Motor sports will form two-thirds of the grandstand lineup during the 2001 Rock County Fair.
After the Johnny Holm Band performs for the first grandstand show tonight, Friday and Saturday evenings will be taken over by two different motor sports.
Sioux Valley Southwestern Electric will sponsor the fair's first Garden Tractor Pull tomorrow night. The Rock County Fair Board and the Rock County Corn and Soybean Association will present the annual Enduro Race on Saturday. Both shows begin at 7 p.m.
The Garden Tractor Pull is new to the lineup, replacing the Tractor Pull from the 2000 fair.
According to Randy Kruse, an Adrian man who has helped put on similar shows in the towns of Adrian, Hardwick, Dundee and Rushmore this summer, the Garden Tractor Pull is an event that will provide entertainment to people of all ages.
There will be four classes of competition, including a special class for the children.
"We have a special class for kids the age of 12 and under, which is really fun for them," Kruse said. "We furnish the lawn mowers and the skid (the gear-driven weight box all the tractors will be pulling tomorrow night) for this class. WeÕll even put the tractor in gear for the kids as well as operate the clutch. We'll be with them the whole way. Basically, all the kids have to do is steer."
The children competing in the 12-and-Under Class will all receive ribbons for their efforts. The two children who produce the longest pulls get trophies.
After the children leave the infield, competition in the Stock Class, the Stock Modified Class and the Modified Class will take center stage.
The Stock Class features normal lawn-mowing tractors which will be pulling in weight classes of 800, 900, 1,000 and 1,200 pounds.
Bigger tires and weights will be allowed on the tractors that will be competing in the Stock Modified Class. Weight classes in that division include 800, 950, 1,050 and 1,200 pounds.
Anything with an unaltered mower frame will be allowed to compete in the Modified Class. Motorcycle or snowmobile engines are allowed to power these tractors, which will be the feature event of the night.
Residents are encouraged to bring their tractors to the competition Friday. Fans can watch the event for $2 from the grandstands or $5 from the pit. Children 8 and under are admitted free.
The Enduro Race, always one of the fair's best draws, takes the spotlight on Saturday. Admission is $7. Children 8 and under are admitted free.
The Enduro Race will be a two-hour race, or a 200-lap event. The first driver to complete 200 laps in less than two hours is the winner. If no driver can complete 200 laps in two hours, the winner will be the driver who has completed the most laps at that point.
As of early this week, last year's Enduro Race champion had not registered for the 2001 version of the event.
Rock Rapids, Iowa, driver Curt Dieren completed 135 laps to take top honors in the 2000 race, which attracted 45 drivers.
Dieren may not compete this year, but four of the top 10 finishers from the 2001 race have pre-registered for the event.
Adrian's Randy Kruse (second place), Sioux Falls' Randy Harms (fourth place), Rock Rapids' Todd Dieren (fifth place) and EdgertonÕs Owen Tinklenberg (seventh place) will be on the track.
Forty-two cars pre-registered for the 2001 race as of early this week, and 25 of them are drivers from the Star Herald coverage area.
LuverneÕs Travis Van Santen, Jason Chesley, Perry Schneekloth, Nick Mann, Josh Vanden Hoek, Jared Rowden, Adam Kinsinger, and Josh DeKam are on the list, as are MagnoliaÕs Brian Schneekloth, Mark Knips, Jason DeBeer and Josh Klay.
Hardwick and Ellsworth will be represented by Brent Hulstein and Kevin DeBeer respectively.
Adrian's Kruse, Brad Lonneman, Brent Henning, Colt Bullerman, Justin Wieneke, Chris Kruger, Brad Bullerman, Tim Banck, Will Nytes and Marty Weiss are also signed up to compete.
All Rock County residents are encouraged to come out and watch their friends and neighbors compete in the motor sports events at this year's Fair.