Fair Board brings more big trucks to fair

VW County Fair information

Those people who like big trucks will be pleased with yet another upgrade to the 158th annual Van Wert County Fair.

Over the past few years, truck numbers have grown tremendously, making it difficult for local truck pullers to pull in Open Truck classes, due to time constraints. This year, the Van Wert County Agricultural Society (Fair Board) and local sponsors have pulled resources to run a double track and cover costs for a 3.0 Diesel Truck class.

Sponsors for the fair event include: CW Farms LLC/Stine Seeds, Minnich Garage, Brad Thomas Tractor Restoration, Wallace Plumbing, Mills Trucking, Osting Farm Drainage, Scott Equity Exchange, Myers Transport, Webb Farms Trucking, Wenninger Seed Service and Scott Variety Shop.

Trustee Chris Webb and Fair Board Director CW Harting received local feedback on ways to improve the event and took those changes to the Fair Board, which approved the additions. The County Engineering Department aided the Fair Board by hauling more clay to the pulling track, making it wider and enabling it to run two sleds simultaneously.

Bringing the dirt in was also a perfect fit to help with the added feature of a figure 8 demo track on Saturday at 4 p.m. in front of the Grandstand, as well as provide possibilities for a Tug a Truck that will be held Tuesday night as an unofficial kick-off to the Fair.

Tug a Truck will happen at 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 26, the night before the fair officially begins. Though the fair will not officially open until 8 a.m. Wednesday, admission to this event is $5, while pit passes will cost $10.

Adding a Tug a Truck to the unofficial kick-off is another first for the Fair. The event will include two classes, a 5,500-pound class and a 7,500-pound class, with 80 percent payback per class for the top three finishers. Furthermore, the two-track feature will allow the event to run quickly, easing any concerns about being out too late on a Tuesday night.

So, no excuses! Hook fee is $20, 26-inch hitch height with trucks scaled on site. More information can be found at www.vanwertcountyfair.com or by calling event coordinator John Giessler at 419.203.0067.

The fair pull will be Friday, August 29, starting at 7 p.m. The Michindoh pulling series will start the evening, with open class to follow. More information is located at www.michindohpuller.org for Michindoh points classes.

Open class entries will close around 8 Friday evening to start immediately flowing the Michindoh class. Admission into the grandstand is $6 for the event and $15 for a pit pass. There is no age limit on the pits, but those in the hot pit area must be 16 years of age or older. Visit the fair website above for payouts.  Classes that include 2.6 Diesel Trucks, 3.0 Diesel Trucks, 8,000-pound Open Street Trucks – diesel and 6,500-pound Open Street Trucks gas – offer something for everyone and are sure to get the truck lover in everyone revved up and ready to go!