July 2, 2013
The inaugural V8 Tractor Pull attracted an estimated 3000 visitors at the weekend, well and truly justifying the Kingaroy & District Vintage Machinery Club’s confidence in their new facility at Kingaroy Airport.
In fact, the venue worked so well, the club decided on Monday morning to move their extremely popular Vintage Machinery Rally – to be held in September – from its usual venue at Kumbia to the new area.
The club has carved out an arena in the former Butwell cricket oval at the back of the airport, complete with banked areas on both sides for spectators.
The central pit is long enough – and wide enough – for side-by-side tractor pulls as well as truck and machinery parades.
On Saturday, the grounds hosted pulling races by V8-powered mini-tractors which had travelled from Victoria to compete.
The tractors pull a weighted sled which is designed to become harder to pull the further it travels. The load is a real test of the power of the tractors. Which tractor can pull the load the furthest before stopping?
The V8 machines bear a passing resemblance to real tractors but produce incredible horsepower figures … up to an amazing 1500hp.
The two-day spectacular also featured parades of historic and modern machinery, a truck show, market stalls and a special visit by the Bandag Bullet.
This Detroit Diesel-powered Kenworth T400 is claimed to be the fastest truck in the world – it set a Guinness World record in 2007 – and always draws a big crowd wherever it appears.
It put on several displays of wheel-smoking, engine-flaming burnouts on a bitumen area in front of the Kingaroy Airport Terminal building, ripping its way through several sets of tyres while doing so.
Kingaroy & District Vintage Machinery Club secretary Russell Dower said the club’s next major event would be their annual rally on September 14-15.
This would feature vintage trucks, cars and bikes; vintage tractors and stationary engines; slow tractor races and sled pulling; as well as ploughing demonstrations and a grand parade.
This year’s event would also feature Case tractors and equipment, Mack trucks and air-cooled engines.
For more information, contact club president Jeff Barbeler on 0428-625-408.
NB. This rally is entirely separate from Motors In Motion which will be held on Saturday, November 2, in the Kingaroy Airport precinct
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