winning the 7000 class at 1980 Lanesville Heritage Weekend Tractor pull..took the feed grinding tractor there .Pops 51 DC had only 2 gallon of gas been stripped naked of fenders , cultivaterlift , battery , and sported tin wheels to barely slide into the 5500 antique class ,had to do a pull off in 5500 and got 2nd place to oliver 88 ..NEXT WAS 7000 Class,, and i had to get a crew together to load the DC of fenders ,cast iron front tires ,battery , gas , cultivater lift , 500 lbs of weight on rear and another 400 in suitcase weights on front cultivator bracket bars . NITE HAD COME .with truck lites family and friends pitched in,, while working quikly ,I could here the Oliver 88 Growling to a stop,and looked up to see its stopp point.JD 60 did a little less , couple M IHc were almost embarassing , but 1 Hot M was really pullin well and even went further than the 88 ,. the flaggger hollered "if you are pulling, last call "It had only been 15minutes since we left the track ,.. all the bolts were not tite , nevertheless ,we hitched up and drawed up slack..60 percent throttle 1st gear . flag dropped ,i stabbed the hand clutch , and that 51DC bounced the front wheels and moaned and moved down the track some 20 feet when i opened that Ol Gents throttle up ,the governor went full just like a good DC does ,and stayed there , THE DC Really Leaned into the pull , since the front was on the track yet , i pushed the seat back, and transfered my weight as the OL Gents matching Goodyrs wrinkled and equally dug the track .about the place where a lot of the pullers had lost out the 51 DC had the front up ,, and was cat clawing for all it had ..i passed the oliver stop point,,the fenders were slipping back on the axles and i pulled them up , while patting the left brake to keep the DC focused , still had a nother 20 ft or soto beat the fancy hot M and by now ...that
Ol Gent was starting to loosegrip and the motor was straining and putting forth hard labor with each long stroke ,the straightpipe just minutes before was cool to the touch , Now was beginning to glow red HOT , the frontend was up about a foot and that DC was WAGGLING its frontwieghts back and forth to leverage every inch as the rpms were lugging down ,....and then it was over, We were flagged, We had stopped forward movement and I yanked the clutch and the tires touched ground for the 1st time in 60 feet ,and cut the throttle to half, Thats when i heard Pop Holering from the stands and all the folx clapping .. istuck the DC in 3rd and rolled off knowing we beat everyone but still not sure ..sure enuf we won by some 6feet ,, beating out that purty hot IHC M that would eventually throw a rod because of extreme revving ,that was 33 yrs ago, Pops DC is waiting in the barn tonite , But Dad is now behind the church .. as strong as iron is ,. it still dont have a memory of flesh and blood