RUST IN THE DUST

By Sam Blackwell ~ Southeast Missourian

The first tractor Curt Palmer drove on the land his family leased near Egypt Mills, Mo., in the 1930s and 1940s had iron wheels instead of rubber tires.

"You couldn't steer it, it was so awkward and stiff," he said. "I tore down a few gate posts."

At the quiet end of the SEMO District Fair Saturday, away from the topsy-turvy world of carnival rides called Spin Out and Ring of Fire, Palmer and others perused the motorized dinosaurs owned by members of the Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club. Many of the tractors look quaint and antiquated beside their air-conditioned, modern descendants, but the power they can generate remains impressive.

In front of the grandstand a short distance away, some members of the club and others from around the region competed in the antique tractor pull. In this competition, tractors built before 1959 drag a 15,000-pound sled down the dirt track until they're forced to stop. The weight on the sled shifts forward during the pull, which eventually decreases the tractor's ability to keep going. At the end, some of the tractors are doing wheelies.

Antique age

Tractors built before 1939 are categorized as antiques. Tractors built from 1939 to 1958 qualify for the classic and farm categories.

Later Saturday night, drivers competed in the same event with modern tractors and trucks. "Basically it's the same, but ours is slower and doesn't have all the noise,' said Lanny Schweer, president of the sponsoring Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club.

Some of the tractors owned by the 60-member club have remained in families for decades. Others have been discovered and restored. The club's oldest tractor is a 1919 Mogull.

The competition draws sportsmen as much as farmers. Bill Burch of Sikeston, Mo., competes in antique tractor pulls all over the Midwest in both summer and winter. The owner of Burch Food Services, a vending company, he is the president of the National Antique Tractor Pullers Association. He also is a recipient of a 2002 Alumni Merit Award from Southeast Missouri State University, and is a former Sikeston city councilman and mayor.

Burch won one of the 37 classes of competition Saturday.

Driving for fun

Overalled cattle farmer David Nenninger of Bloomfield, Mo., drove a 1939 McCormick Farmall in the competition Saturday. A friend of his drove the tractor and won one of the categories. Though others say weight distribution on the tractor is important, Nenninger insists the only technique involved is flooring it.

"It's just a lot of fun," he said.

Antique tractors are a tradition for the Taylor family, who owned the Case tractor dealership in Cape Girardeau for 48 years. Dwight Taylor and his 19-year-old grandson, John, both competed Saturday. The family has five antique tractors at home.

One of their tractors was named Best of Show a few years ago.

The condition of the track can make a difference in how tractors pull, but there really are no big secrets to competing in tractor pulls, Dwight said, his eyes twinkling.

"Everybody thinks he knows something," he said.

Nobody makes much money competing in an antique tractor pull.

"It's getting out there and pulling against your friends," Schweer said.

Saturday's first day of the fair drew ?????? people to Arena Park. The fair continues today with the Pet parade at 1 p.m. and a horse show at 1:30 p.m..

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182