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BIG RIGS to open ’08 Season at Mercer Raceway Park
 The famed Big Rigs Pulling Series will be a part of the All American “Spring Nationals” Championship Pulling Event at Mercer Raceway Park near Mercer, Pennsylvania. This super early season pulling event will take place on May 24 at 6:30pm. This is SATURDAY NIGHT!! For the first time ever this gigantic tractor and truck pull event will be held on SATURDAY night in order to accommodate a special dirt track racing event that is scheduled for Memorial Day on Monday. A rain-date for the pull is held for Sunday afternoon at 5:00pm. The pull will feature some of the top pullers and pulling vehicles in the eastern United States. USA-EAST is the sanctioning body and the event is to be produced by Full Pull Productions of Jamestown, Pennsylvania. This is the eighth straight year for the awesome pull that has drawn standing-room-only crowds to Mercer Raceway Park.
Four different USA-EAST sanctioned classes are scheduled for the 2008 Mercer Raceway event: (1) BIG RIGS Semi Trucks; (2) All American “Smoker Series” Tractors; (3) Street Licensed Semi Trucks and (4) Street Licensed Diesel 4x4 Trucks. Each of the classes will be running for points in their respective 2008 point races.
 One of the highlights of the pull will be the return of the Big Rigs semi trucks with their awesome big block turbo-charged power. The class is sponsored in part by Cen.Pe.Co. Lubricants and Fuel Additives. Dick Bonner from Mantua, Ohio is the defending Big Rigs Series champion with his “Killer”, a 1978 Mack SuperLiner powered by a huge 998 cubic inch Mack V-8 engine. Don Snyder from New Springfield, Ohio will lead the charge with his “Mr. Nasty” Peterbilt powered by Cummins. The Sander’s Team from Ravenna, Ohio will be on hand with their twin Mack V-8 machines – “Silver Bullet II” and “Silver Bullet I” driven by Fred Sanders and Richard Scott respectively. And the Sander’s team mate, Joe Giulitto will pilot the older V-8 Mack named “Smokin’ Gun’. And the rumors are flying that Giulitto will debut another new truck with the Sander’s Team at some point during the upcoming season.
George Rood from Mineral Ridge, Ohio is getting his Mack V-8 ready for 2008. The “Rood Awakening” truck had a severe engine failure in Canada last season and may not be out until mid-season. The Rogers’ Team from Philo, Ohio has retired their venerable Mack CruiseLiner (‘Unleashed’) and is set to run an all-new Mack SuperLiner this season. And the new Rogers’ truck will also see an all-new driver in 2008 as seventeen year old Kendra Rogers gets behind the wheel.
 Two veterans have also joined USA-EAST for 2008 and will compete for the point championship. John Mann’s “Lady Butterfly” from East Canton, Ohio and Pat Counter’s “Just Pocket Change” from Kennedy, New York have both been long-standing members of the Big Rigs Pulling Series.
A pair of newcomers to the USA-EAST series have also joined for 2008. Dale Mitchell from Mount Gilead, Ohio has registered his Freightliner named, “Freight Rod”, while his stablemate, Bill Reinhart from Galeton, Ohio will campaign the new “Re-Hab” Kenworth.
Seventeen of the Big Rigs were a part of the Mercer Raceway pull in 2007 with half of the trucks making a Full Pull. Greg Hibbitts from Hudsonville, Michigan eventually was the winner with the CAT-powered “Pro-Hibbitted” with Chardon, Ohio’s J.R. Collins second with the V-8 Mack named “Buckeye Bulldog”. Sander’s “Silver Bullet II” was 3rd while Dale Francis drove the “Killer” Mack from the Bonner Team into the fourth position. Another solid field of competitors is expected on Saturday, May 24th this year.
USA-EAST is the in-house sanctioning body for Full Pull Productions, Inc. www.fullpullproductions.com Point races and/or point funds are offered in all divisions this season for members of USA-EAST. One novel approach is the fact that pullers do not have to become a member of the sanctioning body and do NOT have to buy “one day memberships” in order to register and compete. However, only members of USA-EAST will collect points in their respective classes. www.usa-east.com
The pit gate will open at 2:00pm on SATURDAY, May 24th and all registration will end promptly at 5:30pm.
Mercer Raceway Park is located on US Route 19 on the northern outskirts of Mercer, Pennsylvania. This is easily reached from Exit #15 of Interstate 80. For more information and tickets fans may contact Mercer Raceway Park directly at 724.964.9300 or by logging on to their website at: www.mercerracewaypark.com
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