Over this last summer I experienced a new and exciting adventure. A friend of our family introduced me to modified truck pulling. He heard that I enjoyed antique tractor pulling and gave me the opportunity to pull one of his trucks. The first pull we attended was near Pittsburgh, so we loaded up the truck and my antique tractor because the pull included both divisions. Then we hit the road.

At first I didn’t know what to expect. I was used to traveling down the pulling track with my tractor at less than three miles per hour, taking minutes to get down the track, while in the driver’s seat of the pulling truck was a totally different experience. Once the flag turned green, I was told to drive it like I stole it. So I stepped on the gas, and 30 seconds later I was at the other end of the track. It is uncommon for a female to compete in this type of competition, and that day I was the only female to pull.

The nervousness and adrenaline rush I got from pulling the truck was above and beyond what I experienced while pulling tractors. The adrenaline rush didn’t kick in until I hopped out of the truck. Next came a wave of relief knowing that I had done so well. At the end of the class division, I received first place! From that moment on I was hooked, and I can’t wait for this season to start.