Lethal Passion is driven and owned by Ken Austin. Kenny has been driving for a number of years. He used to run the mini modified tractor called Gotta Go which is now driven by Cathy Wierstra and was co-owner of a 2 wheel drive truck called Grumpy Old Men. Kenny used to be a shop teacher at the Centre Wellington District High School for a number of years. He is now a heavy equipment mechanic in Guelph. A special thanks to Robert Anderson for all the help that he has provided over the years.
The Lethal Passion pulling team has a few sponsors to help pay the bills. These are the sponsors for Lethal Passion:
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Doosan |
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CG Equipment |
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Yanmar |
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LRW |
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Fergus Starter and Alternator |
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Nuhn Industries |
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Steve's Signs |
Lethal Passion is a Single Engine Modified Tractor. It has a 540 cu in naturally aspirated alcohol injected, chevy motor. It has a Profab 3 speed transmission with a slipper clutch.
Motors are not to exceed 575 cu in. Fenders are to be constructed so no part of the driver can contact the rear tire. Drivers must have a fire suit and helmet and balaclava. Seatbelts must be included in the drivers seat. Roll bars are a must. For more rules see the Great Lakes Truck and Tractor Pullers Association web site.
The tractor pulls in the 6100 pound class. This means that the weight of the tractor plus the weight of the driver plus their fire suit and helmet has to equal 6100 lb. or with in a few pounds of that. After the tractors has been weighed, the crew can't take off any more weight or add any on. It's against the rules to add weight on after weighing in your tractor. The tractors also have specific hitch heights. The hitch must be 20 inches high. Drivers when ready must pull on to the track and back up to the sled. The tractor is hooked up to sled by a chain and hook. Then the driver waits for two green flags before proceeding. The driver uses the throttle to pull the sled the farthest that he/she can. The farthest pull (inside 300 ft.) wins. If two or more pullers go past 300 ft then there will be a pull off.
In the pull off, the sled is put into a harder gear or weight is added to the sled. The two or more tractors pull against each other and the farthest wins. These tractors can't pull more than two or maybe three times in a row. If they do this can result in blowing up of the motor or damage to the tractor.
© C.Wierstra 2008
