Zwolle 2018 competitors are known !

The organization of the Indoor Pull in Zwolle, the Netherlands have released the provisional competitors list for 2018.

check here: https://indoortractorpulling.nl/programma/

Black Russian sold !

The Danish 3.5t / 7700lbs. Modified Tractor called ,,Black Russian" was sold without the methanol fired V12 Transmash engine to Norway. In the package were also included the fenders, the rear wheels, the rear axle, the gearbox and the driveline.
After the sell of the Tractor, the Black Russian Pulling Team are currently working on a new turbocharged V12 Transmash powered Tractor for the 2.5t / 5500lbs. Light Modified division. Further details about the new Light Mod project of the Danish Team will follow, check here at pullingworld.com !

Q & A with Patrick Hansen

Patrick Hansen, 24 years old from Skjern in Denmark. Patrick is the son of the former Mini Modified driver Torben Hansen and driver of the new twin Rover Meteor V12 powered Light Mod Tractor called ,,Gators´´. He´s also developing and building Pulling parts for other Teams in Denmark.

pullingworld.com: What are you doing in your normal life?
Patrick Hansen: I live in Skjern, Denmark. I am an engineer in Automatic control.  Right now I am taking the next step and studying to become a Bachelor of Technology Management and Marine Engineering, I only have one year left. 

pullingworld.com: What do you like to do in your free time, except Tractor Pulling?
Patrick Hansen: Some things I do other than Tractor Pulling hmm.... I am going to the gym a couple of times every week, you need to do it when you are driving with two 27 liters V12 engines in the Light Modified class ;).
I'm also skiing a couple of times every year with some friends. 

pullingworld.com: What do you like about Tractor Pulling?
Patrick Hansen: First of all I like the friendship we have in Tractor Pulling, then I like to set Tractors up for the different tracks, some people think it's easy, but you can not run with the same setup on every track.
I love to hear about the different way we all think in Tractor Pulling and all the different engines we are running. I learn or hear new things and ideas every time we are attending Tractor Pulling events. I love to sit and design new ideas in solidworks with the Team and try them on the engine or the chassis.
Besides that I like to spend time in the workshop with my Gators friends. 
I could not do it without them, they all fight to get back on the track after or big cash in Made, Holland.

pullingworld.com: What was your first Tractor Pulling event?
Patrick Hansen: I can not remember. My dad drove Tractor Pulling that time in the Mini Rod class, so I was in a stroller for the first event. 
  

pullingworld.com: What is your favourite Event / Pulling track?
Patrick Hansen: There are a lot of good events. Bowling Green (USA), Tomah (USA), Made (NL), Brande (DK), They are some good events with many spectators. But the spectators in Bernay (F) are special and always good for some noise, I like when you can hear the spectators loves what we are spending time on. 

pullingworld.com: When and where do you have driven a Pulling Tractor for the first time?
Patrick Hansen: The first time was in Hassmoor (D) in mid 90´s, on the V8 Gators or maybe I was to young that time ;). I am proud to be the new driver for the Light Modified Tractor Gators in 2017, I have looked forward to that day in many years. 

pullingworld.com: What was your biggest success?

Patrick Hansen: Entire 2015, where I was in the States with Scott Tedder. That year we won the Bowling Green (USA) and the NTPA Grand National title in the Modified division. After I came home to Denmark, I joined the Fenrir Team again where we won the Danish and European Championships the same year.

pullingworld.com: Which Pulling classes do you like too?
Patrick Hansen: All classes where you can see there is a close and fair match, it does not matter if it is a Modified, Pro, Super or Farm Stock.

pullingworld.com: What was your biggest disappointment?
Patrick Hansen: It's easy Made (NL) where we destroyed everything

pullingworld.com: Which things must be change in the future of the Tractor Pulling sport?
Patrick Hansen: We must make sure that there always will be different engine setups and not just the same type of engines. Personally, i would like a weight system where you get more weight on your Tractor if you are out of top 3, for example Nr.4= 20kg, Nr.5= 40kg, Nr.6= 60 kg.  

pullingworld.com: What are your plans for the future in Tractor Pulling?
Patrick Hansen: I hope we can get the parts to stay inside our engine. It would also be nice get some trophies. 

 pullingworld.com: What was for you the most important moment in the sport?
Patrick Hansen: That’s easy, the most important moment was in 2012 where we started the Gators Pulling Team again. 

pullingworld.com: What was your favourite Pulling Tractor project in the workshop during a winter?  
Patrick Hansen: We have a lot of work for some our customers, that’s always important for us. But the two new engines we are building for our Tractor this winter is my favorite, always nice to design new things. 

pullingworld.com: Something you want to say?
Patrick Hansen: The building of the new Gators was not possible without all the people that is comes and helps in the workshop. And thanks to all the people who has followed us this year. it has not been the best season for us, but we got a lot of data to work with in the winter break.
 
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamGatorsTractorPulling/

pullingworld.com: Thank you for your time and good luck for the future ! 

New Light Mod Tractor in the Netherlands

The Ijsseldelta PoweRR Pulling Team from Ijsselmuiden in the Netherlands have built a new 2.5t / 5500lbs. Light Modified Tractor during the 2017 season. The Team is new in the Pulling Sport, but the name is old. In the 80s and the early 90s was a Tractor under the almost same name with a RR Griffon power plant on the track in the Netherlands. The name of the Mod was ,,Delta Power". The new vehicle has a steel tube frame with a steel rollcage, a hydraulic steering, aluminium fenders and a Rockwell rearend. The Dutch Team bought the Chassis from Henk Pastoor last year. In the package were also included the Firestone All Traction 8Ply Puller tyres with the Midwest aluminium rims and the gearbox. The chassis is the old Voldsom Volvo of Soren Jakobsen from Skjern in Denmark. The Tractor came to the Netherlands in 2015. Henk Pastoor sell the complete RR Griffon storage and the old Voldsom Volvo Tractor of Soren Jakobsen in Denmark. A year later he sold the Tractor without the engine further to the Ijsseldelta PoweRR Team. The rearend has a Rockwell center section with a aluminium differential of the Green Monster Pulling Team from Germany, a Rockwell ring and pinion gear, Franklin planetary carrier housing and Franklin planetaries. The Light Mod also has SCS gearbox with a homemade driveline, a Browell clutch bell housing and a 11´´ inch centrifugal clutch with 5 discs.

The new Ijsseldelta PoweRR is powered by a Rolls Royce Griffon MK57 V12 engine on Avgas.
The engine has a original block with stock sleeves, a stock crankshaft with orginal rods and pistons, better rod bolts, orginal RR Griffon cylinder heads with stock camshafts, a original supercharger with a special built aluminium air intake funnel from the Judge Pulling Team, a homemade intake manifold, homemade steel exhaust pipes, a original ignition, a stock fuel system with a electronic fuel pump and homemade fuel tanks. The Griffon engine was built together with the Judge Pulling Team from Kampen in the Netherlands. The Judge guys helped them also with the right settings for the engine.
Ijsseldelta PoweRR Pulling Team will compete in Dutch Grand National Championship in 2018.

for further information, check here: https://www.facebook.com/tractorpullingteam/ 

Delta Power in the 80s

The old Delta Power in the early 90s

Voldsom Volvo EC Ekeröd 2010

Germany´s first Limited Modified Tractor

After many years in Outlaw Pulling, the Hubraumteufel Pulling Team from Lübtheen in Germany have made the switch with their Tractor called ,,Highlander" into the new formed 3.5t /7700lbs. Limited Modified class of the German Tractor Pulling Association (DTTO) this year. The Limited Mod of Ronny Schupetta has a homemade steel tube frame with a steel Rollcage, a homemade hydraulic steering, a ZF Truck rearend and homemade aluminium fenders. The rollcage is off the old Danish Light Modified Tractor called ,,Madame".
The ZF Truck rearend has a stock center section with a original differential, a stock ring and pinion gear and original planetary carrier housing with stock ZF planetaries. Also the gearbox of the Tractor is out of a Deutz-Magirus Truck and has 10 forward and 2 reverse gears in it. The driveline and the clutch bell housing are homemade and the 11" inch centrifugal clutch with 3 discs was built by Reinicke. The rear tires on the Highlander are a set of used Firestone 8Ply Puller with old steel rims.
The new Limited Mod is powered by a V12 Continental tank engine on petrol fuel. Almost all parts, like the rods, pistons, the crank, cylinder heads, the ignition, the injection system etc. are original on the engine. Only the exhaust pipes and the fuel tank are homemade. The tank engine also received 2 extra butterflies. The Continental engine should create around 850 HP.
For the Team it was the first season under DTTO flag, a completely new experience, especially to learn the different track conditions, the different tire pressures, the weight balance etc..
The new Limited Modified class in the DTTO was basically formed to get new people without the big budget into the Pulling sport, like the Hubraumteufel Team. The class is currently growing in Germany, there are 6 Tractors currently in building progress.
The Hubraumteufel Pulling Team will compete in the German Championship next year.

 For further information, check here: http://www.hubraumteufel.de/

or, check here: https://www.facebook.com/Hubraumteufel/

DTTO on exhibition at Agritechnica 2017

The German Tractor Pulling Association has a booth at the 2017 Agritechnica in Hannover, Germany. For those of you who visit the "Agritechnica": Stop by at the DTTO booth in ,,Halle 13´´ Section ,,B17´´. Take a close look on Dschini Evolution and Grautvornix, get the new 2018 calendars or simply have a chat with some pullers. The Agritechnica is the world´s largest exhibition for agricultural machinery and is organised by the DLG. The Agritechnica started at the Sunday, 12th of November with the exclusive days and ends at the Saturday,18th of November 2017.

for further information about the exhibition, check here: www.agritechnica.com

Little Rascal sold !

Since September 2017, the 950kg / 2095lbs. Mini Modified of Hans Groenheide from Maasdijk in the Netherlands has a new home. Hans sold the tractor to Frank Bartholome, the owner and driver of the V8 Hemi powered 2.5t / 5500lbs light modified tractor called ,"Le Coiffeur Stage 9". The tractor made its maiden run under the name ,,Le Coiffeur 10´´ in Berghausen, Germany with Frank's wife Anke Bartholome in the hot seat. She made a very good job and made the Full Pull on her first pass with a Mini Modified. The chassis of the tractor is currently for sale again, but the Le Coiffeur Team has the plan to build a new chassis for the tractor, if the old chassis can be sold. We will see what the outcome will be next year.

for further information, check here: https://www.facebook.com/LCoiffeur/

Q & A with Clemens Wellink

Clemens Wellink, 53 years old from Dinxperlo in the Netherlands. Clemens is a crew member and driver of the Dutch Mini Modified Sledge called ,,No Mercy´´. He´s also in the ETPC SIT (Sledge Inspection Team) and makes the inspections on the sledges in Europe.

pullingworld.com: What are you doing in your normal life?
Clemens Wellink: I worked over 30 years now, at a company called Welgro in Groenlo (NL), that builds trailers for transport of animal feed, flower, granulates etc. I'm a little in charge at the blower and compressor shop where we built these things on the Trucks to unload the trailers by pressure

pullingworld.com: What do you like to do in your free time, except Tractor Pulling?
Clemens Wellink: Working in and outside our house where I live with my wife, 3 daughters and 1 son. Building satellite receiving systems for a hobby.

pullingworld.com: What do you like about Tractor Pulling?
Clemens Wellink: The complete package of noise, power, speed, competition and trying to give my positive input on Al those different kind of things. Driving a Sledge, Mini or big, is a thrill. Trying to make a good setting and after words receive positive judgement of Teams and audience is also a thing that keeps me going. When it was an off day, then always trying to think in solutions and go on.

pullingworld.com: What was your first Tractor Pulling event?
Clemens Wellink: The first pull in Holland on 8th October 1977, where the introduction of the sport took place. There, as a 12 year old, together with my teammate Henk, the virus hit us, and never let loose. The noise out of the Foxy Lady Dodge 440 headers was incredible for us at that time.

pullingworld.com: What is your favourite Event / Pulling track?
Clemens Wellink: There are several places/events I like. Everywhere where a huge crowd is roaring on the grandstand when a nice pass of a tractor was layed down the track. Putten (NL) and Lochem (NL) are one of my favourites,  but also places like Great Ecclestone (GB), Kollerschlag (A), Füchtorf (D), Bernay (F). 
Events like Made (NL) are a bit to much for me, but I take my hat off for the people that make this happen!
 
pullingworld.com: When and where have you have driven a Pulling Tractor / Sledge for the first time?
Clemens Wellink: As member of the Little Rabbit Mini Rod Team in Holland I drove the first time somewhere in 1985. On a Sledge it was in the early 90's. I think it was the sled we run now, but was in a different ownership in that time.

pullingworld.com: What was your biggest success?

Clemens Wellink: Together with team Little Rabbit being 2 times in a row second on the European Championships, 1988 and 1989. In 1990 we sold the machine to Willem Dingerink. It became the first Lambada.

With running Sledges you win every event, but it depends on how you win. Together with the class you have to run, it should put on a good show, and than we are all winners in the end.

pullingworld.com: Which Pulling classes do you like too?
Clemens Wellink: I like them all, especially when the competition is good, and you can't predict what the top 3 in a class will be.

pullingworld.com: What was your biggest disappointment?
Clemens Wellink: A few things I remember the most are a slipping clutch on the Keep Moving Sledge in Ahoy with all the impact that gave.
26th of August 2007 Great Ecclestone (GB) Jan van Alphen. We where there with our No Mercy Sledge and on the moment we want to hit the road, this terrible thing happened. The trip home was very very tough and it made a deep scare.

pullingworld.com: Which things must be changed in the future of the Tractor Pulling sport?

Clemens Wellink: As former board member of the NTTO, I learned a lot about the sport with all the ins and outs. The level we have reached in Holland is pretty high, and I hope that this could be continued in the future, and will expand in Europe. Track preperation is in my opinion a very important issue, and there could be more improvement on that.

An other discussion point could be the 100m mark. We must get rid off this number! When a class has a lot off competitors, than the track officials should decide how many machines should come back in the pull-off, no matter if there is a Full Pull or not. They must run for example 95% of the track length.  This gives less stress for the track officials, Sled crew etc. And the audience will get their Pull Off. This could be as much excitement as it is with the system that we have now. When there is no time left due to weather conditions, it also could bring a good show, just by making 1 strong run. It depends on how the announcer brings the show through the microphone. I know that this will work in Holland but not in for example France. There the audience has different expectations.

pullingworld.com: What are your plans for the future in Tractor Pulling? 
Clemens Wellink: This year the NTTO has their 40th anniversary, and I was in the lucky position the be a member for 39 years. I hope that I could make it for several more years, running Sledges etc. and being part of a sport that we all love. Also try to give our experience that we have collected through the years to the next generation.   

pullingworld.com: What was for you the most important moment in the sport?
Clemens Wellink: Being part of a committee that tries to get a new built Sledge from overseas to Holland. However it was not how it should be done, the first run in Oudenhoorn (NL) 2014 got me a little bit emotional because of the energy that it took over the years.

pullingworld.com: What was your favourite Pulling Tractor project in the workshop during a winter? 
Clemens Wellink: Working on several Sledges, Keep Moving Blue, Keep Moving Orange and No Mercy, but together with my Teammates building our No Mercy transport vehicle was a nice thing to do. It took us 4 years to get the bus ready, but it was worth wile. It's our second home when we are on the road.

pullingworld.com: Something you want to say?
Clemens Wellink: Thank you for being part of the show! Hope to meet you all somewhere on a Pull!

pullingworld.com: Thank you for your time and good luck ! 

The new Roude Leiw Junior

The Roude Leiw Pulling Team around Serge Jacoby, Marc Gaub and Lisa Raiber from Vichten in Luxembourg have built a new 2.5t / 5500lbs. Light Modified Tractor during the summer of 2017. After a hard crash landing in Grimmen, Germany the complete tube frame was bent. Not only the frame was damaged, also the fuel and oil tank and some driveline parts. After that, the Team decided to built a new chassis during 2017 season. They couldn't rescued the old chassis, there was too much damaged to fix it again.
The new ride received a new 25CrMo4 tube frame with a 25CrMo4 rollcage (ROP), a hydraulic steering, a homemade rear axle housing and carbon fiber fenders. The cage, the rear axle housing and the carbon fiber fenders were taken over of the old Roude Leiw Jr. Light Mod. The carbon fiber fenders were made by the Rocket Science Pulling Team from Weert in the Netherlands. The new frame got some improvements and new ideas, like the position of the radial engine. The engine is a little bit more forward than on the old Roude Leiw Junior. The Team hopes to get a better balance with those changes. The rear end has a homemade aluminium center section with a good old needle bearing Deutz-Magirus diff, a special made ring and pinion gear, homemade shafts, homemade aluminium planetary carrier housing with special built Mercedes planetaries and a Land Rover / Mico Light single wheel brake system combination. The new ride also got a set of new Northern Sheen aluminium rims from Canada with new Firestone Puller 2000 HP tyres. The tyres were cut by Steen Dam in Denmark. 

The new Roude Leiw also has a SCS reverser with a homemade brake disc, a homemade light weight driveline, a 5 disc Crower centrifugal clutch with a size of 11´´ inch and a Trick Titanium clutch bell housing.

The new Tractor is powered (like the old one) by a Curtiss Wright R3350-36 Radial engine out of a Lockheed Super Constellation plane on petrol fuel. The engine was modified and overhauled, received some homemade exhaust pipes, new overhauled cylinder heads, a new homemade aluminium fuel and oil tank and a homemade prototype data logger with onboard display by Marc Gaub. In the last 2 years, the Team made some experimental tests with the supercharger, which had cost a couple of engines. After that they decided to run a lower blower pressure again and have fun.

Only 6 weeks later, the new Tractor was ready to run. The Light Modified made his maiden voyage in Knutwill, Switzerland. The maiden run was a success for the Team. The Tractor ran pretty good for the first time, Serge Jacoby and also the rest of the Team was very pleased with the performance of the new one. 

The Roude Leiw Pulling Team will compete in the Euro Cup or in the German Championship and on some show pulls in Europe next season.

The Roude Leiw Pulling Team would also like to give a big thanks to all their sponsors for the support during the 2017 season !

 for further information, check here: http://www.roude-leiw.lu/

or, check here: https://www.facebook.com/RoudeLeiwTractorPullingTeam/