Last update: January 21, 2008

BIG RIGS SCHEDULE SET FOR 2008

As the nationally-recognized Big Rigs Pulling Series enters its eighteenth season in 2008, the summer event schedule will have a number of new venues and some interesting additions.  A total of 14 locations will host the Big Rigs in the upcoming season with nine of those events to be contested as a part of the valuable Big Rigs Series points race.  “Our goal with the schedule this year is to try to keep the event locations within a very tight geographic area”, said Rick Feicht, President of Full Pull Productions – the promoter of the Big Rigs Series.  “Our pullers have told us that they do not want to travel any great distances for their pulls this season due to time constraints and due to the ever-increasing cost of fuel.  Thus our schedule reflects those desires”, said Feicht.

The Big Rigs^sm Pulling Series was originated in 1989 by Full Pull Productions as the first-ever modified semi truck pulling series in the United States.  The name and title “Big Rigs” is a registered trademark held by the Full Pull Productions corporation that is now sanctioned under the USA-EAST sanctioning body.

The Rigs season will open as usual on Memorial Day week-end at the Mercer Raceway Park in Mercer Pennsylvania.  However one change will move the pull to Saturday night (May 24) rather than the traditional Sunday evening event.  A rain-date has been reserved for Sunday afternoon in ‘08.  Mercer Raceway will host a special circle track racing event on Memorial Day (Monday) this summer.

After a number of years with an ‘invitational’ type semi truck pull, the Keystone State Nationals at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Brookville, Pennsylvania will return to the Big Rigs point race schedule on Saturday, June 21 and will hold a Sunday afternoon rain-date for June 22^nd.  The very popular “Trucker’s Day” at the Big Butler Fair will culminate with the Big Rigs on Saturday, June 28 after a full day of activity that will include a Show and Shine and Drag Racing for all kinds of semi trucks.

The Trumbull County Fair in Cortland, Ohio will host the Big Rigs for the first time in many years on the second week-end of July.  This fair is located on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and is a perfect fit for many of the competitors in the Big Rigs Series.  2008 will mark the first USA-EAST sanctioned pull ever held at the Trumbull County Fair.  There is also a possibility that this event could later be moved to Friday night of the Fair.

The Warren County Fair in Pittsfield, Pennsylvania will bring together the Big Rigs and the NTPA Super Semis for a special co-sanctioned pulling event on Friday, August 8^th.  “We are very happy to once again be working with Gregg Randall of the National Tractor Pullers Association on this event”, said Feicht.  “Our future plans are to expand our relationship with NTPA - the oldest sanctioning body in the sport of tractor and truck pulling”.  This will be the first co-sanctioned pull since the Buck Motor Sport Park hosted both the Big Rigs and the Super Semis in 2001.

The Lawrence County Fair in New Castle, Pennsylvania will also bump up from an ‘invitational’ pull to a Big Rigs point pull in 2008.  The Lawrence County pull will be held on Thursday, August 14^th.  And the Big Rigs’ annual appearance at the huge Crawford County Fair in Meadville, Pennsylvania is scheduled for Friday, August 22.  The month of August will end in fine fashion as the Big Rigs head to Canfield, Ohio for one of the most prestigious fair events in the United States at the Canfield Fair on Saturday, August 30^th.

Once again the ‘Finals’ for the Big Rigs Pulling Series are scheduled for the Bloomsburg Fair in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 27^th with a possible rain-date held for Sunday afternoon.  Last year the top modified semi trucks in the world, representing all of the major sanctioning organizations, participated in the Bloomsburg Big Rigs “Finals”.

In between these point events, the Big Rigs will participate in a number of ‘invitational’ pulls in 2008.  These venues include the Hemlock Fair in Hemlock, New York on Thursday, July 17 and a stop at the Dayton Fair in Dayton, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, August 12^th.  Later in the year the Big Rigs go to the Montgomery County Fair in Fonda, New York and will pull at the Great Geauga County Fair in Burton, Ohio – both on Sunday, August 31.   Another new addition for the Big Rigs will be a trip to the Clearfield EXPO at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 13^th.

The Big Rigs Pulling Series is sponsored by the Central Petroleum Company of Wolcott, Iowa as it has been for the past fourteen years.  Cen.Pe.Co. has posted special end-of-season point fund money specifically for the modified semi trucks.  A USA-EAST membership is necessary in order to collect points with the Big Rigs Pulling Series or in order to be selected to participate in one of the various ‘invitational’ pulls.