Tractor Pulling News - Pulling-World.com

On November 16, 2025, we received the sad news that Eugen Kiemele from Eschach-Seifertshofen had passed away at the age of 88. With Eugen Kiemele's passing, the tractor pulling world has lost one of its greatest pioneers. He contributed significantly to the development of tractor pulling as a sport in Germany and Europe. Without him, tractor pulling in Europe would probably not be as developed as it is today. During his time as an active participant, Kiemele won several German and European championship titles. Of course, the battles and rivalries he fought on national and international pulling tracks from 1985 to 1999 will also remain unforgettable.

But before Eugen Kiemele got into tractor pulling, the German from Eschach-Seifertshofen was still active in hill climb and circuit racing. He was born on March 31, 1937, on his parents' farm in the small village of Eschach-Seifertshofen in the Swabian Ostalb, about 15 kilometers north of Schwäbisch Gmünd, where he grew up. He first came into contact with motorsport in 1966.

On his way back from the Netherlands, he watched a Formula V race at the Nürburgring with great enthusiasm. That same year, he drove to the Porsche factory in Stuttgart (about 70 km southwest of Eschach-Seifertshofen) and bought himself a Formula V racing car.

From 1967 onwards, he competed in Formula V races, including the race he had attended as a spectator the previous year. Over the years, Kiemele achieved numerous successes not only in Formula V, but also in Formula 3 and Formula 4. After his time in Formula racing, he switched from single-seaters to sports cars. He bought a 210 hp Porsche and competed with this car in circuit races in Germany and Belgium, where he achieved several victories. In 1973, he switched to a Porsche Carrera RSR and also achieved dozens of victories as well as second and third places with it. Just one year later, the engine of the Porsche Carrera RSR was upgraded to 3 liters. Numerous other national and international victories followed. Among other things, he also set a record. In a circuit race at the AVUS in Berlin, he set a lap record with his Porsche Carrera RSR that still stands today!

However, on May 1, 1976, Eugen Kiemele's career as a race car driver came to an end. During a race, a technical fault caused the accelerator pedal on Kiemele's Porsche to stick. Eugen crashed into several trees at around 120 km/h. He managed to escape from the badly damaged and burning Porsche, injured, and was then taken to hospital. Due to his injuries, he had to stay there for several weeks. After his hospital stay, he decided to quit racing and devote more time to his day-to-day business activities. He was already a successful businessman at that time. Among other things, he traded in scrap metal, antiques, and discarded military vehicles from the German and US armies.

He kept most of the well-preserved pieces and collected them. In 1982, he founded the Farming and Technology Museum in Eschach-Seifertshofen, where the well-preserved pieces finally found a home. But Eugen didn't just collect army vehicles.

Among other things, he also collected old airplanes, decommissioned fighter jets, and helicopters. Over the years, he built up a collection of agricultural machinery, tractors, and Lanz Bulldogs in his museum, which can still be admired today.

After taking a break from motorsports, the German felt the urge to get back into it in the early 1980s. While visiting the Netherlands in 1983, he saw tractor pulling for the first time as a spectator. Enthused by the most powerful and heaviest motorsport on wheels, he decided to buy a pulling tractor himself.

It would be another two years before he had his own pulling tractor, but it would then take the sport of pulling in Europe to a whole new level.

At the beginning of 1985, Eugen Kiemele purchased the modified tractor named "The Judge" from Ron Barga in the USA. The Judge was equipped with two Allison V-1710 V12 aircraft engines from World War II. Ron Barga's Allison engines were already equipped with methanol injection systems at the time, which was supposed to give the twin Allison tractor around 4400 hp. After the 1985 European Superpull (where Ron Barga was the US Gustpuller with the tractor) in Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Judge then became the property of Eugen Kiemele. The double Allison was then renamed from The Judge into Museums Gigant. Eugen Kiemele competed with Museums Gigant for the first time in Füchtorf in 1985.

Due to the ETPC import ban on pulling tractors from the USA, Eugen Kiemele was not allowed to participate in the German Championship or the European Championship in 1985. But in 1986, Eugen was allowed to compete and showed what the Museums Gigant was capable of.

Or rather, Eugen made his competitors look old most of the time. It quickly became clear that Eugen had only one approach: full throttle and sink or swim. With the Museums Gigant, Eugen went on to win the German championship in the 5.4t Modified class from 1986 to 1990. Eugen also won the German championship title in the 4.4t Modified class with the Museums Gigant in 1988 and 1989. But Eugen was also set to shock his competition on an international level.

In 1987 in Hörby, Sweden, he won his first European championship title in the 4.4t Modified class. Another European Championship title followed in 1988 at the European Championships in Amboise, France, in the 5.4t Modified class. In 1986, Eugen bought another modified tractor, namely the single Allison Second Choice from Art Helm in Canada. Eugen's son Hans then used this tractor to chase points in the 3.4t and 4.4t Modified classes in the German Championship. Hans Kiemele won the German Championship title in both classes in 1987 with the Second Choice. In the same year, Hans also achieved the EC title in the 3.4t modified division with Second Choice in Hörby, Sweden.

Eugen realized relatively early on that the competition in Europe had caught up and was hot on his heels. So, in the winter of 1987, he bought his third modified tractor. This time, it wasn't a tractor with an Allison engine, but a modified tractor with three Arias V8 Hemi dragster engines. The German bought the Tom Cat from LD Nation in Butler, Missouri, in the USA. But as was the case with the Museums Gigant in 1985, Eugen was unable to compete in the 1988 rankings with his new toy. The new tractor was named Museums Cat, and Eugen competed with it in the 3.4t and 4.4t modified class. In 1989, Eugen Kiemele won the German and European championship titles in the 3.4t Modified class with the Museums Cat.

In the 4.4t Modified class, Eugen took the runner up spot in both the German championship and the European championship. After the season, Eugen Kiemele handed over the steering wheel of the Museums Cat to his son Hans Kiemele and Richard Holz. Hans won another European Championship title in the 3.4t Modified class with the Museums Cat, as well as another second place in the 4.4t Modified class at the European Championship at the Nürburgring in Germany. Hans Kiemele and Richard Holz went on to achieve further podium places with the Museums Cat at the European Championships in the 3.4t Modified class until 1995 and dominated the 3.4t Modified class in the German Championship until 1996.

As the Museums Gigant was getting on in years and international competition in the 4.4 t and 5.4 t Modified classes had significantly stepped up its game with new tractors, Eugen needed to raise the bar once again. In the winter of 1989, Kiemele bought the "Mission Impossible" with five Arias V8 Hemi racing engines from multiple NTPA Grand National Champion Tim Engler. The tractor was to be named "Museums Killer." In the 1990 season, the "Museums Killer" was only used with three Arias V8 Hemi racing engines, and Eugen only competed with the tractor in a few events in Germany. From the 1991 season onwards, Eugen pulled with five Arias V8 Hemi engines on the tractor. There were fierce battles for the titles in the German Championship and at the European Championships in the 4.4-ton and 5.4-ton Modified classes.

Between 1991 and 1999, the German fought fierce battles at national and international level. Probably his most famous battle at national level during this period was against Heinz-Josef Hörstkamp from the Green Monster Team in Füchtorf, Germany. Eugen Kiemele and Heinz-Josef Hörstkamp fought a veritable battle of equipment, racing to the finish even when one or more engines had already broken down. Nowadays, no one would do that anymore, or rather, it would be far too expensive with today's equipment.

Another key point at that time was that when Eugen Kiemele stepped up his game with his "Museums Killer," Heinz-Josef Hörstkamp also raised the bar with his "Green Fighter."

The two Germans were bitter rivals on the track, but outside of competitions, they were close friends. However, Eugen was to retain the upper hand at national level in both major classes with the Museums Killer over Heinz-Josef Hörstkamp with the Green Fighter for most of the time. Kiemele won the title in the 4.4-ton modified class with the Museums Killer a total of six times, namely in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1997, as well as the DM title in the 5.4-ton class six times with the Killer in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1998. The title in the 5.4-ton Modified class in 1998 was to be the last title for Eugen Kiemele with the Killer.

Eugen fought a fierce battle for the title with Museums Killer not only in the German Championship, but also in the European Championships. In the 90s, the German competed against teams such as "Desperate Dan" from Great Britain, "Popeye" from the Netherlands, "Green Spirit" from the Netherlands, "Fox" from Denmark, "Seaside Affair" from the Netherlands, "Chariot of Fire" from Great Britain, "Terminator" from Belgium and, of course, the "Green Monster Team" from Germany. Eugen won a total of four European Championship titles with the "Killer" between 1991 and 1999. He won three titles in the 5.4-ton modified class (1992, 1993, 1995) and one in the 4.4-ton modified class (1992).

In addition, he achieved several second and third places in both classes at the European Championships. The most successful European Championship for Eugen with the "Museums Killer" was in 1992 in Bernay, France. However, Eugen was unable to drive the "Killer" due to injury. He had broken several ribs in a crash with the "Killer" in Haßmoor in 1992. So his son Hans Kiemele and his son-in-law Roland Foith had to take the wheel. The two of them won the European Championship title in both the 4.4-ton and 5.4-ton Modified classes.

However, even during the 1998 season, Eugen was seen less and less behind the wheel of the "Museums Killer." Richard Holz increasingly took over the wheel of the tractor powered by a 5-Arias V8 Hemi engine.

In the 1999 season, the Museum Killer was driven mostly by Richard Holz. Eugen only sat behind the wheel of the Killer sporadically. Among other things, Eugen competed in the Euro Cup race in Grimmen, Germany, and achieved an excellent fourth place with the aging tractor.

After the 1999 season, Eugen Kiemele ended his career in tractor pulling and sold his two tractors, "Museums Cat" and "Museums Killer," to Norway. The Museums Killer made its last appearance at the European Championships in Bouconville, France. There, Richard Holz was able to take third place once again in the 5.4 t Modified class. The "Museums Killer" was purchased by the "Mini Breaker Team" led by Karl-Sofus and Hans-Kristian Engen from Norway.

However, in the end, not much was left of the "Museums Killer." The two brothers built a completely new homemade tube chassis based on the Museums Killer chassis built by Tim Engler. All parts of the drive train, such as the crossbox, were also completely rebuilt by the Mini Breaker Team

While the Arias V8 Hemi racing engines and some parts of the powertrain were sold to the Joker team led by Thomas, Claus, and Manfred Zimmermann (who used to work as a mechanic in Eugen Kiemele's team) in Germany, the chassis ended up in a scrapyard. However, one part of the chassis was rescued from the scrapyard. A frame rail also went to Germany to the Joker team. It later served as a template for the Zimmermann's' modified tractor.

The frame rail of the Museums Killer still exists today and is located in the Zimmermann's' workshop. The Arias engines and parts of the Killer's drivetrain were later reused on the Zimmermann's new Modified Tractor. It made its debut at Eugen Kiemele's tractor pulling event in Eschach-Seifertshofen in 2001.

Between 1985 and 1999, Eugen Kiemele and his team won a total of 31 German championship titles and 9 European championship titles!

Even after his active career as a competitor in tractor pulling competitions, Eugen Kiemele remained loyal to the sport. Even after his retirement, he continued to organize his tractor pulling event every May and his annual Lanz Bulldog steamroller festival in Eschach-Seifertshofen every summer.

Eugen also regularly attended various tractor pulling events in Germany. He continued to organize his own event until 2010, after which things quietened down in terms of tractor pulling in Eschach-Seifertshofen until a new edition was held in 2023 – albeit no longer under his direction. He also remained in contact with his former rival and close friend Heinz-Josef Hörstkamp over the years.

With Eugen Kiemele's passing, the tractor pulling world has lost another legend, a great man, ambassador, and a fair competitor. Without Eugen, tractor pulling would probably not be at such a high level throughout Europe today. Or rather, Eugen contributed greatly to the sport of tractor pulling and revolutionized it in Europe. Even after his death, many will always remember one of Eugen's sayings in his German accent: "Der muass Steiga" (Or translated in English: the front end of the pulling tractor have to come up during a pull).

The competitors, organizers and the fans of the pulling sport will definitely sorely miss him in the future. Eugen will always in the mind of the people and will never be forgotten.

Our thoughts are with the whole Kiemele family and we wish them a lot of strength to cope with this loss.

2 of the 3 Modified tractors of the Green Monster Pulling Team are to find at the World’s largest Agricultural Machinery in Hannover, Germany. The both Allison V-1710 V12 powered Modified tractors called Green Monster Stage 4 and Green Monster 5 Mitas Edition will be exhibited all 7 days at 2025 Agritechnica. The stair step Allison powered tractor called Green Monster Stage 4 is exhibited at the booth of the German lubricant company called ''Ravenol'' in ''Hall 2'', Section ''A33''. Their other twin Allison modified tractor called Green Monster 5 Mitas Edition is exhibited on a other booth than the Green Monster Stage 4.

The 2025 European Champion and 2025 runner-up in the Euro Cup of the Light Modified class is exhibited on the booth of their main sponsor ''Mitas Tires'' in ''Hall 20'', Section ''B58''.

The 2025 edition of the Agritechnica, organized by the DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft) has 2,800 exhibitors from over 50 countries, including 234 world premieres, presenting advanced farm equipment and solutions. With 430,000 visitors expected and the entire 23 halls fully booked, this year’s edition sets the stage for a dynamic and international industry gathering.

The Agritechnica was already kicked off today, the 9th of November with the Innovation & Press Day and will go until the 15th of November 2025. The doors of the exhibition are every day opened from 9am to 6pm CET.