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Rain does not dampen truck pull fun at Lee County Possess Arena

By Staff | Apr 6, 2016

CHUCK BALLARO Ashely Andrews in her Rusty Blue Smurf pulls her competitor down the track.

Despite a storm that pelted rain onto the grounds of the Lee County Posse Arena, several hundred people came to see the semi-annual truck pull, a kind of tug-of-war between trucks Saturday.

More than 30 trucks circled the arena and duked it out on a small 160-foot strip of pavement in an event that would have drawn thousands had the elements not gotten in the way.

And on an evening where the rain leveled the playing field, it was girl power that got it done, as there was an all-female final.

Keith Gogolin, who started the event at the arena 20 years ago, said there are many rules the trucks have to follow, such as where the hitch has to be and the truck’s weight.

Many of the trucks had 100-pound weights bolted to their trucks and special hitches to conform to the rules. They also had their own set-ups, just like in NASCAR, in hopes of gaining an edge.

CHUCK BALLARO Colton Fordyce does battle during the truck pull Saturday at the Lee County Pose Arena.

“Everyone has their own little tricks. Size doesn’t matter because the trucks are the same weight and hitch height,” Gogolin said. “It’s pounds per square inch on your tires. Sometimes the smaller engine and smaller tires win.”

The strip of concrete is two feet under the dirt surface and covered by a tarp, the dirt is bulldozed and tarp removed. This serves to keep the concrete clean and benefits barrel racers as it turns the dirt when it’s time to bury the strip after.

That’s exactly what Ashley Andrews of Cape Coral had. While many of the old pros drove diesel monster trucks, this rookie drove her little blue Dodge rust-bomb, called the Rusty Smurf, pulling trucks as if they stood still.

In the rain, she managed not to spin her tires as she slowly and steadily used the power of her engine to beat everybody, including Alicea Hayes and her blue truck named “Blueberry” in the finals.

“My boyfriend has been doing it forever and everyone kept telling me to do it. I got roped in and see why he loves it. It’s an adrenaline rush,” Andrews said.

Auburndale’s Eddie Langley, who also holds events throughout the Southeast, echoed those sentiments, saying that strategy plays a part, such as lowering tire pressure in the rain to get better grip.

“To people watching, it doesn’t look all that appealing, but when you get two guys in trucks of equal weight, it comes down to what the driver has done to the truck and driving ability,” Langley said. “You can finesse your way in, and you can finesse your way out.”

Andrews said he truck is a “mudder” which pulls better in the rain and has surprised people.

“It’s my little rust bucket that was my boyfriend’s. I either had to start pulling or he’d sell the truck, so I took over.”

Those who came were hardcore, and they weren’t going to let a little rain spoil what for them was a fun-filled evening with family and friends, just as 40-degree temperatures didn’t stop them in January.

Chelsy Pierce, of San Carlos Park said it’s all about friends and trucks.

“We come here a lot. It’s fun to see the trucks compete. I love Dodges and Chevys,” Pierce said. “I know some of the drivers. I don’t like the rain but it’s still fun.”

“We bring the kids out of the house, the boys like to see the trucks and the girls like the vendors, though there isn’t much here with the rain,” said Jennifer Adams of Cape Coral. “If you ever drive a truck, you want to pull a truck.”

Rain does not dampen truck pull fun at Lee County Possess Arena

By Staff | Apr 6, 2016

CHUCK BALLARO Ashely Andrews in her Rusty Blue Smurf pulls her competitor down the track.

Despite a storm that pelted rain onto the grounds of the Lee County Posse Arena, several hundred people came to see the semi-annual truck pull, a kind of tug-of-war between trucks Saturday.

More than 30 trucks circled the arena and duked it out on a small 160-foot strip of pavement in an event that would have drawn thousands had the elements not gotten in the way.

And on an evening where the rain leveled the playing field, it was girl power that got it done, as there was an all-female final.

Keith Gogolin, who started the event at the arena 20 years ago, said there are many rules the trucks have to follow, such as where the hitch has to be and the truck’s weight.

Many of the trucks had 100-pound weights bolted to their trucks and special hitches to conform to the rules. They also had their own set-ups, just like in NASCAR, in hopes of gaining an edge.

CHUCK BALLARO Colton Fordyce does battle during the truck pull Saturday at the Lee County Pose Arena.

“Everyone has their own little tricks. Size doesn’t matter because the trucks are the same weight and hitch height,” Gogolin said. “It’s pounds per square inch on your tires. Sometimes the smaller engine and smaller tires win.”

The strip of concrete is two feet under the dirt surface and covered by a tarp, the dirt is bulldozed and tarp removed. This serves to keep the concrete clean and benefits barrel racers as it turns the dirt when it’s time to bury the strip after.

That’s exactly what Ashley Andrews of Cape Coral had. While many of the old pros drove diesel monster trucks, this rookie drove her little blue Dodge rust-bomb, called the Rusty Smurf, pulling trucks as if they stood still.

In the rain, she managed not to spin her tires as she slowly and steadily used the power of her engine to beat everybody, including Alicea Hayes and her blue truck named “Blueberry” in the finals.

“My boyfriend has been doing it forever and everyone kept telling me to do it. I got roped in and see why he loves it. It’s an adrenaline rush,” Andrews said.

Auburndale’s Eddie Langley, who also holds events throughout the Southeast, echoed those sentiments, saying that strategy plays a part, such as lowering tire pressure in the rain to get better grip.

“To people watching, it doesn’t look all that appealing, but when you get two guys in trucks of equal weight, it comes down to what the driver has done to the truck and driving ability,” Langley said. “You can finesse your way in, and you can finesse your way out.”

Andrews said he truck is a “mudder” which pulls better in the rain and has surprised people.

“It’s my little rust bucket that was my boyfriend’s. I either had to start pulling or he’d sell the truck, so I took over.”

Those who came were hardcore, and they weren’t going to let a little rain spoil what for them was a fun-filled evening with family and friends, just as 40-degree temperatures didn’t stop them in January.

Chelsy Pierce, of San Carlos Park said it’s all about friends and trucks.

“We come here a lot. It’s fun to see the trucks compete. I love Dodges and Chevys,” Pierce said. “I know some of the drivers. I don’t like the rain but it’s still fun.”

“We bring the kids out of the house, the boys like to see the trucks and the girls like the vendors, though there isn’t much here with the rain,” said Jennifer Adams of Cape Coral. “If you ever drive a truck, you want to pull a truck.”