Open Class update

[Bryan Lively]

While the thread on the opportunity for new open classes has escaped to page 3, Ive been collecting the feedback here, in person, and on the phone to make this work and I am getting a lot of conflicting ideas, mostly with the development of the 4750# class. The heavy class is already well established.

Here's whats important:
1) Safety--blanket, flywheel, side shields, adequate wheelie bars, kill switch/air shut-off. No exceptions. I said that from the get-go. Spectators demand a show without dodging pieces of cast iron.

2) Quality numbers: 12-15 tractors is a good number to me, any more than that is a big plus!

3) Happy Pullers, Promoters, Sanctioning bodies, and most importantly--fans.

How the gaps are filled in with whatever limitations you put on an Open class is up for debate.

One more thought: Im the messenger, and I have been asked to help out on this, so aiming at me will do you no good though I am hard to miss. The above three things are what's important to me. I don't have an agenda other than to help a sanctioning group and a seemingly willing group of pullers meet in the middle and put on a show for fans. Thats all.

If you have any questions or comments beyond whats been said here previously let me know here or at rblively@hotmail.com. Thanks again for everyone's input.
 

[MH49]

I should have chimed in last go around but my $0.02 is unless you put a cube limit or a mph of some sort, it will be an all Moline and Case class pretty quick. If you look at COTPA NA class, even with fuel injection the small blocks have trouble keeping up with the big cube guys.
 

[Ed Carlsen]

This is a great Idea. Limit the rules that don"t apply to an open class OPEN MEANS OPEN. No speed limit, No RPM limit. Don"t like the class don"t pull in it. SAFTEY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT Run what you brung But have your safty equipment. Wheele bars,kill switch / air shut-off, Steel fly wheel, saftey blanket, side shields,Fenders,Dead mans throttle,electric fan or shielded, No curved exhaust pipes 18.4-38 largest tire 1959 or older tractor Naturally aspirated class and turbo class Just a few saftey ideas.To many rules spoil the sport This is about who can pull the furthest with no limitations and do it safely Just my thoughts
 

[LCB]

As said before my 2 cents worth open RPMs is going to kill us if we have a accdent.I think our insurnce will get so high that we will be out of busness.My idea is let every one run same RPMs 3000 sounds like a good number to me.
 

[gfs]

4750 will cut alot of the big cube tractors from worry. The 65 is their class let the rest run in the lower class. Personally, don't make a rule that u don't want to spend the time to enforce. I like it just wish it had come a few years back and more in my area.
 

[TROY HEATH]

SOUMDS GOOD BRYAN,THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORT,LOL,YOU HAD TOO KNOW YOU WAS OPENING UP A CAN OF WORMS THOUGH.
 

[smokeshow]

What about the 460/560 +600ci RD501 engines. They can get down to 4750lbs. Id say the 4750 class will be full of them. Unless they limit the ci to 400 or something.
 

[mmgvi]

That's it the crying has already started put a band on RDS and kill the class before it ever starts
 

[MH49]

What if you used LLSS cube limits for open rpm and then open cubes for say 2800 max rpm? Set the RPM with a MSD chip, easy to check. Little harder for Diesel but would anybody want to run a Diesel in a class like this?
 

[just]

just another way to take the antique out of antique pulling. when it comes down to it, a puller would have to spend 8 grand on safety equipment that can fail at any moment just to even show up. thats why theres ATPA/NTPA where the big money lies! Hook was a true antique pulling magazine in the beginning, now its going all go fast high dollar.
 

[Dave Saegrove]

I've thought about these open classes for a long time now, and there is just something I can't seem to understand. If someone can explain it to me I'd appreciate it. I hear about the thousands and thousands of $ spent to try to get 5000 RPM and 200 HP out of old antique motors. Why wouldn't someone just come up with a class where you could throw in a $500 big block V8...could safely turn 5000 RPM and make 200 HP easy without all the $ and arguing? Not trying to be a downer at all, just wondering.
 

[Sadowsky]

Hook went away from antique because antique pulling nationwide is nowhere near as popular as it was 15 years ago. bottom line.
 

[Oliver880]

That class already exists in western PA and eastern OH. And it has great attendance and is growing.
 

[buckeyebrierhopper1]

great idea, one ? how would you set up rule for example a g john deere? most dont run over 1500rpm,what about steel fly wheel,scatter blankets,4750 wt is make able, wt to spare. i would love to try but those wouldnt let me hook. i have all the required safety equipment an preach it at any pull i go to,kinda restricting to only certain types of tractors.
 

[ohman]

where do you pull.in western pa