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Bumper crowd throngs iconic tractor pull event

About 5,000 action and machinery junkies turned up at this year’s Tooradin Tractor Pull and Truck Show, making it the event’s best turnout yet.

The iconic annual event which took place at Tooradin’s Rutter Reserve last Saturday was the perfect day out for boys who love their big toys as it featured a massive truck display, car burnouts and the highlight event – the tractor pull.

This year, about 45 modified tractors and lawnmowers raced down a 100m track pulling a weight transfer machine, or a sled that gets heavier as it goes.

The participants, all members of the Australian Tractor Pull Association, have done significant work to their tractors to ensure they possess the power needed to tug the sleds. This includes combining two or three high powered engines, or even installing fighter jets’ powertrains in their tractors.

Little ones also joined in the fun by driving modified lawnmowers instead of tractors.

Event organiser Allyn Reeve says the organising committee decided to ramp up its advertising and marketing this year to really put the word out about the show.

“What we’ve done this year is we changed a lot of the advertising, we put more advertising boards up, done a lot of newspaper advertising right from Dandenong to Traralgon,” he says.

“That’s probably how we achieved a bigger crowd that what we normally get.”

According to Reeve, the investments have well and truly paid off.

“Everybody says this is the best one yet…even the stall holders said they all had a magnificent day,” he says.

“We had people queuing up to get in this year so we’ll be working on getting them into the grounds quicker next year.

“We’re a bit overwhelmed by the crowd that’s for sure.”

On the truck side, Reeve says the committee received 84 entries into the truck competition, all of which were displayed at the show.

The winner of the “Rig of the Show” award took home $500 and a trophy.

Car enthusiasts, on the other hand, were treated to car burnouts on a purpose built burnout pad.

Every year, the organising team donates all proceeds of the show to local schools, clubs and charities.

Reeve says the team is determined to bring the show to greater heights in 2016.

“We want to try to make it bigger and better next year,” he says.

“I don’t know how yet but we’re starting to work on that already.”

View the picture gallery above for a taste of the action at the 2015 Tooradin Tractor Pull and Truck Show. 

Photography: Ross Gibb

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