Hometown Hero makes the crowd go wild!

On Saturday night in Fairfield, Illinois, Wayne Bunnage and his “Takes A Lickin” E-3 Sparkplug Super Modified Tractor began the night with a dream in mind.  The dream raced through his head like one of his Ken Veney engines.  His vision was to roar through the Lucas Oil Track in front of a packed house filled with the hometown crowd.  On the starting line with his four motors running in unison, Bunnage closed his eyes to imagine the run; little did he know that the run in his mind would become a reality.  The motors became quiet, Wayne Bunnage emerged from the saddle of his Engler Chassis, and the crowd erupted with boisterous applause in support of their local hero.  The Bunnage Motorsports team stood track side at the leader cone to observe each individual competitors attempt to uproot them from their perch.  The final competitor was the 2009 Pro Pulling League Champion, the “Rockstar” Bill Leischner.  Leischner had been on a phenomenal streak that saw his “Rockstar Energy Dirtslinger” winning 3 consecutive events between Henry and Freeport, Illinois.   In the world of pulling, it is often said that winning your hometown pull is always the most daunting task a puller can face. When the dust settled from the “Rockstar Dirtslinger,” the laser told the fans of Wayne County what they had been waiting to hear.  The Southern Illinois Summer Heat E-3 Super Sparkplug Modified Track winner was their own Wayne Bunnage.  The win for Wayne marked his first career win with the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League Champions Tour and the team’s second of the season. 

While the E-3 Sparkplug Super Modified Tractors were battling it on the Lucas Oil Track, the Geico Powersports Track was trying to contain the Rockstar Energy Drink Super Modified Two Wheel Drive Trucks.  Mid-way through the class, the “Rockstar Energy Drink Chevy” of Jared Nelson stopped the Bungart Lucas Oil Sled at a leading distance of 302.52.  Nelson was delighted with his run but knew in his mind there was some heavy artillery sitting in the pit area.  One of the heavy hitters was the “General Tire Cutting Edge” of Stan Shelton from New London, North Carolina.  The General Tire emblazoned Ford Ranger laid down a picture perfect pass to gain the lead by three feet.  Shelton’s distance was still standing strong with two competitors left.  The bright orange and white Ford “Midnight Madness” of Jordan Nelson put its Sassy Racing Engine to the test and it definitely passed with flying colors measuring a leading distance.  In the staging area sat Dan Walsh with the second of his “Team Irish” Ford Rangers.  His old standby the “Irish Challenger” found its pot of gold at the end of the Geico Powersports track to give the season veteran from Wisconsin his first Champions Tour win of the season.  The winning distance put Walsh in front of Jordan Nelson by a mere .27 of a foot.  In the end, the fans were ecstatic about the level of competition put forth by the Rockstar Energy Drink Two Wheel Drive Trucks. 

With the noise boys put away for the night, it was time for the Premier Crop Insurance Pro Stock Tractors and Unlimited Super Stocks to take to their respective tracks.  The Premier Crop Insurance Pro Stocks brought eighteen competitors to the starting line to fill the grandstands with smoke on the Lucas Oil track.  The “Youngbuck” John Deere 7930 of B and M Motorsports gave Miles Stratton his first win with the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League.  Stratton was along for the ride when his Full Pull Motorsports Chassis went to work with an incredible hole-shot and picture perfect pass.  The smile on Stratton’s face can still be seen for miles on his farm in Schochoh, Kentucky.  Carrying the banner for Red fans in the runner-up position was another native Kentuckian Phillip Parish with his “El Nino” Case IH out of Marion, Kentucky.  Parish had what it took for second with his pull distance out beyond three hundred and six feet.  The 2009 Pro Pulling League Champions Tour Champion Steve Boyd led all three of his tractors into the top seven with his third place finish on board the “Lucas Oil Green Streak.” 

Twelve of the nations best Unlimited Super Stock Tractors also made the journey down Interstate 64 for great competition at Fairfield.  Tim Howell of Wilmington, Ohio kept the “Toys” in the winners circle with his “Ryan’s Toy II” International from the Roberts Pulling Team.  Howell lead a 1-2 sweep when he over took his teammate Jason Evans with the second to last hook of the class.  The win marks a three day sweep that saw all three “Toys” win an event. Fairfield with Tim Howell “Ryan’s Toy II” while Jason Evans “Big Toy” and John Evans “Big Toy II” each collected a win on Thursday and Friday nights in Freeport, Illinois.  The bronze position was claimed by Jeff Hirt with the “Runnin Bare All-American” International from Port Clinton, Ohio.  Hirt grabbed the early lead with his newly configured Ferris Mowers sponsored tractor but unfortunately had to watch his distance fall just a fraction short of victorious.

The fans of Wayne County were treated to an action packed evening when the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League made its way to Southern Illinois.  The night was filled with firsts as two competitors claimed their first career win with the Pro Pulling League, while another managed his first win of the season. 

The Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League will delight the fans of the United States and Canada when the 2010 pulling schedule storms into their town.  With more then 240 events scheduled and a membership of the best pullers in the country, promoters can’t wait to bring the Pro Pulling League to their venue.    The Lucas Oil Champions Tour series will once again feature international television exposure on major cable television networks including racing enthusiasts favorite SPEED, Versus, and Lucas Oils own MavTV (Television for Men by Men).  The core of the Pro Pulling League’s support comes from Team Lucas, a powerful marketing consortium of leading automotive and major brand companies, including, Lucas Oil Products, K&N Filters, E3 Spark Plugs, General Tire, Speedco, Rockstar Energy Drink, Magnaflow Exhaust, Geico Powersports, and Canidae Pet Foods.   For more information regarding the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League contact our office at 812-216-4024; or email us at: info@propulling.com.