, the Dutch team led by William de Vos actually managed to upset the Danes throughout the season.

At the Euro Cup events in Brande, Denmark and in Zele, Belgium, the Dutch team took two very strong second places. Before the Euro Cup final in Great Eccleston, the Extreme Temptation team still had a relatively good chance of finishing in the top 3 in the overall Euro Cup standings. Unfortunately, however, the team decided not to take part in the final in England and ended up 6th in the overall Euro Cup standings.

Winner of the Pro Stock competitions in 2024

Made (NL): Thymotech Deer (DK)
Brande (DK): Special Deere (DK)
Zele (B): Thymotech Deer (DK)
Great Eccleston (GB): Thymotech Joker (DK)

The 4.5t Super Sport class, like the 3.6t Super Sport class, was dominated by the Danish participants. The 2024 season for the title was a battle between the John Deere Krone Hulk and the IH Farmall Thunderhorse. The Euro Cup title was to be decided between the two teams at the final in Hoogblokland. Claus Fey with Krone Hulk went into the final in the Netherlands as the Euro Cup leader with two Euro Cup race wins. But the Dane was unlucky in the final of all things. Due to technical problems, Claus was unable to make a pull in front of the sled in Hoogblokland and finished last in the competition, which cost him the title.

Lykke Pagaard then seized the opportunity with the Thunderhorse. Lykke, who is only 16 years old, had already impressed during the Euro Cup season. At her first Euro Cup competition in Allingabro, Lykke came 3rd, and shortly afterwards she celebrated her first Euro Cup victory in Made. After a slight dip in Putten, the next Euro Cup victory followed in Brande. Lykke also won the Euro Cup final in Hoogblokland. With the victory in Hoogblokland, Lykke not only took the lead in the overall Euro Cup standings, but also won the Euro Cup title in the 4.5t Super Sport class with a 6-point lead over Krone Hulk. After Johanna Herlevi from Finland (Pro Stock) and Manon Kools from the Netherlands (Super Stock), Lykke Pagaard is the 3rd female participant to win a Euro Cup title in a class in the history of the Euro Cup.

The 3rd place in the overall Euro Cup ranking also went to Denmark, namely to the Fastrac Madness. The JCB Fastrac of Mogens Poulsen from Denmark had been a secret favorite for the Euro Cup title after winning the Indoor Pull in Putten in the Netherlands. Mogens Poulsen had a good start to the season with a 2nd place at the Euro Cup opener in Allingabro. However, an 8th place at the 2nd Euro Cup round in Made cost the Dane valuable points in the battle for the Euro Cup title. But Mogens fought his way back up the Euro Cup standings with a 2nd place in Putten and a 3rd place in Brande. With 116 points, Mogens Poulsen finished his first Euro Cup season with the Fastrac Madness in a good 3rd place, level on points with the Dutch IH 1066 tractor called Red Impact.

Winner of the 4.5t Super Sport competitions in 2024

Allingabro (DK): Krone Hulk (DK)
Made (NL): Thunderhorse (DK)
Putten (NL): Krone Hulk (DK)
Brande (DK): Thunderhorse (DK)
Hoogblokland (NL): Thunderhorse (DK)

The 3.5t Super Stock class in the 2024 season was the largest class in the 2024 Euro Cup season with 17 registered participants. The title in this class was also not to be decided until the season finale in Zele, Belgium. However, the points had to be shared in 2 of the 6 Euro Cup rounds. This was the case in both Bernay and Brande, as the brake van had broken down and the class did not want to restart. In any case, the battle for the Euro Cup title would not be decided until the season finale in Zele, Belgium. The Euro Cup title in the Super Stock class went to the Runaway Deer Pulling Team with their John Deere 7R component super stock tractor called Xtreme Deer. The Dutch team took 2nd place at the 1st Euro Cup round in Füchtorf and a victory at the 2nd Euro Cup race in Füchtorf.

Throughout the season, the driver duo of Charles Koebrugge and Remco Broeks were able to maintain their lead in the overall Euro Cup standings with consistent results and ultimately secured the Euro Cup title by a single point. The Hurricane Pulling Team of Gerrit and Tom Esselink from Laren in the Netherlands followed in 2nd place in the overall Euro Cup standings. The Dutch team with their Fendt 936 Vario component super stock tractor had entered the Euro Cup again after many years. To his surprise, Gerrit Esselink won the first Euro Cup round of the season in Füchtorf. Unfortunately, however, the Dutch team with the Fendt did not have quite the same consistency over the season as the Xtreme Deer. A poor result at the 2nd Euro Cup round in Füchtorf cost them many important points in the battle for the title.

But Tom Esselink was able to fight back with a very strong 2nd place at the Euro Cup round in Made and was able to reduce the gap to the Xtreme Deer again. The Hurricane was able to leave the Xtreme Deer behind at the Euro Cup final, but in the end it was not quite enough to oust the John Deere from the top spot. Third place in the Euro Cup was secured by the Zeinstra Pulling Team from the Netherlands with the New Born Deere. The defending Euro Cup champion Maximum Risk from the Netherlands did not have a good season.

The big favorite for the Euro Cup title stumbled over the entire season with various problems. Already at the two Euro Cup rounds in Füchtorf, the Dutch team led by Rob van der Waal failed to convince and fell short of expectations. But Rob van der Waal struck back and won the 4th Euro Cup round of the season in Made, the Netherlands. This ensured that Maximum Risk still had a chance of winning the title before the Euro Cup final in Zele, Belgium. However, damage to the drive train of the Case IH Magnum in the pull-off meant that all chances of the title or a place in the top 3 were gone. The reigning champion had to settle for 4th place in the overall Euro Cup standings.

Winner of the Super Stock competitions in 2024

Füchtorf (GER): Hurricane (NL)
Füchtorf (GER): Xtreme Deer (NL)
Bernay (F): Competition was canceled due to the broken sled and the advanced time
Made (NL): Maximum Risk (NL)
Brande (DK): Pull Off canceled due to broken sled (points were shared)
Zele (B): Rabbit G'n Wild (DK)

In the 2.5t Light Modified class, 14 participants from 8 nations were entered in the season. This season, the cards in this class have been completely reshuffled. As the Screamin' Bobcat team from the Netherlands had withdrawn from the Light Modified class with the Wicked Screamer and switched to the Super Stock scene instead, the defending champions and big co-favorites were no longer in the running. This meant that the big favorites for the title were clearly the Green Monster 5 Mitas Edition from Germany and the Gators from Denmark. But things turned out very differently. The big favorites faltered throughout the season and thus lost all chances of winning the Euro Cup title during the season.

The Gators team from Denmark had built a completely new chassis for the Gators over the winter and equipped the tractor with new Mitas Powerpull tires. The twin Rolls-Royce V12 Merlin with supercharger went like hell at the Euro Cup opener in Füchtorf and Patrick Hansen won the class.

Throughout the rest of the Euro Cup season, the team struggled with the technology of their engines. Several backfires and broken cylinder heads meant that the team ultimately fell far short of expectations and only finished 7th in the Euro Cup. The Green Monster Team didn't fare much better with the Green Monster 5 Mitas Edition in the 2024 season.

Things didn't go well at the home pull and season opener in Füchtorf and, to make matters worse, they also suffered bearing damage on one of the 2 Allison V12 engines. In Bernay, a plug of a sensor of the EFI made problems, which is why one engine was drowned in fuel and did not want to run anymore. Only 14th place in Bernay. Things went better in Made, but Daniel Frische was unable to keep the twin Allison on track and was disqualified.

It was not until the 4th round of the season in Putten that the tide turned and Dirk Wessel was able to clinch an outstanding victory with the Green Monster 5 Mitas Edition. But the success in Putten was to remain a flash in the pan. At the last two events, the EFI sensors on the Allison engines once again caused problems, which is why the team once again lagged far behind the others at the end of the season. With 6th place in the Euro Cup ranking, the Green Monster 5 Mitas Edition was still one place better than its rival, the Gators from Denmark.

Nevertheless, the Green Monster team was not satisfied with this season in the Light Modified class, especially as they had fought for the Euro Cup title the previous year.

Completely surprisingly, the Euro Cup title went to a team that nobody had on the list at the start of the season. The Rocket Science Pulling Team from the Netherlands won the Euro Cup title in the Light Modified class for the first time in the team's history. Over the winter, the team around Jack Stijnen from Weert had built a new chassis for the tractor and the turbocharger setup of the 6 cylinder DAF alky burner truck engine was also revised. The new chassis and the modified turbocharger setup shifted even more weight to the front so that the tractor should have a better balance. The conversion work already showed its effect at the season opener in Füchtorf. Jack achieved a very good 2nd place there.

Over the course of the season, Jack then took another 2nd place in Putten and a win in Brande. Thanks to his consistency throughout the season, the Dutch team deservedly won the Euro Cup title in the Light Modified class.

However, he also had two challengers over the course of the season. One of them was Daniel Whittingham with Aftermath Unleashed from Great Britain. In the 2024 season, the Brit won the Euro Cup events in Bernay, France and his almost home pull in Great Eccleston, Great Britain. There were also 2 second places in Made and Brande. However, the two poor results in Füchtorf and Putten cost him the Euro Cup title at the end of the season. Daniel Whittingham and Aftermath Unleashed finished just 2 points behind Helveg Rocket Sience from the Netherlands in the overall Euro Cup standings at the end of the season.

The other challenger to the Helveg Rocket Science was the De Jong Special from the Netherlands. Although Tonie de Jong was unable to take a win in the season, the twin Rover Meteor V12-powered tractor, like the Helveg Rocket Science, was very consistent throughout the season and was always in the top 5 at all events. The best results for the Dutch team were a 2nd place in Bernay and 2 third places in Made and Brande. With 138 points at the end of the season, the team from the Netherlands was only 8 points behind the Euro Cup winner.

The Hot Art with its turbocharged Continental V12 engine from the Netherlands and the Mad Max with its turbocharged 6-cylinder DAF alky burner truck engine rounded off the Top 5 in the Euro Cup of the Light Modified class in the 2024 season.

Winner of the Light Modified competitions in 2024:

Füchtorf (GER): Gators (DK)
Bernay (F): Aftermath Unleashed (GB)
Made (NL): Dingo (DK)
Putten (NL): Green Monster 5 Mitas Edition (GER)
Brande (DK): Helveg Rocket Science (NL)
Great Eccleston (GB): Aftermath Unleashed (GB)

In the most powerful class of the Euro Cup, the Heavy Modified class, a total of 9 participants from 4 different countries were entered in the 2024 season.

The title was not decided until the Euro Cup Final in Great Eccleston, England. There, Hans Zuurbier and his Argos Oil Whispering Giant won their first Euro Cup title in the Heavy Modified class. The Dutch team from Egmond-Binnen more than deserved to win the Euro Cup title in the Heavy Modified class, especially thanks to their consistency throughout the season. The Whispering Giant team won the season opener in Füchtorf and maintained their lead in the Euro Cup points standings with 4 more top 3 finishes over the season.

The worst result for the 4 helicopter turbine powered machine was a 5th place in Brande, Denmark when the tractor's crossbox gave up the ghost. The Intertechno Lambada from the Netherlands followed in 2nd place in the Euro Cup classification. The defending champion from Zwolle in the Netherlands was hot on the heels of the Argos Oil Whispering Giant all season. But the Euro Cup winner of the past two years usually lagged behind his main rivals at the Euro Cup events with his 4 Isotov TV3 turbines. In addition, there were also 2 not so great results in Bernay, France and in Putten in the Netherlands. Wim Dingerink was able to win the final race in Great Eccleston with his Multi V8 tractor, but this was not enough to catch up with the Whispering Giant in the Euro Cup. In the end, the Intertechno Lambada was only 2 points behind the Argos Whispering Giant in the overall Euro Cup standings.

Another team that could have had a say in the Euro Cup title was Bobcat Sr. from the Netherlands. The Screamin Bobcat team from Ijsselmuiden was actually the big favorite for the Euro Cup title in the 2024 season. However, the Dutch team had to skip the season opener in Füchtorf because the tractor, powered by 4 BAE V8 Hemi engines, was not yet ready for the season. The Bobcat Sr. was not due to take part in the action until the Euro Cup round in Bernay. But what the Dutch team conjured up on the track there in France was a different world. Bertus Boer won the class in Bernay with a lead of over 19m. But the team from the Netherlands went on to win the next 3 Euro Cup races of the season in Made, Putten and Brande, albeit not by such a large margin as in Bernay.

Before the Euro Cup final in Great Britain, the team had worked its way up to within 7 points of the leader Argos Oil Whispering Giant in the Euro Cup standings and therefore still had a chance of winning the Euro Cup title. But at the final in Great Eccleston, of all places, the Screamin' Bobcat team did not have luck on their side. Bertus Boer had probably had the fastest full pull, but during the pull he touched the white line on the right side and was disqualified. As a result, the Dutch team lost all chances of winning the title and finished third in the Euro Cup standings, 11 points behind the Euro Cup winner Argos Oil Whispering Giant.

2 points behind the Bobcat Sr. was the first non-Dutch team, namely the Green Monster Team with the Green Fighter Stage 4. The team from Füchtorf in Germany appeared for the 2024 season with a completely new build Heavy Modified tractor with 3 Allison V-1710 V12 Allison engines. Despite teething problems at the premiere in Füchtorf, main driver Enrico Vollerthun was able to achieve a very good 3rd place with the new Green Fighter. However, the teething problems were to continue at the next round in Bernay, where they fell far short of their own expectations and only finished 9th and last. In Made, the team then made some progress with the new Tractor and finished 5th. The tide was to turn for the Green Monster Team towards the middle of the season. From putting onwards, things really took off for the triple Allison.

Enrico Vollerthun achieved a strong 3rd place at the Beachpull in Putten, just 2 1/2m behind the winner Bobcat Sr. In Brande, the team once again achieved a place on the podium with the Green Fighter. Tobias Hörstkamp narrowly missed out on victory in Brande by just 14cm and finished 2nd.

At the season finale in England, Tobias was then able to repeat the result from Brande and finished second again. The new Green Fighter Stage 4 has already shown very good results for the first season and the Triple Allison is already one of the secret favorites for the title in 2025.

The two turbine-powered tractors Rising Star 2.0 and Le Redoutable 3.0 from the CDH Pulling Team from France followed in 5th and 6th place.

The team showed great pulls with both tractors at all events and were a real enrichment for this class this season. With their latest acquisition, the Rising Star 2.0, the team from France was still in the learning phase and also received support from the old owners Jan and Henk Bosman from the Netherlands in the 2024 season. At the 6 Euro Cup rounds in the 2024 season, Guillaume Chauvin was able to finish in 4th place 4 times and in 6th place 2 times.

With the Le Redoutable 3.0, the CDH team could not keep up with the top tractors and mostly had to line up in the rear midfield. For 2025, the Le Redoutable 3.0 will receive some changes and the team hopes to be able to keep up with the others again.

The Simply Irresistible team around Egbert Dros from the Netherlands only took part in 3 Euro Cup rounds this season and still showed that the Komeco Simply Irresistible is always a force to be reckoned with. The best result was a 3rd place in Bernay.

The two Italian participants Four No Hemi and Tornado 2 also did not take part in all Euro Cup events. Four No Hemi was able to impress with a 5th place in Bernay. Tornado 2 from Italy used Mitas Powerpull tires for the first time. In Füchtorf, the triple Allison started with borrowed tires from Bram Kools from the Netherlands, but they didn't really work on the tractor. In Bernay, the Team's own Mitas Powerpull tires with wider rims were used. The new tires provided so much traction that the triple Allison was far too light at the front and Gianluigi Baroncini was almost unable to keep the tractor on course. Füchtorf and Bernay were to be the only appearances of the two Italian teams in the 2024 Euro Cup season.

Winner of the Heavy Modified competitions in 2024: