Monster tractors bring fury to Murray

Photos by Tom Rivers

MURRAY – Dustin Clark of Phelps and his modified tractor, “Policy Peddler,” pull a 40,000-pound sled along a dirt track in Murray on Sunday.

Clark finished fifth in the modified class with a pull of 243.0 feet. He was one of about 50 competitors in the Murray Tractor Pull, which is a sanctioned event by the Empire State Pullers.

Dustin Clark has his helmet off after competing. The Murray course on Groth Road attracted about 1,000 fans for the two days of tractor pulling on the weekend.

Two young fans, with their ears covered from the roaring noise, watch Rick Krause of Ashland, Ohio, compete in the modified class.

Krause and “Unfinished Business” won the modified class with a pull of 336.11 feet.

Mark Cole of Pavilion competes with “The Gambler” in the modified class. Cole was sixth with a pull of 200.0 feet. He was the “Puller of the Year” from 2009-2012 for the Empire State Pullers.

Lloyd Christ rides a Kubota and checks on the race on Sunday. Christ built the course for the tractor pulling event on Groth Road about 15 years ago. He also competes in the heavy superstock class.

His son, Scott, also competes and won the the super farm class on Sunday.

For more on the Empire State Pullers, click here.

A modified tractor pulls the 40,000-pound sled down the track.