It’s me, Mark Stone, and in this episode of the Backseat Driver Podcast, I head to Scorton to explore a major milestone for British motorsport, the staging of a Euro Cup tractor pulling event for the first time in England.

I’m joined by Craig Whittingham and his brother Daniel Whittingham, who share how they brought this ambitious event to life under the banner of the European Tractor Pulling Committee. With competitors travelling from across Europe, the event marks a significant step forward for the sport’s profile in the UK.

We dig into the world of tractor pulling, often described as the most powerful form of motorsport, examining the engineering behind these machines and the sheer forces at play. The brothers also talk through the challenges of organising an event of this scale, from logistics and regulations to building support within the local community.

This episode highlights the passion, dedication, and teamwork required to grow a niche motorsport and the momentum building behind tractor pulling in the UK.

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A sport imported from America has caught on in quite a big way here in England.

And Craig Whittingham and his brother Daniel have achieved what apparently was unachievable by getting one of the major tractor pulling competitions to take place here in Scorton near Preston, Lancashire.

So to start with, Craig, welcome to the backseat driver.

Nice to be here.

Thank you.

Right, what is the big thing about the competition that you've managed to get here?

Well, so this year we're hosting what is called a Euro cup competition, which is basically organized by the European Tractor Pulling Committee.

We'll have all sorts of member countries such as the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, etc.

And it's effectively a point series.

So we've managed to secure two Euro cup classes this year, which, considering this is only our fourth event, that's fairly going from 0 to 16 pretty quickly, really.

So, yeah, we're over the moon that the ETPC have actually awarded us that privilege this year.

Yeah.

What did you have to go through to get it?

Well, I mean, we've had, obviously, as I say, we've been doing this for two or three years now.

We've had three events before this and there will have been people.

So just putting that conclusion to prove yourself.

Yeah, effectively we've had three years to prove that we can put on a good event event.

Yeah, we know what we're doing.

We know what we're doing with events, we know what we're doing with tractor pulling because we've been involved in tractor pulling for decades.

Yeah.

And the ECBC have seen the site basically, that you've seen today.

Yeah, because it's a big place.

I mean, where is it we are.

Exactly.

So we're in just on the outskirts of a village called Scotton, which is just north of Garstang in Lancashire, and it's kind of bang in the middle of Preston, Lancaster, really.

Yeah.

So, well, it's, I mean, the place itself, the farm is, as you were saying before we went on air, it's like what you might call an events location.

Apart from feeding sheep in the wintertime and mowing grass, etc.

It's devoted to events.

Is this place, isn't it?

Yeah, it is, it is.

Well, it's a purpose built show field.

We've been having events on here now for 20 years and, and just over those 20 years we've just constantly been building the infrastructure that we've got here.

So we've got the hard roads and mains electric, the lighting and the electricity and the toilets.

Yeah, it is Perfectly set up for the job, really.

So how does it work?

Tractor pulling?

Tractor pulling is often called the world's.

Most powerful motorsport because outside we have your personal tractor, which has.

Currently it's down on power.

It's only got three Chevy V8s.

It used to have five of them.

Yeah, it's got three V8 Chevy engines on at the minute.

The tractor that we own, which is called Aftermath Unleashed, which is a follow on from the original Aftermath tractor, which is also in the shed that you can see.

And effectively we pull in what's called the light modified class, which is two and a half ton weight of the tractor.

That's why we have three engines on and not five.

But you could just explain what tractor pulling is.

Effectively you've got your tractor, which you've seen today, doesn't look much like your typical farm tractor.

Some of them do.

But we pull in what's called the modified class.

So you can effectively throw out the rulebook in a sense, because just putting.

In, I mean normal, ordinary, everyday farm tractors can take part in this.

Can't be.

There are farm tractor classes.

Yes.

And then you do start from the kind of the lesser horsepower you might have what's called the super farm class, where they look by and large like a farm tractor and then you kind of build yourself up to the modified classes.

Yeah.

So your average great big huge John Deere compared to the big boys isn't a big boy?

Not necessarily a big boy, no.

So I mean, you asked how tractor point works.

So effectively you've got your tractor and you've got a track, a tractor point track, effectively, which is fundamentally made from clay.

It's a hundred metre track and the name of the game is the tractor hooks up to a sledge which sits behind it and it's what is known as a weight transfer sledge.

So it sets off down the 100 meter track and the further the tractor gets down the track, the heavier the sledge gets because the weights on the sledge start to move forwards, harder and harder to pull the further you go.

I'll just start very quickly.

How does that weight move?

Well, you're asking a very good question that I would do not know the answer to.

Daniel would probably be able to tell you when he joins us.

Yeah, but it, it, you know, the, the sledge that we.

Well, we've actually got two sledges coming this year.

One's a British sledge which is relatively new and it's a great thing to have in this country because five years, five years ago or more, there wasn't a sledge in this country.

So it's great that we've now got one.

And we also have a sledge coming from.

From Belgium.

Yeah.

As which will pull some of the classes as well.

So the aim of the game, as I say, is if you get 100 meters down the track, that's what's called a full pull.

Yeah.

And you can probably hear in the background they're actually frapping the engine up today as well.

On the Traxa, the aim of the game is to get a full pull and every tractor that gets a full pull will then be in the pull off.

Yeah.

And basically in the pull off, they all compete against each other.

The sledge is probably set heavier for the pull off, so it makes it harder again and then the man who gets the furthest wins.

Right.

So this weight on the sled, does it alter dependent on what tractors pull it?

They alter the setting of the sledge depending on what class they are pulling.

Right.

So it's the same weight, but it works different.

Works different.

Differently.

And we.

And we, as the promoter and what have you can sort of decide how hard we want the sledge setting to be.

Right.

Because we might think we want everybody to get out the far end so we'll set it relatively light.

Or if we're thinking, well, actually we only want five tractors in the pull off because, I don't know, we're short on time.

You can make it a little bit heavier.

So it can be very devious.

Good.

This sport, I wouldn't call it devious, but obviously it's a fair competition because every tractor in the class is pulling the same on the same sled set.

Yeah.

You were saying there's only.

I mean, I conclude.

Does this sled move around the country?

Yes.

So it does other events in the country.

So in terms of other British tracks pulling association events, it will pull at Great Eccleston, which is down the road near Blackpool.

They have two events a year and there's also two events up in Scotland which are organised by the Scottish Tract Pullers Club and they're actually the guys that have built that sled of a Scottish tract.

Fullers.

Yeah.

So where do you think you will attract competitors from?

Because you were saying besides America, it's a major European sport.

But not overly big in England.

It's not overly big in England in that there might only be five or six official British tractor pulls a year.

Yeah, there are some kind.

There are other non official ones.

So we'll obviously we Have a full British points round.

So we'll have all the classes in England will be coming here to pull.

Yeah.

And Scotland.

But because we've got this Euro cup series, we've got two classes.

So we've got the light modified, which is a class that we pull in with.

Aftermath unleashed.

Yeah.

Can hear myself think now.

We've got the light modified class that we pull in.

So there will be a dozen tractors in that class coming from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, but a lot from the Netherlands as well, because the sport's huge in Holland.

All right.

It's really big in Holland.

And we also have a pro stock class.

And again, similar countries, really, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Holland really are.

Where are where the European competitors will be coming from.

Right, so we were talking about the tractors.

It's a bit like yours with three engines, although it used to have four.

How.

How does it work?

What sort of power do these different tractors have?

I mean, can you take me through the categories and the classes?

I can tell you what the classes are in kind of in.

But in terms of power, again, probably not the right person to ask, but we.

We even have.

We have Mini.

Mini and garden tracks pulling on.

Oh, as well, pia.

So you could be.

Is that part of this event?

It is part of this event as well.

So you start from your entry level classes for like, which is run by an organization called the Power Pulling Association.

Do they pull the big tr.

The big sled?

No, they have their own sledge.

Right.

So they don't pull the big sledge, they have their own sled.

Because some of them are in effect, souped up.

Lawnmowers.

Yeah.

I was just thinking then, I mean, some of these tiny lawnmowers won't even actually be able to make it move.

Exactly.

But it's a great thing as an entry level for like, for young people, so kids are involved in it.

It's a great way to get into the sport and then kind of move up to your bigger British classes.

So in terms of what the British classes are, we've got your super farm that I mentioned, which look a lot like farm tractors.

You've then got a very popular class in this country is called Limited Pro Stock, which is a sort of smaller version of your pro stocks.

We then got.

So what do these have?

What powers these.

Because I know the one thing I've always known about tractor pulling is the famous Chevy V8 is a bit of a must have.

I've also been told at one point in time, people used to fit Rolls Royce Merlins out of Spitfires to them.

So, I mean, some are powered by diesel.

All right, so your super farm is diesel fuel only, single turbo.

It's an introductory class, so that could be pulling and it could be anywhere.

Typically between 500 and 800 horsepower probably is your super farm as your introductory class?

You've then got your bigger pro stock classes, which could be up to 3,000 horsepower, diesel only, single turbo, unlimited RPM.

Yeah.

And then you move on to.

You've got your limited super stock, which is methanol only, and they could be pulling 2 1/2 to 3,000 horsepower.

Moving on to your bigger super.

She was saying that your.

Yours does 2,000 horsepower.

An engine.

An engine, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So we.

We're obviously pulling with 6,000 horsepower with three engines on.

Then you've got your bigger superstar, which could be pulling up to 4 to 5,000.

And then you kind of move on to your.

Your light modified, mostly twin engine.

They can be, I think, methanol fuel or diesel, I think, but largely methanol.

Your light modified two and a half ton generally is what they weigh because they have to go and be weighed.

All right, we have a weigh bridge.

Yeah, they have to go and be weighed to make sure they're not overweight.

Yeah.

So that the tractor man might want to diet before he.

Before he gets on his.

Before he gets on his tractor at a competition.

You've got your light modified.

That then moves up to the three and a half to modified.

Finally you've got your.

Which and they could be about 7 or 8,000 horsepower.

Yeah.

So that's a quick whistle stop run through of what classes.

There are the super Sport.

Yeah, I did mention super Sport.

Did I mention super Sport again?

That's a diesel class.

Yeah.

The tractors, apart from the conventional farming type tractors, I conclude they're all custom built of these things, aren't they?

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, they are, more or less.

Yeah.

So besides the engine, I mean, what sort of transmissions do they have?

Because I conclude given it's only 100 meter track and everything else, you won't be wanting to change gears.

So I conclude there will be all.

Are the automatics?

No, there's a gear stick and they basically have two gears.

They're forward and reverse.

All right.

And you steer it with your brakes because generally your front tyres, which are quite small, they'll generally be up in the air if you're having a good pull.

So your back tyres, which, as you can see, they're massive, your back tyres could be spinning at 90 miles per hour, but you're obviously not going at that speed.

They could be spinning at 90 miles per hour.

You steer with your brakes.

Right.

Because obviously.

Because I notice on your tracks, it actually has a steering wheel.

It does.

Because obviously, obviously, it gets towed into the.

It can go forward and backwards so you can.

You can drive it, for want of a better word.

And obviously it generally gets towed to the.

It gets towed to the start line.

Yeah.

And then backs up onto the sledge.

So you need.

You do need your steering wheel, but once you.

Once you set off down the track, you steering with your brakes, effectively.

Right.

And then you've got, as I say, you've got a gear stick or a throttle or whatever you want to call it.

Yeah.

And you've got two gears.

You've got forward and reverse.

Right, right.

So the throttle, of which we're hearing in operation again.

Yeah.

I conclude as soon when you set off, it's full throttle.

It's full throttle.

I mean, if you've got the nerve.

Yeah, And I think it does take a bit of nerve, but the idea of the game is to push your hand forward and push that throttle down as far as it goes.

Full throttle.

Yeah.

Right, so it's not on the pedal, then?

You don't push it with your pedals.

No, you do it with your hand.

Right.

So one hand does the throttle and the other one does the brakes.

Well, your feet do the brakes.

All right.

And then I suppose you probably have one hand on the steering wheel for all the good that will do you.

It's some form of reassurance type of thing.

Yeah, some form of reassurance.

And obviously the driver's in his.

Is in a fire suit and he's got his helmet on.

So in many ways it's a little bit like what you might call, no disrespect, agricultural drag racing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what it is.

I said.

Yeah, but there's just a great big weight on the back.

Exactly.

Even with all this power, how many of them get to the end of the course and.

Well, I mean, that depends on the sled setting, doesn't it?

But.

Well, it depends how devious you be.

Yeah, but I mean, they're all trying to get out that far end and, you know, the good tractors generally will.

And certainly in the first round, the aim of the game is to get a full pull.

So we like to see full pulls and so do the crowd and then you pull off, you know, again, the aim is to get as far as you can.

So if you get one or two in the, like the finals that do a full pull, I conclude you then alter the sled to make it even more difficult.

Exactly that you make.

You make it even harder.

Yeah.

Otherwise you'd be sick.

You'd have a lot of full pulls again, wouldn't you?

And roughly what is the weight that they're pulling?

Pass?

Oh, I. I do not know that the answer to that question.

Yeah.

But again, Daniel probably would.

Right, so do you ever get it where.

I know you're saying you don't want them all doing full pause in the final.

Do you ever get it where you've got one at two or three that constantly keep doing a full pull in the finals?

I mean.

Yeah, the good tractors should.

Should be able to.

Should be able to get out the far end.

So obviously the tractor you see out there, which is aftermath unleashed.

Yeah.

We're currently the reigning Euro cup champion for the light modified class.

So we, we won the.

We won the series last year.

Yeah.

Purely because we were consistent, really.

So we went all over Europe to France and Holland and Denmark.

We get on the ferry generally go from Hull to Rotterdam, I think, or Killingholm to Hook of Holland.

Yeah.

And you know, probably go to eight of these events a year.

And just because we were consistently good, I don't think we ever actually won on one particular day.

Yeah.

Because we were consistently coming second, that meant we got the most points.

So it's a point score, It's a point scoring system.

Yes.

So the man who comes first gets the most points and so on.

As you go down.

As you go down the table.

Yeah.

So the event you're having here, besides being class winners and an overall winner, there's also point systems, because how many rounds are there in this?

So in the British points, I think there are.

This year there are five or six rounds.

Yeah.

And then in the Euro cup classes, I think probably around seven or eight rounds.

Yeah.

In the season.

So the first points round for us in the light modified class is in Fuchsdorf in Germany in two weeks time and then two weeks after that, obviously it's here at score.

Right.

So between now and now and your event you've got to go to Derby as well.

Yeah, that's good.

To Germany.

As if we've not got plenty of other things to be doing, but there you go.

Do you ever go to the American?

I personally haven't been to America to watch Drax pulling, but my brother has.

There was one.

There's one in Louisville in Kentucky, which I think is usually on in February.

Yeah.

Which is an indoor pool.

Oh, right.

Because you can have indoor tract pulling as well.

Yeah.

So that.

Then you can have it in the winter.

Yeah.

But as I say, it is massive in America.

So.

Yeah, my brother's been quite a few times over to Kentucky.

Is there any difference between, say, European tractors and American tractors?

Because we know the Americans like to do everything bigger and better than anybody else.

Yeah.

I think the difference is probably they'll be even more souped up and even more horsepower.

Yeah.

Looking at it, I conclude it also attracts quite a degree of sponsorship.

Yes, it does.

So we're very lucky in terms of the tractor that we have a.

A couple.

A few good sponsors.

But the main one that we have is a firm called Buckhurst Plant Hire who also own another company called D and J Machinery.

They're our main sponsor, if you will.

And then in terms of the event itself, we're really fortunate as well because we get quite a lot of sponsorship from.

For example, there's a company called Agricultural Machinery Business in Cheshire called John Bounds Limited, who is a Valtra dealership.

And this year is.

They very kindly sponsor us.

But they also supply the tractors for the track that need to do the track preparation work.

All right.

The grading and the rolling.

Yeah.

And what have you.

I mean, there's two, probably too many sponsors to name off the top of my head.

But there's another really good one also.

Nail as many as you want.

Another really good sponsor of ours is called Ad Blast Contract and they have a few businesses, but one of them is Preston Painters.

So they paint wagons.

All right.

Because it's a part of our event here as well.

We have a truck show.

Yeah.

So we have about.

Probably about 180 trucks come and exhibit over the weekend and again, they're all entering in different classes to try and see who's the best trucking show type thing.

Yeah.

So I mean, we are.

We are primarily attractable, but we.

We're a truck show as well.

And we have, you know, we have a fairground and a beer tent and music on the Saturday night.

So it's really quite a weekend.

Yeah.

Because I mean, it's like a big family day out in many ways.

It is a big family day out.

Yeah.

So I mean, we do have a lot of people come in with the families and they'll camp for the weekend and people bring the kids because the kids love it as well.

Yeah.

So, yeah.

So I mean what time does it all start and finish?

So we're.

We run over two days.

Yeah.

So on the Saturday I think the gates open at 12 o' clock and the pulling will probably start this year about half 1, 2 o', clock, something like that.

And as I say, we'll start with the.

Your Mini and your garden pullers.

Yeah.

Just to get the job going.

And then we pull to about.

Well, we pull till dusk really.

So until it's just going dark, which is great for some of these modified classes.

So we probably pull about till 10.

Yeah.

And then the next day gates open at 10 and we probably pull between 12 and 6.

Right.

And we're now joined by Daniel who was the man responsible for making all the noise just then.

You look very happy sat on that tractor.

Yeah, no, yeah.

Well suited on there.

Is it running right?

Yeah, no, it's running good.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Checked all the time in.

It's doing what it should do.

Because you were saying.

Well your brother was saying it doesn't run for quite a few months.

It's first time it's run since September.

Yeah.

Any reason why it's been idle?

Just because that's the end of the season.

Right.

So yeah, it's.

We've had it all in bits.

We've had all engines stripped down, cranks out, cranks balanced.

Yeah.

Rebuilt all engines with three new superchargers on there.

So.

Yeah, just tested.

That was for cf.

Like I said, that's the first time it's run since we've got on changes.

So.

Yeah.

I mean being Chevy's, I conclude there's a regular supply of American parts.

Yeah.

Parts and engines trundling over from America.

Yeah, no, everything.

Well, 90 of what's on there is from conference states.

Yeah.

How long does an engine last?

Because I was just saying earlier on it's a bit like the agricultural version of drag racing.

Yeah.

An engine should do well.

An engine block should last forever.

Really.

Yeah.

Unless you shove it all.

Shove an all inside of it like we have done.

But sign the phrase that shouldn't be there.

Yeah, that shouldn't be there.

But you know you re putting a new set of rods and pistons in at like 50, 60 runs.

Yeah.

So.

Because it's not, it's not based on mileage, is it?

This.

No, no.

In many ways they don't actually have four to travel.

No, not at all.

No, no.

If you in actual fact you're probably doing a rebuild, an engine rebuild every mile.

Yeah.

And I was asking your brother how heavy is the weight on the sled?

I know it was saying because the other thing is it.

No.

Well, the sledge itself, how does it work as well?

Well, the actual sledge probably weighs about 15 or 16 ton.

Yeah.

But the weight they probably put like 5 ton then they probably add 5 ton into a transfer weight box.

Yeah.

And you think when that transfer weight box moves forward it puts more ground pressure on what they call underneath the pan which is what makes contact with the.

The.

There's no wheels on this thing is there?

It's just a smooth bottom.

Yeah.

It has wheel.

Basically it has wheels on all.

It has wheels on for.

They drop down when you get to end to get back to start line.

All right.

Heels drop down, it drives back.

Yeah.

But yeah, no the.

I think when you're at the end of the track and it stops you I think you could have about 100 ton of ground pressure.

Yeah.

And that when you physically end up.

Right.

So it really is heavy.

It's heavy.

Yeah.

And apparently according to your brother if you want to sort the men out from the boys you can all you can alter it.

I conclude to alter it you alter out the speed at which it moves forward.

Yeah.

So in a first run we used to you you have a qualifying run and then a final a pull ups.

So yeah, you know it's 100 meter track.

So anyone in the qualifying room that gets over 100 meters.

Yeah.

Then gets into pull off.

Well in the pull off then they make it heavier because they don't want everyone being both 100 meters again.

So they either make it every or like you say they speed the box up so their box tops faster.

Yeah.

So they'll be then stopping you at 85, 90 meters and into 110.

Anything over 100 meters.

Yeah.

Just very quickly.

How do you get this weight to go back to the end of trailer at Slaves?

It's on a.

It's just on a mechanism on usually on like a big a big a change.

I've chained and it just winds it back.

All right.

A fog.

Yeah.

He's got like a.

An axle in front in front of the sledge.

So obviously as you go forward it moves and it pulls the box forward as.

Yeah.

As it's being pulled.

Right.

What's it made of?

Is it just steep?

Yeah.

Just steel.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The homemade bits of kit.

Yeah.

You can't just buy one of them off shelf.

The a lot of the sledges?

Well, some of the sledges that we pull, you know, they're made by some Dutch guys or there's a couple of sledges that have been bought and shipped over from the States.

Yeah.

There's only a handful of people in the world that build sledges.

Right.

And there's not many of them, is there?

No, there's not many of them, no.

So the one you're using, is it yours, is it?

No, no, it's the.

The British.

British sledge scene.

But it's the terminator sledge, isn't it?

Performance sledges.

Performance sledging they're called.

Yeah.

Which is based in Scotland.

Right.

And I conclude from the sounds of it, they're not cheap.

No, they're not cheap, no.

No.

Organizing a trap poison cheap in general.

So you're the man who's going, well, you're not really behind the wheel of this, are you?

According to Craig, this wheel is more or less for moving it about slowly or a bit of reassurance.

I am sat behind a wheel, but a steering wheel.

But yeah, when you, when you're actually.

When you're actually competing and pulling that.

That steering wheel's like fairly dormant.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You steer it because obviously usually the front end is.

You're usually about 2 or 3 foot off the floor.

So your front wheels, that's.

We can turn them all you want.

But it's not going to do.

It's not going to do anything to steer the tractor.

You steer it on independent brakes.

We were saying that.

But it's on foot pedals.

Yeah.

So I conclude from the sounds of it, they will only work on the rear wheels.

Yes.

Yeah.

There's no brakes on the front axle.

Yeah.

Right.

And I mean what's the size of those?

I mean yours is not the biggest one apparently, but what size are those back wheels?

They're 30.5.

So they're.

Yeah.

30.5 Inch rim.

Yeah.

Is what they are.

They're like an old big.

Same size as like a big old single axle slurry tanker wheel.

Right.

Then tires, they're aluminum rims.

Yeah.

You know, made just for pulling for gas pulling.

And the tires are proper tractor pulling tires as well.

So.

Right.

So I mean I conclude once again, are they American or can you buy a meat?

No, the Are they.

They're Mitas tires and they're Czech Republic around their medium.

Czech Republic.

All right, so.

So is it.

Again, there's only a handful of people.

What is.

There's Mittas, Firestone and pro puller and then there's a guy in America called Parks.

So there's only four or five people that make pulling tires.

Right.

So without praying too much I conclude it is not a cheap sport.

Isn't this.

No, definitely not at all.

No.

So I mean do you keep a stock of Chevy V8s?

Yeah, I think there's.

I think there's eight or nine V8s in back of that shed.

Yeah.

Including the ones on the tractor.

Yeah.

So but what got you into all this?

Well our fat man and Craig's father and grandfather they were pulling.

They started traps pulling in the late 70s.

So is it not before.

Is it an old spoid?

It's.

Well it come over to England in the 70s, mid-70s from America and yeah our family and it just come over into the northwest really I think one of the.

And and the royal show that was.

That's down at Stoneleigh Park.

Yeah there'll be some of the first events and yeah around here it was you know trapped pulling in the northwest is.

Is there used to be a lot more pools on than there are now.

Like I say probably would be going pulling every weekend.

Yeah Back in the day and now you're looking at probably five or six British British tractable the year really.

Is there any reason why it's popular in the north of England?

Just the north of England is big for agricultural.

There's a lot of agricultural mechanics farmers and and because back in the day local.

Some of the local farm shows they had tractor pulling really as used to be Gar sang show have it and they're still great echoes on the show that that still has tractor pulling on.

Well so that's two pools we in a five mile radius.

Well so that draws local people to do it.

Yeah.

So it's not a sport then that overly attracts southern Oostep.

No, no saying that.

Yeah yeah no there is there, there is there is.

There is a lot of suburban.

There is a sound west tracts pulling association but they're not going to British sanction fools if you will.

But British tractful insensibles are kind of just doing it off their own bat really aren't they?

Yeah.

Or not not operating a British points around if you will.

Right.

So after this one's take place I completely like you.

We say you've had to prove yourself to be be able to get this event that you're hosting at will it carry on.

I mean of course I conclude from what you were saying you might get the watchful eye of the authorities Looking.

At you, which authorities are you talking about?

The tractor pulling?

Well, so, yeah, I mean, so the European Tracks pulling committee who organized the, the Euro cup round, obviously they'll be here.

Yeah.

And they'll want to see that we're doing a good job because you know the, it's a massive deal is the Euro cup the best of the best of European tracks points.

So they'll want to see that we're up to the job and hopefully if we are, which I think we will be all being well then hopefully that means we can have a Euro cup every year then.

Because I mean like you were saying, the work that's gone into this, I mean just describe the work that's gone into getting this ready.

Well, it probably.

Well obviously you can see the site for yourself and the work that's gone into actually the site which has been a 20 year project in terms of where we are today.

Yeah, in terms of actually organizing the event, it probably takes about six months I would say.

And obviously you just, you just get busier and busier the closer to the event that you get in terms of, I mean just the sheer volume of paperwork it generated.

Yeah, a lot of that happened, isn't it?

There's a lot of admin.

Yeah.

And there's a lot of obviously publicity and plugging it on social media and getting road signs out there and just, and just organizing caterers and trade stands and, and obviously the truck show itself as well.

Have you got 180 trucks booking in?

There's a lot to do but you know, and it's evenings and weekends really because we both have full time jobs.

Yeah, but we wouldn't do it if we didn't love doing it.

The truck side of this, I mean, I conclude there'll be normal trucks and will there be modified trucks?

Well, the trucks you see on the motorway.

Really?

Yeah, of course, trucks.

There will be some vintage trucks.

There will be classic and vintage trucks and there'll be some light commercials.

Like there'll be some seven.

Yeah, seven and a half ton of tippers and stuff that have been, you know.

So I'm able to say New York, there's some very old tractors.

Bike.

Yeah, yeah.

No, so that's what we do for a living is we deal in second hand tractors and machinery and my dad has got, you know, an obsession with buying tractors and some.

A fetish for buying people before they'd.

Like, like the vintage tractors and it seems to me you're not being funny.

A bit of the disease once you've Got one.

You can't stop, you multiply quite.

Yeah, that'.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

As long as we keep shifting a few, that's all.

But I mean it is tractors as a whole are very popular in England, isn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

Farmers can't work without tractors.

Very true.

And I mean, you ever move into like the world of plowing?

Because I was once invited.

It was a massive Ferguson owners club, the little grey Fergus.

I got the feeling it was then the farmer could get all these fields plowed.

Well, we've never had a plowing match here.

We aren't even allowed.

But I've spent many of our plowing me Turks.

Yeah, we do plowing ourselves.

Well, not me, but Dan, are you into old tractors?

Old tractors?

Yeah.

No, and we do, we.

We sell a lot of old tractors here.

We, you know, Massey 135s and stuff from, you know, 70s and.

Yeah.

And all, you know, and all the 60s, 50s, you know, we do sell quite a lot of old, older stuff.

Yeah.

Me, what's the.

You don't mind me asking, what's the popularity?

I. I have driven tractors and the last one I drove I think was a case.

Yeah.

And it was very, very nice inside.

Yeah.

You know, I had mobile phone connections, I have stereo.

I have something that.

So you, you name it and I drove it as a favor for a friend of mine and it was very luxurious.

Some of these modern tractors now, they have all the gadgets, don't they?

Yeah.

And some of these, you know, a new tractor now, top at range tractor, 200 horsepower tractor.

You're probably talking 150 to 180, 000 pound.

Yeah.

You know, there's some tracks at 300 horsepower tractors out there now.

We're all singing, all dancing, you know, guidance.

It'll drive itself.

Yeah.

But of course that feels into its significance compared to these poly tractors, don't it?

I hope.

I wish you all the best for this event and I hope it carries on very nicely for you and I hope you get some good weather because I should imagine if it rains it can be a bit as of a soggy path.

Yeah.

I mean you can't really have a track speed pulling the constant rain.

So we don't, we don't want to rain off.

We've been very fortunate with the weather we've had before.

You know, we're on the 9th and 10th of May here at Scotland.

So look, we're hoping for the weather we've been, we've been lucky up to now.

Touched my plywood desk here or whatever it is.

Hopefully we'll be all right.

But yeah, we're hoping, we're hoping to get the crowds.

We've seen a lot of uptake on social media and stuff now and people, people are buying tickets and they're really looking forward to coming.

Plenty of people make a weekend of it.

So we have plenty of weekend camping options available, corporate hospitality options available.

If you want to really make a day of it, do it the right way and getting that VIP marquee.

This is somewhere for everybody to park because we are in the countryside.

So literally over the road we have a 20 acre field next to the river there where the free car parking.

So there's no shortage of car parking room and it's free to park.

You just pay to get your ticket when you come in.

How much is it to get it?

So it's 24 pound per adult to get in or if you buy a ticket online, it's 22 pounds for children 10 to 16.

I think it's 15 pounds on the day and 13 pounds online and under tens are free.

Right.

It's 90 pounds to camp for the weekend.

Yeah, if you want to come and do that.

And then I think £90 for corporate hospitality as well.

So if you want to come and do it the posh way and yeah, have a seat and a bit of comfort and private bar.

Did a carpet under your feet.

Maybe somebody nice to give you a welcome drink when you get there.

And if you.

Basically if you.

I tried this, if you type into Google tractor pole Scorton.

Yeah, you get all.

It's all over Google is this.

Yeah, well, I mean we.

Look, we're really, we're really trying to flood social media as much as we can.

So we're on Facebook, we're on Instagram and TikTok now.

We're not hard to find.

Like you say, if you Google Scorton tractable, you'll find us.

But our website's uktraktable.co.uk.com we're on Facebook, we're on Instagram, we're not bad to find and we've got quite a lot of road signs in the local area as well.

So I mean, I'll be surprised that, you know, we're not, we're not hard.

To find out about Craig and Daniel Whittingham.

Can I wish you all the best for event.

I hope it continues and thanks very much for sparing me what is a definite shortage of time for you guys, but once again, thanks very much.

No problem.

Thank you.