By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
BURNING rubber, fierce competition and sparkling chrome had the crowds in a spin at the weekend’s Tooradin Tractor Pull and Truck Show.
Masses piled into Rutter Reserve on Saturday 16 January, and show president Allyn Reeve said the day should provide community organisations with a share in up to $35,000.
“We had around 4000 people turn up which means we’ll be able to put about the same amount of proceeds back into the community as we have in the past,” Mr Reeve said.
The show has been a Tooradin favourite for the past 17 years and had about 85 trucks on show, 40 tractors and more than 45 cars.
Mr Reeve said the event had people waiting at the gates from 8am.
“The tractors are the most popular and we had crowds watching them until 10.30pm,” Mr Reeve said.
But it was afternoon show stopper Justine Mott who pumped up the crowds in her Holden Gemini.
“The crowd was rocking on the fences, they go crazy, they were singing to me as I was walking into the track,” Ms Mott said.
Mum of two, Ms Mott, 33, took her orange beast for a spin in the burn outs display leaving the track in a cloud of pastel pinks.
“I’ve been skidding at Tooradin for the past two years and doing burn out competitions for five years,” Ms Mott said.
Competing in up to 20 shows a year Ms Mott, from Nyora, said she was in it for the fun, not the prize money.
“You don’t practice; you just get out there at events – I’m off to Shepparton next week to compete in the Xtreme powerfest,” she said.
One of few women in the skid scene Ms Mott said the fact she is a female is a novelty in itself.
“The crowds love it, when I get out of the car you’ll hear things like ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a girl, I can’t believe it’ and you get a bit of fan base,” she said.
The tractor pull saw 24 winners on the day and a collection of 25 vintage tractors on display.
“We had the most tractors we’ve had in years,” organiser Greg Abrehart said.
