It’s as if the All-Star Game were all Home Run Derby. As if the Pro Bowl were all “Hail Marys.” It’s one run and done: For the season, for the check, for the win.
And this year, it’s twice the show.
Now in its 29th year overall and 10th year as a stand-alone event in Urbana, the Enderle Pull-Off, presented by Farmers Equipment, has become the season finale for the National Tractor Pullers Association’s (NTPA) Grand National season. Now, for the first time ever, this cliffhanger arrives in two parts on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Champaign County Fairgrounds.
At 1 p.m., 50 competitors in 12 divisions will compete in the inaugural Regional National Session One. These drivers and vehicles will have earned their berths by acquiring the most points from NTPA Regional National classes within individual states, across multistate regions, or having the Pro National designation. Check out the “Road to the Enderle” page at www.NTPAPULL.com for qualification details and current standings in the nailbiting point races.
Then at 7 p.m., the Grand National Session Two comprises 60 competitors: the top-five pullers that have competed across the nation in each of the 12 Grand National divisions. In between these sessions, fans can visit with the drivers and get close to the machines that have thrilled them all year long on the NTPA’s Grand and Regional National Circuits. Access to the pit, vending, and exhibitor areas is included in the price of admission.
In all, over $105,000 in prize money is up for grabs for those competitors willing to push their equipment to its limits. With an off-season to repair or rebuild, expect most to accept that challenge.
“It’s a fast-paced event,” said Gregg Randall, NTPA Office General Manager. “With the very best three, four, or five in each class, the action on the two pulling tracks is nearly non-stop.” While that action is the large part of the overall spectacle, fans should plan to take advantage of those open pits to understand the rest of the story. “The vehicles and their haulers represent a significant investment by competitors in our motorsport,” said Randall. “We are proud of their professionalism and how they interact with our fans. They’re easy folks to cheer for.”
The competing divisions in the 1 p.m. session are Light Super Stock, Heavy Super Stock, Heavy Super Stock Diesel, Super Farm, Light Pro Stock, and Limited Pro Stock Tractors; Two-Wheel-Drive, Four-Wheel-Drive, Pro Stock Diesel 4×4, and Super Stock Diesel 4×4 Trucks; and Mini and Multi-Engine Modifieds. In the 7 p.m. session, fans will see Light Super Stock, Super Stock Diesel, Super Stock Open, Super Farm, and Pro Stock Tractors; Two-Wheel-Drive, Four-Wheel-Drive, and Super Semi Trucks; and Mini, Light Twin-Engine Unlimited, Multi-Engine, and Unlimited Modifieds.
Advance, discount, all-day (both-session) adult tickets are available for $20 at the NTPA’s Webmall (shop.NTPAPULL.com) as well as presenting sponsor Farmers Equipment of Urbana and sponsors Farmer’s Daughter Restaurant of Urbana; Dave Kehl Chevrolet of Mechanicsburg; and Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken locations in Clark, Logan, Shelby, and Miami Counties. Children under 10 are admitted free.
On the day of the event, adult admission is $30 for both sessions or $25 for Session Two only. No refunds will be issued. If any of Saturday’s classes are not completed due to inclement weather, they will be rescheduled for Sunday, September 20 at 1 p.m.
Including this year’s Enderle Pull-Off, this legendary program—-the longest-running of its kind in the motorsport of truck and tractor pulling—-will have awarded competitors over $1.5 million in prize money since its inception in 1987, when founder Kent Enderle and his wife Joan unveiled the first Pull-Off to reward competitors who used his Simi Valley, California-based Enderle Fuel Injection products. After three years at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus, the event moved to Fort Recovery, Ohio where it was conducted alongside its August Grand National event until 2005. The move to the stand-alone date in Urbana has made the Enderle Pull-Off pulling’s most prestigious and lucrative single-day event.
