This is my 48th year of tractor pulling photography. In the late 60's-early 70's we pulled the following classes in MO and KS,4500,5500,7000,9000,12000,and 15000.Tractors couldnt be stripped below their factory shipping weight.In about 1 Mod classes were started. The factory MM's were all running 1 turbo.In 1969 the ones with 504 cube engines pulled the 12,000 class and the ones with the 800 cube engines pulled the 15,000 Open class.I believe the 1969 M&W pull ran either a 6 or 8 mph pace tractor.Quite a few of these tractors had plenty of power to run 10-12 mph so werent always full throttle.Another thing to remember is there was absolutely no safety equipment.Īnother thing is that back then is almost all pulling tractors were hauled on 2 ton farm trucks.There were no duallys with gooseneck trailers,no semis with enclosed haulers,etc.The Allison team used to create quite a stir when they came to pulls with a semi and a flatbed trailer with both tractors on. Usually at the big pulls the following tractor classes were pulled 5000,7000,9000,12,000,and 15,000.Often the 15,000 was an open class where the Allison Team could pull their two tractors,plus there were 4020 JD's with 8V-71 Detroits,MM's with 800 Irrigation motors,there was a 1206 with a big V-8 IH.,etc.When more and more Mods got built they had their own classes at 5000,7000,9000,and the 12,000 was Unlimited where the farm tractors could mix it up with the Allisons-etc. You've got to remember that back in 1969 pulling was just getting going good.There were no 4WD trucks,no TWD trucks,very few Modified tractors,no Hot Farms,no Limited Pros,no Pro Stocks-etc.
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