CHICKASHA —  

Plenty of loud engines lurked the rodeo arena grounds of the fairgrounds Thursday night.

It came from tractors and various re-built vehicles, pulling a two-car-length type sled, which varied from 20,000 to 38,000 pounds, down a dirt track in the Grady County Outlaw Tractor Pull.

Robert Polson of Springfield, Neb. and his family were among those using their vehicles.

Polson competed with his tractor, known as "Blue Can Fever," a New Holland type model. He won first place in the Unlimited Like-Super Stock Division, the first to compete in the event. The Nebraska resident won in a field of three contestants, pulling the sled at a distance of 315.94 feet. 

The sport of tractor-pulling is like a hobby for Polson. 

"We win money, but it is an expensive hobby. That's all it is. We have four-dollar fuel, and if you do good, you can almost pay for the fuel expenses. We do it for the love of the sport, travel and that's our vacation time in the summertime and we really enjoy it.

The most Polson has ever won in any pull competition is $1,000. He earned another grand with the win last night as that was the amount each division winner took home. 

His Blue Can Fever vehicle consists of a 504 motor, three turbo chargers on methanol alcohol, and produces right at 4,000 horsepower. 

"It's just  a fun ride. We just like horsepower. We like speed," Polson said. 

It's been 34 years since Polson began competing in tractor pulls. Now he competes at different events across the country. 

"I started pulling when I was 16," he said. 

"I started out, originally, with farm-pulling, like a lot of farmers do as they come up through the ranks. I was with the Nebraska Bush Pullers for several years. I was president of that organization, and we've pulled in the National Tractor Pull Association and now the Outlaw Tractor Pull Association, so we belong to a lot of different groups."

Canada is the farthest the Polsons have traveled to compete. The town north of the U.S. border was 30 miles from their home. They've also been as far east as Chambersburg, Pa. 

Prior to coming to Chickasha, they had comported McLouth, Kansas. After Thursday's events, the Polsons left for their first trip to Texas two shows Friday and Saturday in Deleon.

The traveling experience is the sport is enjoyable, he said. 

"You get to see a lot of scenery. It's a different experience.It gets long, but just to see different places and different people and do different things in the different climates and how people do things differently in different parts of the world, makes it all fun."

Contestants hailed from eight different states, including one of Oklahoma. 

Justin Gallion of Edmond was the lone Sooner state contestant. The other seven states represented besides Nebraska, were Texas, Missouri, Iowa, New Mexico, South Dakota and Ohio. 

The event was in its sixth year of running, but will not take place next year due to a scheduling conflict between the Grady County Fairgrounds, the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull Association and event promoter Dave Bennett. 

All pullers earn points, which go toward the standings, where the winner at the end of the season receives a big paycheck and earns automatic bids for winter events.  

Results

Contenders are listed in order place, name, name of vehicle, hometown, and distance of feet which vehicle traveled. Vehicles pulled  sled that in which weight varies from 20,000 to 38,000 pounds. 

Unlimited Like-Super Stock 

1. Robert Polson, Blue Can Fever, Springfield, Neb., 315.94

2. Glen Frese, Red Ink, Watkins, Iowa, 309.45

3. Bryan Bowles, Hayley's Comet, Mount Vernon, Mo., 227.78, DQ

DQ — Disqualified

Modified

1. Gene Trublood, Blood N Fire, Syracuse, Ne, 331.66

2. Wayne Longnecker, River Rat, Cambridge Iowa, 326.41

3. Justin Gallion, Lotta Dirt, Edmond, 314.97

4. Cameron Neaves, Cotton Candy, McAdoo, Texas, 303.88

5. Kyle Petsch, Thermal Thunder, Milford, Neb., 303.36

6. Curt Ulmer, Sweet Pain, Menno, S.D., 302.86

7. Cody Behrends, Turbinator, Firth, Neb., 294.48

8. Brady Morrow, Texas Thunder, Brownfield, Texas, 255.81

9. Sonny Martinez, Mexican, Albuquerque, N.M., 227.96

Pro 4 x 4

1. Marty Seleman, Rattrap, Garden City, Mo., 308.37

2. Larry Hollis, FootLoose Too, Thayer, Mo., 299.56

Pro Stock Tractors

1. Cole Burns, Hillbilly Express, Richland, Mo., 276.46

2. Rick Behrendt, Wampuscat, Ravenna, Mo., 316.53

3. Mason Hansen, Unnatural Diaster, Missouri Valley, Iowa, 306.69

4. Joshua Parker, Out for Justice, Martinsville, Ohio, 285.66

5. David Yarick, Dirtslign Deere, Rich Hills, Mo., 276.46

6. Joshua Parker, Out for Justice, Martinsville, Ohio, 285.66

7. Jim Brackett, Hillbilly Binder, Richland, Mo., Scratch

2-Wheel Drive

1. Timothy Fitzsimmons, Country Heat, Macon, Mo., 305.78

2. Cole Zajicek, Texas 2 Step, Columbus, Texas, 298.82

3. Scott Weins, Notorious, Beatrice, Neb., 291.76

4. Robert Zajicek, Gun Smoke, Columbus, Texas, 291.44

5. Randy Hall, Super Mule, Madison, Mo., 289.56

6. Sonny Martinez, Taz, Albuquerque, N.M., 286.31

7. Dean Still, Buckeket of Bad, Macon, Mo., 277.53

8. Bob Martin, Grim Reaper, Moberly, Mo., 289.56

9. Dee Polson, Bad Company, Springfield, Neb., 277.45

10. Kent Kahl, Dysfunctional Farmer, Tahoka, Texas, 275.00

11. Bill Oberste, Missouri Gambler, Harrisonville, Mo., 271.10

12. Timothy Michalsky, Serious Business, Lagrange, Texas, 219.09