Summit Motorsports Park raised a lot of eyebrows late last year when the dragstrip announced it would host the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League for the inaugural World Series of Pulling this summer.
That’s because, spoiler alert, holding a tractor pull at a top-tier NHRA racetrack is a lot of work. The crews had to convert an asphalt quarter-mile into a dirt covered pulling course, which meant layering the asphalt surface in plywood, the piling on lots (and lots, and lots) of dirt.
You can read more details on the track’s preparation for the event here.
Interestingly, if you’re familiar with Summit Motorsports Park, you’ll immediately notice that the rigs are running in the OPPOSITE direction, so the action ended up near the starting line of the regular track setup. This was done for a handful of reasons, including two big ones:
- More action typically happens at the end of the run, with pulls sometimes decided by inches. This way, spectators got to see it all unfold at the grandstand.
- Cleanup: All the extra dirt is contained back in the traditional staging area of the dragstrip, not at the top end of the racing surface.
And it’s also worth pointing out that, thanks to the two-lane layout, two classes were essentially able to run at the same time, alternating sides with the small and big sleds.
All the preparation paid off too. Aside from bad weather canceling Saturday’s festivities, the event went off without a hitch on Friday. Check out the pics below and visit the Pro Pulling League website to see if an event is coming near you.
Summit Racing’s Jason Liss contributed to this article.
Comments