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‘BUCKEYE BULLDOG’ TAKES USA-EAST WIN AT PITTSFIELD
Photo by: Jeff Luckey
 J.R. Collins’ “Buckeye Bulldog” made its first appearnce in many years at the Warren County Fair in Pittsfield, Pennsylvania on Friday evening and took home the huge trophy with a very narrow victory over the current top truck in the Big Rigs Pulling Series – “Silver Bullet I”. Collins’ beautiful Mack is a five-time NTPA Super Semi Champion and the current point leader with the NTPA Super Semis for 2008.
The win came in a three-way pull-off with three of the top modified semis in America all qualifying for the second round. All of the pull-off trucks were Macks, but not all had Mack engines!! Richard Scott from Diamond, Ohio was the pilot aboard the Sanders’ Team’s “Silver Bullet I”, a very strong Mack Super Liner with the ultra powerful Cummins QXK under the hood. His mark of 313.2 was the one to beat. The truck with the most wins in 2008, “Killer” and Dick Bonner, was second to pull but that very impressive truck (and last season’s Big Rig Champ) appeared to have mechanical problems and stopped the electronic laser at 263.6.
 With a solid crowd cheering him on Collins gunned the venerable “Buckeye Bulldog” down the track to stop within inches of the lead. The laser reading had his red Mack at 313.3 – just ONE INCH ahead of Scott. The packed house went wild as Collins and team returned to the winner’s circle to claim the four foot trophy from event superintendent Jerry Jesperson and the 2008 Warren County Fair Queens. For many years Collins and his brother, Hank Collins, hauled wood chips from the many logging operations in and around the northern part of Pennsylvania back to the east Cleveland suburbs. Thus there were many fans in the huge audience that were overjoyed by this appearance of the “Buckeye Bulldog” at the Warren County Fair.
The Mack brand captured all of the top five places at Pittsfield. Fourth place with a mark of 297.2 was Greg Dean from Shenandoah, Virginia with his E-9 powered Mack named “Bad Dog”. This was Deans first-ever appearance with the famed Big Rigs. Young Kendra Rogers was fifth as she made an excellent pass with the “Unleashed” Mack from South Zanesville, Ohio.
The Big Rigs Series returns to the track on Thursday evening, August 14th at the Lawrence County Fair near New Castle, Pennsylvania.
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