Holy Cow Tractor Pulling Team

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Fort Recovery (session 1)
Despite the hard rains (22" in some places) earlier in the week, the Fort was in fine shape. The sun was out with a decent breeze. As the pull started, the storm front moved in. The FWD and SSD classes finished and there were only a couple hooks left in each of the LTSS and SF classes when the rains started. There was almost no warning, first a few sprinkles and then it came down in buckets. We stayed at the trailer as long as we could as we could see the lightening in the distance, but we finally had to get weighed and stated. We couldn't have been in the hot pits more and a few minutes when the rains hit. Stacey and I both got thoroghly soaked. Special thanks to fans Jack and his son for helping us get loaded.

Stacey had planned a big get together with meatball subs and stuff. Since the food was ready, we had 11 people crammed in the bedroom of the hauler eating and having fun. Despite the weather, it was a fun night. Since we didn't run, we didn't break anything and were ready to go the next day.

I feel sorry for the fans that came specifically to see the mods. We wanted to run as well, especially since RFD was there only that night for filming for TV, but you can't control the weather. I have to commend the Ambassadors and NTPA for trying to at least finish the four classes. I think we all knew that the mod class wouldn't run to completion, but it would have been nice to 4 of the 5 finished.

Dallas Jackson Plattner.
Congratulations to Brad and Shannon on the birth of their first son, DJ on Wednesday, August 22, 2007. Everyone is doing well.

Bowling Green (session 3)

Typically, this daytime pull has track problems in that the track dries out and "goes away," especially during our class. As luck would have it, I drew and early number.

Today was overcast and there seemed to be a real threat of rain. Joker was test hook on a freshly rolled track (we were second class on the grandstand side behind SSD). Shawn made a very nice pass out to 308, but DQ'd on the left hand side. It was obvious that the track was pulling left. He had no choice but to turn it down. Dave Snyder made a horrible pass on Space Invader. When we go to the line, the bar had not been set to high, 282 I believe. Everyone was fighting with the track. We made a nice hook and did the best that we could, but unfortunately, the six bolts that hold the blower snout to the blower came loose and the snout stripped. The result is like a broken blower belt.

I fell the track was coming together quickly and every tractor seemed to best the one before it by 5 feet or so. By the time we got the cow back to the trailer, did a quick check of the blower, and got back to the stands, everyone was making nice passes, with 6 ending up past 310, including Joker. An early number wasn't a lucky break this time. Shawn would end up winning this session and the ring at Bowling Green. Congratulations to Shawn. The funny thing is, if he hadn't of DQ'd, who in their right mind would turn down a 308? but if we had kept it, he would have finished 7th or lower.

We only mustered a 13th.

We pulled the blower and made sure we understood the scope of the damage. Since we could go right by Gerardot's shop on the way home, we attempted to get parts. We had no plans of pulling in the unlimited, but were going to watch. I called Brad at home and he said it was raining hard there and would be reaching BG soon. So, we packed up and headed for home.

We never got a hold of Gerardot, but there was one cool thing on the way home. We needed a bathroom break and stopped at a truckstop in Napoleon. We saw big doins at the Harley shop across the street and discovered it was the traveling Vietnam Wall. So, we went across the street and checked it out. Neither Stacey nor I had seen the wall, traveling or otherwise. We also realized that neither of of knowingly had a relative that died in that war etiher. Still it was cool to see and an unexpected treat on the trip home. We drove in on and off mist or drizzle most of the way home. BG finished the unlimited class in steady rain.

Overall, this was the best BG experience of our career. I love the fans and the crowds at BG, but the blue shirts typically are overbearing. This year it was a much more relaxed experience, a comment we heard from many of the pullers. Obviously, the weather could have been better, but there is no control over that, and the track conditions could have been better, but it was an enjoyable weekend.

Bowling Green (session 2)
This session went well for us. We did end up on the Pit Side. They ran Mini's, SSD, and Mod on the pit side and SMFWD and Semi's on the grandstand side. The Semi's finished with 8 SSD still to run and a class of 19 Mods. So, unfortunately for the fans, they had to sit through the rest of the SSD and all the Mods with nothing on the other track. If they had switched us to the Grandstand side, then we would have probably been 1/3 of the way though our class when the SSD finished, leaving only a dozen mods to run by themselves. Just my observation and I don't know all what goes into making those decisions.

Anyway, it was a pretty non-eventful class. They had the sled set a little heavy so there were no pull offs. I was the very last hook and made a decent pass to wind up in 8th place. I really don't know what I could have done better. Congratulations to Bruce Slaugh on a great win.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Bowling Green (session 1)
We didn't pull this session, but I did venture into the stands to watch the SSTO class and the TWDs. I haven't seen the SSTO class for a couple of years, but it was fun to watch. The numbers seemed decent, despite what you hear on the internet. The TWD class was horrible, and I don't mean that towards the drivers. The first truck hooked to the sled and I honestly didn't think they would get it to move. The track just had no bite. As truck after truck went down the track, it got better and better as they built a road. I hate to see a case where the track changes so much that the a group of pullers basically have no chance to win, and that was the case here. An early hook was a harbinger to a bad finish. I left after the SSTO and went back to my trailer to get ready for the night session. In the back of my mind, I knew we were pulling on that track as well. I wondered if what the truck did to pack it down would stay, or when they ripped it up and rebuilt it if it was be just as bad.

Pre-Bowling Green
I drove the semi to work and we left at lunch time. It was an uneventful trip as usual. When we got to BG, there was a line at check in, but we saw Dave Snyder walking up. He jumped in and we chatted until we go to the registration table. When we were getting our passes, Stacey got talking and I started to think, I should move the truck, since we have the entrance block. Just then, I head the air brakes release and the truck start to move forward. It was Dave. We hopped in and he found us a nice pit space.

The night started with a great round of the nail game with the Snyder's, their friends, Glen and Jane, and a couple of fans that just happened by, Plough and Dave.

We had avoided the free band, "Danger Brothers," because we thought they were country. Dawn O'Dell informed us they just finished up a set with "Highway to Hell", and we joined them on the track. The Jager-bombs flowed freely and it was a pretty good evening.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Ionia (session 2)

Bruce Slagh was test hook with a 327. I pulled next and for some reason, hugged the left sideline the hole way. I thought the track wasn't as good and moved some weight to the rear. I was wrong. So, I rode the right brake almost the whole run and carried the nose too high, but still pulled a 295. I knew it was a horrible run, but they said the sled was set. I figured I would be at the back of the pack with nearly everyone in the pulloff. I attempted to back up to the sled, but couldn't get it out of gear because the clutches were dragging, so I shut it off on the track. When we got towed back to the trailer, the first thing I wanted to do was start it and pull the fuel shut offs to get any extra fuel out of the engine. I heard Bollinger went 317 and mentioned the the crew the sled was too light. A few seconds later, a golf cart came screaming up and said the reset the sled, where did I want to drop to. I said last. So, we had to switch gears from load in the the hauler mode to let go pulling mode. We fueled up. I never really had a chance to look at the fast idle issue, but figured we could deal with it at the track. I moved weight forward and it was our turn to hook.

I started the engines, and again, I couldn't shift. I shut the two rear engines off, trying to load the fronts and slow them down, but no luck. I finally got it in gear, but it was hard. I backed up the the sled, but again backed up a little crooked, pointing towards the left, just where I didn't want to go from the first run. But, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to shift two more times to get it straightened up. Even with the extra weight up front, I was still nose light, and went right to the left sideline. I had to back out of the throttle to stay in. Another stupid mistake, another 9th place. This has not been a good year for us.

Once I got home, I investigated the fast idle situation. There is a cable splitter that takes the throttle cable form the hand throttle and splits it into 4 individual throttle cables for each engine. The front right engine cable is on the bottom and nearly hidden from view. The nuts that secure the housing to the splitter were loose (really loose, like 1/2" away from being tight). I suspect that allowed the front right throttle to move somewhat independently of the other three. Before I messed with it, all 4 throttles were closed, but that is following a 4 hour ride bouncing around in the back of a semi. I suspect that this cable moved and then bound up, so that the FR throttle was closed, while the other three were held open slightly. I got everything tightened up and synced, fired it up, and it purred like a kitten. So, I am convinced that this was the root cause of my problem on the track, despite the fact that it went away on it's own. It is also possible that the FR throttle plates were not fully opening, maybe leading to why we didn't do as well as I would have liked in session 1. In any case, it seems fixed (although you never really know until you are hooked to the sled).

Ionia (session 1)
The best track I have seen at Ionia. Rain was threatening, and even sprinkled a little during this pull, but we got it off. I made a nice pass and everything worked just fine. I maybe could have picked a better track position, but it was a nice run. Also, with a new engine replacing the one we broke in Noblesville, I wasn't as aggressive out of the hole as I could have been. We finished 7th with a 286.9. Another 14" would have put me in 5th. Uncle Sam won with a fantastic pass and pulloff. Terry Jostock got 2nd with a nice pass, but broke a planetary in the pull off and DQ'd for second. Money Pit rounded out the top 3. They made the pulloff, but had already made 2 runs due to a sled reset, so they didn't come back.

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