Light Pro Stock Tractors

                                 

My friends at JAK Racing Engines present my 2025 predictions for the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky.  The applications have been submitted and now the hard part for the committee begins, as they sift through all of the amazing competitors and settle on a field of 192 capable champions to run for the glory in Freedom Hall! 

This class continually makes me scratch my head with just how to decide who gets in.  There are some incredibly tough tractors that finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th, in Regional Series or State Series that could come to the show and win, but continually I stick to my guns and reward points champions.  With that, there are still points champions or key event winners that I am leaving off the list.  The Utt family tractor (The Storm) finished a top the points for Pull Off Points, Jeremy Ploetz won Session 1 at Hillsboro and Session V at Tomah, and Jeff Mikloiche was the East Coast Champion.  If one or all three of these tractors are selected it wouldn't surprise me one bit.  

On this list everyone is a points Champion with the exception of last years NFMS Champion Kurt Afdahl.  Kurt was second in WTPA and NTPA Region III with the "Weekend Mistress", but with his win in Louisville 2024, I felt like he warranted being back after a hard summer of running.  Five of the twelve on my list were in last year for competition.  The top 3 return as Afdahl, Dirksen, and Cook made the winners circle.  How many of you recall the first pass Henk Dirksen made last year in Freedom Hall?

Light Pro TOP 3 2024

1)Kurt Afdahl Weekend Mistress Defending Champion/ 2nd NTPA Region III/WTPA

2) Henk Dirksen Unchained OTTPA Champ 

3)Alan Cook Black Thunder Region III/WTPA Champ

4)Kevin Banion Forgiven NTPA Region II East Champ

5)Jordan Stround Never A Nuff NTPA Region II West Champ

6)Perry Walters Smokin Up A Storm NTPA Region IV Champ

7)Matt Smith Fast Forward PPL Silver Champ

8)Luke Ross Livin On A Prayer PPL Western Champ

9)Andy Cartwright Grey Area Badger State Champ

10)Cory Frank High Standards OSTPA Champ

11) David Rieff Red Exception IPL Champ

12)Mike Weakland Just Hookin Up FULL PULL Champ

The photos for all of my posts for the National Farm Machinery Show predictions presented by my friends at JAK, were taken and supplied by Bryan Thurston.  Bryan owns Thurston Pulling Photos and he does a tremendous job of covering our sport. In 2024, he captured content at eleven different sanctioning bodies events and traveled roughly 19,000 miles.  You can follow Bryan and his tremendous work on all of his Social Media outlets Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube.  Thank you Bryan!