RANTOUL, Ill. - Just celebrating its 11th year, the Midwest Winter Nationals in Rantoul, Illinois has become one of the largest indoor tractor pulls in the nation, with over 200 tractors from 17 different states representing this year's event on Jan. 15-17.
Tractor classes ranged from Farm Stock to Alcohol Super Stock and Hot Farm to Pro Stock, making a total of 483 hooks down the track over the course of three days. All this power pulls down a 240-foot track with a mountain of sand at the end. Preliminary classes are pulled, and the top eight finishers head to a finals class.
There was representation from Green County this year: The father-son duo of Larry and Mark Hawthorne from Monticello with their Deutz DX 8006 called "Lil Green Giant," brothers Jay and Brad Anderson from Monticello with their Deutz DX 8006 named "Little Angry," and John Anderson from Monticello with his IH 686 called "Covered In Red."
The 6,250-pound Limited Super Stock class was filled with 27 competitors. Lil Green Giant took seventh in finals with Larry Hawthorne behind the wheel; Covered In Red brought home fifth during finals; and Brad Anderson on the seat of Little Angry had a bit of bad luck in the class and didn't make the top eight. These three tractors also pulled in the 6,700-pound Limited Super Stock class, which included 17 vehicles.
All three Green County tractors made finals: Little Angry finished eighth with Jay Anderson behind the wheel after initially winning the preliminary class; Larry Hawthorne on Lil Green Giant came in fifth; and John Anderson took the win on Covered In Red.
The next set of Green County natives come from the John Meier Sr. family. The father-son duo of John Meier Sr. from Juda and Dan Meier from Monroe shared the seat on an IH 1466 called "466 X Press;" husband-wife duo Mike and Brandi Meier from Monroe with their IH 5488 named "Double Trouble;" and John Meier Jr. from Brodhead with his IH 1206 he calls "Meier Performance R&D." All competed in the 9,500-pound Hot Farm class, which included 29 competitors. John Meier Sr. behind the wheel placed fifth, and John Meier Jr. on Meier Performance R&D took the win in the finals. All three Meier tractors also competed in the 9,000-pound Super farm class, which included 30 other competitors. John Meier Jr. placed sixth, while Dan Meier on the seat of the 466 X Press brought home the win during finals. Mike and Brandi Meier with Double Trouble did not make the finals in either class. John Meier Jr. also pulled solo from the rest of the family in the 9,500-pound Pro Farm class and finished fifth in finals with the Meier Performance R&D.
Next year the Midwest Winter Nationals is Jan. 14-16.
Tractor classes ranged from Farm Stock to Alcohol Super Stock and Hot Farm to Pro Stock, making a total of 483 hooks down the track over the course of three days. All this power pulls down a 240-foot track with a mountain of sand at the end. Preliminary classes are pulled, and the top eight finishers head to a finals class.
There was representation from Green County this year: The father-son duo of Larry and Mark Hawthorne from Monticello with their Deutz DX 8006 called "Lil Green Giant," brothers Jay and Brad Anderson from Monticello with their Deutz DX 8006 named "Little Angry," and John Anderson from Monticello with his IH 686 called "Covered In Red."
The 6,250-pound Limited Super Stock class was filled with 27 competitors. Lil Green Giant took seventh in finals with Larry Hawthorne behind the wheel; Covered In Red brought home fifth during finals; and Brad Anderson on the seat of Little Angry had a bit of bad luck in the class and didn't make the top eight. These three tractors also pulled in the 6,700-pound Limited Super Stock class, which included 17 vehicles.
All three Green County tractors made finals: Little Angry finished eighth with Jay Anderson behind the wheel after initially winning the preliminary class; Larry Hawthorne on Lil Green Giant came in fifth; and John Anderson took the win on Covered In Red.
The next set of Green County natives come from the John Meier Sr. family. The father-son duo of John Meier Sr. from Juda and Dan Meier from Monroe shared the seat on an IH 1466 called "466 X Press;" husband-wife duo Mike and Brandi Meier from Monroe with their IH 5488 named "Double Trouble;" and John Meier Jr. from Brodhead with his IH 1206 he calls "Meier Performance R&D." All competed in the 9,500-pound Hot Farm class, which included 29 competitors. John Meier Sr. behind the wheel placed fifth, and John Meier Jr. on Meier Performance R&D took the win in the finals. All three Meier tractors also competed in the 9,000-pound Super farm class, which included 30 other competitors. John Meier Jr. placed sixth, while Dan Meier on the seat of the 466 X Press brought home the win during finals. Mike and Brandi Meier with Double Trouble did not make the finals in either class. John Meier Jr. also pulled solo from the rest of the family in the 9,500-pound Pro Farm class and finished fifth in finals with the Meier Performance R&D.
Next year the Midwest Winter Nationals is Jan. 14-16.
