Division 4/5 brain fodder

[John Galt]

More thoughts:

Division 4 - Allow all the tricks of the trade, let in newer
models, and lighten up tractors, BUT knock it down to a 9-10
MPH speed limit.

Division 5 - Make this a true open class but split into division
5 light & heavy. Build what you want and keep it safe. Light
open would allow any tractor into any weight class. Heavy
would allow only one notch (500 pounds) below its factory
shipping weight.

Pretty vague description but I hear alot more "yes" than "no"
in that plan. Heavy class would protect some of the lighter
weaker models from gutted machines. Light would let the
super tractors play. Yet, machines could jump between
classes for more hooks and fun simply by weighting back
up.

 

[jim johnson]

Not enough speed.

Jim

 

[John Galt]

Lighter open tractors go slower than heavy ones. Just trying to pick a medium. What number are you thinking Jim?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Div. 5 should be no speed limit, no rpm limit. Stock block and head and thats about it. A light and heavy class is a great idea to keep like size cube tractors together. And of course a open class should have all safety equipment, steel flywheels, cages everything.

Back when NATPA and COATPA were together that was the origanal intent of Div 5, to be an open class. Div 5 was the open pullers idea, I remember when all the open pullers showed up at Dekalb to pull and see what type of rules we work out. Then all the sudden there was some kind of fallout and Div. 5 ended up being the 30% over, one tractor per class JOKE that it has remained for 10+ years.

 

[John Galt]

I've been talking to pullers in other areas of the country where open RPM is quite popular. I wondered how something like that would be integrated into NATPA. Maybe splitting DivIV into light and heavy rules and open RPM DivV. I don't know. It would probably quite popular!

 

[Anonymous-0]

JMO,,

Open RPM, Indoor Arena, spectators bout 15 feet or less away from the track, and an engine lets loose and sends parts flying. I dont wish it on anyone.


Saftey.


May as well open up div 5 with a turbo class and 3000rpm. What would you suppose would come out of the wood work if a class like that was offered?

 

[John Galt]

Yep, that would be interesting. I'm not up on all the safety stuff. Some places must have it figured out. Some tractors scare me. Kinda enjoy some of those Super Farm type classes. I do think moderate performance turbo diesels can be built cheaper than open class antique strokers.

 

[jim johnson]

12 at least, however I'd prefer no speed limit,but I could live with that.

Jim

 

[jim johnson]

I think there should be some RPM limit however as far as most of us are concerned if we had enough money to rebuild our tractors all the time, you see how long it's took me, we'ed pull something bigger and faster so let them go and laugh when they blow them up.

Jim

 

[mshultz]

It has been my observation that the tractors that are stroked and poked to the extremes necessary to build wheel speed at 20-30% over RPMs have more breakage and parts flying out the side panels than the ones that leave a little more meat in there and open them up a bit more. I realize that if something does let loose on an open RPM tractor that the parts fly further and faster.... but some common universal safety measures would keep things out of the stands - they've been doing it NTPA, etc. for decades. In my opinion the idea that you need to spend $30-40,000 on an engine to run 3-5 mph classes will drive those organizations to extinction. I think the guy hit it on the head when he said we need to find a way to say "YES" to more tractors that want to pull. There's a better way (and I think we saw it at the Mid-Atlantic Super Pull last month).

Just my opinion on things...

Mike Shultz