Let's hurry up and wait

At this tractor race, the object was to see who could go the slowest without stopping

September 02, 2007|By DAN DEARTH

MAUGANSVILLE - You could have used a sundial to clock the tractor races Saturday during the Antique Tractor and Car Show at Maugansville Bible Brethren Church.

The object of the Fastest/Slowest Tractor Race wasn't to burn rubber, but to see who could drive the slowest while riding the clutch.

Pastor John Hoffman said riders were disqualified if their tractor wheels stopped moving.

"I just had to concentrate on that tire ... to make sure that it was going around," race winner Alan Hendershot said.

Saturday marked the inaugural year for the car and tractor show, which Hoffman said was created to coincide with the Maugansville Pride Day festival and promote good will in the community.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the church parking lot was filled with classic tractors and cars - a few that were close to 80 years old.

Jim Forsyth of Greencastle, Pa., said he bought the 1931 Model A Ford pickup that he had on display for about $1,500 in 1995.

The truck had been wrecked, and required a lot of work and about $2,000 to get it looking like new, he said.

"It was pretty rough," Forsyth said. "It runs good, though."

When Forsyth isn't showing the truck at similar events, he said he puts his kids in the back and takes them for Sunday drives.

Adults weren't the only ones who had a chance to race tractors.

Children between the ages of 5 and 10 got a crack as well.

Andrew Carpenter proudly displayed his trophy after winning the 7-8 age group.

"It feels like it's really enjoyable to win," he said. "That's the way I feel."

Emma Trobaugh won the 5-6 age group, and Hadley Giles won the 9-10 age group.

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