The truck and tractor pulls have been a staple of the Pierce County Fair for decades, and Scott Jones has been one of the people behind it for many of those years.
Jones started working with the …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in, using the login form, below, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
The truck and tractor pulls have been a staple of the Pierce County Fair for decades, and Scott Jones has been one of the people behind it for many of those years.
Jones started working with the pulls back in 1990 and helped bring the truck pull to Ellsworth in 1991. Jones has stuck around ever since, working with the truck and tractor pulls.
Jones built a truck of his own in 1990 and has enjoyed competing with it all these years.
“I built a truck in 1990 called ‘Cody’s Toy,’ and I’ve been pulling that truck every year,” Jones said. “My son has actually pulled with me with another truck, and my other son liked the tractors so he pulled the tractors.”
The events are not just for vehicle lovers, according to Jones. With the loud engines, welcoming crowd and strong atmosphere, Jones said many people with no knowledge of vehicles enjoy the event. It is a competition, but Jones said the most fun part is not always the winning, but getting out there and doing what they love to do.
“It’s good people out there, very good people,” Jones said. “We like the sounds, we like everything about them.”
Jones said it is the family atmosphere that keeps people coming to the events. Jones mentioned people involved in the pulls often make a play area for the children to run around by making a box out of trailers.
Out of the many memories over the years, one in particular stuck out.
After coming home from work late at night, Jones discovered his truck for pulling no longer had steering. Jones fixed the truck, but the steering was reversed, with right turns on the steering wheel causing the vehicle to go left and left turns causing the vehicle to go right.
When Jones was on the grounds, he was steering perfectly until he got distracted, causing him to swerve. Jones said the moment was “hilarious,” and the rest of the drivers got a good laugh.
“People soon gave me a trophy and called me ‘wrong way,’” Jones said.
The most difficult parts of planning for Jones include purchasing sleds, as they can be expensive, and finding people to volunteer or participate, from drivers to organizers. To run the event, it takes people who want to compete, people to help run the show and people who want to attend.
The truck and tractor pull is scheduled to make its appearance at the Pierce County Fair Grandstand at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11.
