Quambatook: Home of the Tractor Pull

There's always a plethora of motorsport to follow during the Easter weekend; the Bathurst 6 Hour, Easter Sprintcar Trail and the Australian Modified Sedan Title, whilst plenty of other racetracks around the country hold a various array of race meetings.  However, I'd instead travel to Quambatook, 'land of the wheat and wood, home of the tractor pull', for the annual Australian Tractor Pull Championships.

Australian tractor pulling began with its first organised event in 1976 at Elmore Field Days, an annual agriculture event, with Red Steer (pictured above) the first modified tractor in Australia competing.  The following year, tractor pulling began in Quambatook, where the first purpose-built pulling track would be constructed in the country.

I've been to the Tooradin Tractor Pull twice as a spectator, and photographing one trackside has been on my bucket list for a while, and for the first time, I'd venture to the sports Australian home.  I've written about the history and basics of tractor pulling after my previous trip, however I knew I wanted to give this unique motorsport a deeper dive.

This is where I introduce Baz Ward owner and driver of the handmade Ford Escort panel van known as 'Bizzee B', who I am very thankful for taking the time for an extensive chat on the ins and outs of tractor pulling.  Baz followed the tractor pulling scene growing up in South Australia, and is part of a motorsport family, competing in drag racing, super truck racing and other forms of motorsport.  Just over twenty years ago, Baz came to Quambatook interested in building his own and was given a try driving the tractor known as 'Flat Stick'.

Both Bizzee B and Rumpus were originally built by Keith Elliot in Quambatook, and with the help of Murray Hynam, Baz took ownership of both, one after the other, resurrecting and refreshing them, but still keeping the integrity of both tractors in honour of Keith, whilst making the promise to never separate the two.  Bizzee B was originally intended for Baz' wife to take the wheel, but now Baz himself drives it down the track, as his son competes in Rumpus.

[Bizzee B]'s got a 1000hp compatible TCI Mississipi powerglide 2-speed transmission behind a small block chev, and that runs into a little four-speed, and then you get your gear ratio, and that's in a Pommy truck hub reduction diff."

Bizzee B would one of four 2WD Trucks to compete, which also included the truck 'Bad Attitude', a Chevrolet pickup that had a flopper body, where it is hinged at the rear of the vehicle, and can be lifted upwards to reveal the driver and engine.  This truck in particular reminded me of my first encounter with pulling competition, thanks to the wheelie trucks and funny car pullers in the 1985 DVD 'Battle of the Monster Trucks'. 

When it comes to pulling the weighted sled down the track, it's not all about horsepower and torque, as the tractors gearing, tyre pressures and the track conditions all play a big part.  At the end of a pass, it’s important to look at the hole that has been dug by the rear tyres, and depending on the holes shape, tyre pressure will be increased or decreased.  Additionally, how grippy or slick the track is also determines what tyre pressures the teams use.  No two tracks are the same, and the conditions change throughout the day, meaning it’s a constant dance to get it absolutely right.

Each time a tractor goes on track, the weight is increased (depending on their class), by adding weights that hang on the side or front of the tractor, and by setting the weight of the sled to be heavier.  And before it goes on track, every tractor is taken to the weigh bridge to make sure they make weight. 

Once the sled is hooked onto the back of the tractor and the green flag is waved, using the hand throttle the tractor is sent at full noise.  Fifteen metres down the track is when the driver really starts to lean into it, and if the front is up in the air, the driver uses the two brake pedals - one for each of the rear tyres - to keep it all straight, as the sled comes up behind the tractor, pulling it back to a stop.

A few other interesting tractors included the Barra powered ‘Infected’, 'The Russian', powered by a V12 from a Russian tank, 'Sledgehammer', with a glowing Scania motor that always puts on a show, and of course one of the favourites, the triple engine 'Plum Crazy'.

The Mini Modified Tractors - with their own mini sled - are extremely exciting to watch as they move all over the track.

One of my favourite discoveries however, were the RC Tractor Pullers.  I camped in the pits the night before and heard chainsaws and angle grinders whilst I was trying to sleep.  Turns out they were these little things!  A man called Lockie started it by making a remote-controlled sled and it has grown from there.  The model of Plum Crazy, with three chainsaw motors was gifted to its driver Doug Williams the previous night, and brought him to tears.

As the night wound down, and even though the weight got heavier, the tractors started to go further.  There was a moment during the night where we had multiple tractors go the full distance.  'X-Rated' took the sled to 115 metres, and straight after, 'Hectic' went even further with a mammoth 128.42 metres.  A few runs later, 'Little Devil' went full pull with an even further 135 metres!  It was an incredible moment to have three full pull runs so close together, and the atmosphere from the crowd was electric.

Unfortunately, too much rain at the end of the night caused the track to be too slick for the final competitive runs, also meaning we didn't get to see the demonstration of 'Red Steer', or the butcher's picnic, where drivers can try out each other's modified tractors.  

One final point I want to share is the camaraderie among everyone.  They don't compete for money but instead get travel money to make it to tractor pulls across the country and put on a show.  Everyone helps each other, whether it comes to learning the track, or if a tractor breaks.  It's all about putting on a show and meeting new people, and I certainly felt more than welcome during my first time in Quambatook.

Bonus Gallery