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RON'S FIRST TRIP DOWN A DIRT TRACK WAS IN 1959 RIDING ON AN ALLIS CHALMERS WD AT THE ANSONIA FFA SPONSORED TRACTOR PULL. AFTER THAT, HE WAS HOOKED. LATER HE STEPPED UP TO AN ALLIS CHALMERS XT 190 AND THEN IN 1967, RON AND A FRIEND PUT A 265 V-8 CHEVY IN A 101 MASSEY HARRIS TRACTOR. THIS WAS RON'S FIRST MODIFIED TRACTOR. THE FIRST JUDGE PULLING TRACTOR WAS BUILT IN 1969. IN 1974, THE FIRST ALLISON TRACTOR WAS BUILT AND WAS THE BEGINNING OF 'THE JUDGE'. RON WAS INVITED TO ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1985. HE WON AND DECIDED TO SELL THE TRACTOR TO A MUSEUM. RON'S PULLING ACCOMPLISHMENTS UP TO 1985; 6 OSTPA POINTS CHAMPION TITLES, 7 NTPA POINTS CHAMPION TITLES, AND 1 WORLD CHAMPION TITLE. RON DIDN'T PULL FOR ONE YEAR. IT WAS A FRIEND THAT GOT HIM BACK INVOLVED. MIKE HOLDEN HAD TWO MODIFIED PULLING TRACTORS AND ASKED RON IF HE WOULD LIKE TO DRIVE THEM. AFTER FIVE SEASONS OF GRAND NATIONAL PULLING, RON AND MIKE DECIDED, BECAUSE OF RULE CHANGES, TO RUN THE STATE CIRCUIT. THE JUDGE, #6 WAS BUILT IN 1992 WITH TWIN ALLISON MOTORS AND ENGLER CHASSIS. WITH ONE OF HOLDEN'S TRACTORS AND THE JUDGE, THEY WENT STATE PULLING. HOLDEN'S TRACTOR, SILVER STOPPED PULLING AFTER THE 1994 SEASON. RANDY, THE OLDEST SON, STARTED DRIVING IN 1993 AND SEMI-RETIRED IN 1995. THE NEXT SON TO START DRIVING AGAIN WAS DARRICK, DURING THE 1999 SEASON. DARRICK RECEIVED THE ROOKIE OF YEAR AWARD FOLLOWING THAT SEASON. IN 2000, ANOTHER SON JUMPED IN SEAT; RON II. IN THE FALL OF 2000, THE JUDGE WAS SOLD. THAT WINTER OF 2000-2001 WAS SPENT BUILDING THE CURRENT TRACTOR, THE JUDGE (#7). THIS TRACTOR HAS A BANTER CHASSIS, BANTER GEARBOX, AND 5 T-53 LYCOMING TURBINES. AFTER 5 SEASONS OF PULLING WITH THIS TRACTOR, ALL I CAN SAY IS......"WOW, WHAT A RIDE!" JUDGE PULLING TEAM'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS: FROM 1992-2005: 1999- ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, 2002- NTPA 'PULL FAMILY OF THE YEAR', 2003-2006-2007 OSTPA POINTS CHAMPION, 9 OSTPA TITLES. 2003- OSTPA 'PULL FAMILY OF THE YEAR', 2005- FIFTH IN GRAND NATIONAL POINTS, 2005- 'HOOKER OF THE YEAR', AWARDED TO PULLER WHO MAKES MOST HOOKS. |
