The 41st edition of the Lions Club Super Pull of the South was a roaring success in Chapel Hill, on and off the track.

Temperatures were in the 90’s at the Lions Motorsports Park during sunlight hours and never fell below the mid-80’s at night, but that didn’t stop the fans, who came in droves from all over the country to attend the biggest Tractor Pull in the south.

Although official attendance figures have not been calculated as of press time, impressions are the numbers should be above average.

“Overall I believe we had a successful event,” Chapel Hill Lions Club president Wes Higdon said. “I don't have any numbers yet, but I am hearing attendance was up over last year and so were concession sales.”

Friday night started out with a big crowd and on Saturday, fans filled the stands to near capacity and the old football field at the Lions Club Memorial Stadium was packed by the younger crowd gathered to meet up with old and new friends.

The first year of beer sales went well with no incidents of underage drinking reported by the authorities.

The Chapel Hill police made one arrest for public intoxication, but there were no fights and no other arrests were reported.

The action on the track was superb both nights as the pullers put on an exciting and competitive show.

Pull teams actually came from three countries with 19 states representing the U.S.A, while two teams came from Quebec, Canada.

One pulling crew came from the Netherlands as Berrie Boer’s Bobcat Jr. 2,050-lb. Open Modified Mini Tractor won Friday night’s event, marking the first international win at the Super Pull of the South.

The Boer Team came in third place in the same division on Saturday night.

“It shows how desired the event is to the pullers when they will travel as far as they do, and we are an invitational event, we limit entrants,” Higdon said.

The puller with the least amount of miles to travel was Cody Adgent from Eagleville, who was a last minute fill-in Saturday night in the 6,200-lb. Four-Wheel Drive Trucks.

“This is our second time here, we got to pull here two years ago,” Adgent said. “We had about eight hours’ notice to get here when the Lions Club let us fill a spot for somebody who didn’t show up Friday night.”

Adgent was full of energy in the pits prior to his running in the final event of the Super Pull, saying, “I’ve been coming here for 30 years, you can hear from the back porch of my mom and dad’s house, we used to sit there and try to pick out which truck was which coming down the track.”

Adgent added, “Once you get to the starting line all the preparation and time is over, it’s all luck from there and hopefully everything stays together.”

Adgent had a little trouble at hook-up before firing up his On All Fours Ford machine and rumbling down the track for a 14th place finish.

Higdon talked about the effort put in by the many volunteers who make the event a success every year, saying, “The volunteers are great they show up every year and do a fantastic job.”

Next year’s Lions Super Pull of the South will be run on July 20th and 21st.

“We always look forward to a better year next year,” Higdon said.

Top Three Results

Friday, July 21

2,050-lb. Open Modified Mini Tractors

Berrie Boer, Ysselmuiden, Netherlands: Bobcat Jr., 322.080

Adam Bauer, Paton, Iowa: Cowboy Up, 321.555

Larry Koester, Wadesville, Indiana: Footloose, 312.385

8,000-lb. Unlimited Modified Tractors

Chuck Knapp, Charles City, Iowa: Screaming’ D, 317.490

Adam Bauer, Paton, Iowa: Cross-Threaded, 303.445

Steve Boyd, Washington, Indiana: Green Streak, 302.275

8,000-lb Super Stock Diesel Tractors

Steve Blagrave, Ackerly, Texas: Red Horse, 325.030

Jody Ross, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania: Triple Bypass, full pull

Brandon Hunt, Oak Grove, Kentucky: Liv’N a Dream

10,000-lb. Pro Stock Tractors

Kevin Schmucker, Louisville, Ohio: Git-Er-Done Deere, 317.045

Julia Ray, Beloit, Ohio: Mac Nasty, 313.560

Charles Pelletier, St. Armand, Quebec: CP Dream II, 310.385

6,200-lb. Four-Wheel Drive Trucks

Peyton Davis, Tappahannock, Virginia: Young Gun, 323.115

Ben Ellis, Champlain, Virginia: Benjammin, 314.225

Carmen Foster, Fairgrove, Michigan: Foster Child, 313.265

Saturday, July 22

2,050-lb. Open Modified Mini Tractors

Grayson Shelton, New London, North Carolina: Sawed Off, 336.355

Jason Hathaway, Washington, Pennsylvania: Honkin’ Donkey Gray, 329.495

Bertus Boer, Apeldoorn Area, Netherlands: Bobcat Jr., 324.680

8,000-lb. Unlimited Modified Tractors

Brad Benedict, Marion, Ohio: Non-Cents$ All Screwed Up, 336.500

Chuck Knapp, Charles City, Iowa: Screamin’ D, 321.230

Wayne Purser, Norman, Oklahoma: Uncle Sam, 313.655

6,200-lb. Four-Wheel Drive Trucks

Paul Holman, Wauseon, Ohio: 4-Play, 335.300

Carmen Foster, Fairgrove, Michigan: Foster Child, 331.240

Ben Ellis, Champlain, Virginia: Benjammin, 326.800

8,000-lb Super Stock Diesel Tractors

Travis Schlabach, Marengo, Iowa: Bone Twister, 324.870

Colin Ross, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, 323.675

Kent Payne, Veedersburg, Indiana: Super Rooster, 317.065

10,000-lb. Pro Stock Tractors

Kevin Schmucker, Louisville, Ohio: Git-Er-Done Deere, 311.665

Charles Pelletier, St. Armand, Quebec: CP Dream II, 308.110

Chance McGrath, Lower Knoxford, Nebraska: Last Chance II, 305.450

Full results can be found at http://ntpapull.com/pullresults/2017-ChapTN.htm