BIG RIGS OPEN SEASON ON MAY 23rd at MERCER RACEWAY
BIG RIGS OPEN SEASON ON MAY 23rd at MERCER RACEWAY
The world famous Big Rigs Pulling Series will kick off the 2009 season at Mercer Raceway Park near Mercer, Pennsylvania on Saturday, May 23rd at 6:30pm. This is the ninth straight year that the top semi trucks in America have begun their point race quest at Mercer Raceway. Other classes will include the All-American “Smoker Series” Tractors, Pro Stock DIESEL 4x4 Trucks and Street Licensed GAS 4x4 Trucks.
Richard Scott from Diamond, Ohio should be the one to beat as he attempts to be the first puller in eight years to back up his first-ever championship in 2008 with his “Silver Bullet II” Mack from the Sanders’ Pulling Team of Ravenna, Ohio. This 998 cubic inch Mack was dominant in winning the Big Rigs crown last season as Scott ran off five victories during the course of the season. The Big Rigs Series has had a different point champion in each of the past eight seasons.
Perhaps Scott’s most impressive adversary may well be his team mate Fred Sanders with the “Silver Bullet I”. This truck had major engine problems in the second half of last season and has had a completely revamped Cummins engine installed for the ‘09 campaign. Joe Giulitto, the other part of the Sanders’ Team, finished second in the Big Rigs Series point race last year with the very steady “Smokin’ Gun” – a single charger Mack Super Liner and will be back again for 2009.
The always competitive Rodgers Pulling Team from Philo, Ohio finished third in the 2008 point race and will back in 2009 with their “Unleashed” Mack semi truck. Brothers Rob and Chad built the truck and shared driving duties last season with seventeen year old Kendra who wowed the crowd with an impressive runner-up finish at New Castle in August. The appearance of the 2nd Rodgers’ Big Rig has been put off to mid season of 2009.
Johnny Mann’s “Lady Butterfly” Kenworth is one of the last Big Rigs to utilize the V-12 Detroit Diesel for power. That truck finished fourth in the 2008 point race and has committed again for this season. Mann had to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation over the winter months for a long standing neck problem and reports that he is feeling better and is ready for the season.
Another truck sporting a new engine will be Don Snyder’s “Mr. Nasty” Peterbilt from New Springfield, Ohio. The winner at Mercer a year ago, Snyder commissioned Francis Engineering in Leroy, Ohio to build a brand new QXK-19 Cummins for his former national champion Big Rig.
After capturing the Big Rigs title in 2007, Dick Bonner took his “Killer” Mack on the road and was crowned the champion of the PPL Champions Tour in 2008. Bonner has committed to pull at Mercer with his very impressive Mack. Over the winter Bonner also purchased the “Mackenstein” semi from Caldwell, Ohio’s Jim Brown Trucking and will run that truck in 2009 with an all-new Mack V-8 under the hood.
Casey Francis of Leroy, Ohio has taken over the operation of the “Scalded Dog” single charger Mack. Young Francis, the son of Dale Francis, is doing all of his own work on the Mack in hopes of getting that truck into the top group in 2009. As one of the young guns in the sport, Francis certainly will be favorite of the younger fans.
Dale Mitchell from Mount Gilead, Ohio has had a new Cummins engine installed in his “Freight Rod” and looks to improve in 2009. Mitchell had a good finish to the season as he finished in the top five at the Big Rigs FINALS at Bloomsburg in late September. And Bill Reinhart will return as the driver of the Mitchell Team’s “ReHab” truck again in 2009.
George Rood, Sr. from Mineral Ridge, Ohio has joined the Big Rigs for 2009 signaling a possible return to pulling with “A Rood Awakening”. That V-8 Mack has not competed since early in the 2007 season.
No word has been heard from the Richard Price/David Frantz Team from Greencastle, Pennsylvania. That team captured the 2006 Big Rigs crown but only pulled sparingly in 2007 and did not compete at all last season with their “Thunder Dog” Mack.
And John Chase from Interlaken, New York installed an all-new V-12 Detroit in his “Bad Company” Peterbilt early in 2008. The Big Rig made two exhibition passes in July of 2008 at the Broome County Fairgrounds in Whitney Point, New York but has not been seen on the track since that time.
All of the action of the 2009 Big Rigs Pulling Series will get underway at 6:30pm at Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday, May 23.