Local drivers like to perform for hometown crowd at Coshocton County Fair

COSHOCTON − Grandstand entertainment for the Coshocton County Fair kicks off with longtime held events that draws in a lot of local participants and spectators.

The Ohio State Tractor Pullers Association will have a truck and tractor pull at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by the organization's championship finale at 7 p.m. Saturday. Drives pull a weighted sled down the track to see how far they can go.

Austin Berry of Warsaw enters the Coshocton events first in points in the Probell Racing Modified category. He started doing truck pulls in 2006 and switched to tractors in 2018.

"I wanted to try something different. We ran trucks for several years, but the tractor with two engines seemed like it would be a lot of fun," he said on the switch. "Ever since I was a kid this was something I wanted to do and we're fortunate enough to be able to do it."

He does events all over, including three this year out of state. However, Coshocton is a clear favorite. He placed third for his division last year at the Coshocton County Fair, but won the three previous years.

"I just love being in front of the hometown crowd. It's a lot of people I know and a lot of people I've worked for. It's just good to see everybody," he said.

Getting ready for any event means tractor maintenance from checking spark plugs to changing oil, just like one might do on their own car.

"It definitely takes a lot of time and your pull usually lasts 15 seconds or less, but it takes about two hours to get ready to pull, if you don't break anything," Berry stated. "The sled makes a difference, if you know how the sled is setup. You check the track and depending on how good the track is you adjust the timing up or down and the tire pressure up or down."

Travis Regula of Fresno enters the Coshocton events as eighth in points in the Mosier Industrial Service Limited Pro Diesel Truck category. He's been doing truck pulls for around 16 years and does events elsewhere part of the OSTPA circuit. He laughs about how he started out doing the kiddie pedal pulls at just a few months old.

"I just never quit. It's what I was into," he said. "It's a thrill to run the truck and the camaraderie with the other pullers. It's a good atmosphere."

Of the Coshocton event he said, "It's your hometown fair and being able to put on a show for people you know makes you put in a little more. It's always a good track." He placed second in his class last year at the Coshocton County Fair.

Participating in events across the state, Regula said the track is always the big difference and each track offers a new challenge. Getting ready for any event means checking the truck over and making sure it's ready for a run.

"If nothing's broke, we just put fuel in it and go," he said.

Regula and Berry both give a lot of kudos to friends and family who help them prepare for events. For Berry, it's mostly his mother, wife and two boys. For Regula, it's his parents, in-laws, wife and two friends who also do the truck pulls.

"I couldn't do it without them there. It really takes a minimum of two extra people to run a tractor," Berry said.

Regula also gives credit to stores where they buy parts.

"If they couldn't keep us in parts, we couldn't keep going," Regula said.

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 16 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.

At the fair

General admission: $15 for ages 2 and upSenior citizens: $7 for ages 65 and older, valid for all seven days of the fairVeterans: $7 for veterans who present a service ID, valid for all seven days of the fairMembership tickets: $55 for county residents who are 18 years of age or older, includes seven admissions to the fair but not rides, and includes voting for fair directorsRide tickets are $12.

Friday events

9 a.m.: Baked goods judging at the Art Hall and hay show at the youth building

2 p.m.: Floral and Garden judge at Ag Hall

3:30 p.m.: Ag for all abilities show at Junior Fair Arena

5 p.m.: Opening ceremonies and crowning of fair queen and king at Hunter Arena and goat milk-out in Goat Pens

6:30 p.m.: Baked goods auction at Art Hall

7 p.m.: Junior Fair kick-off party and Barnyard Olympics at Hunter Arena and OSTPDA truck and tractor pull at grandstand

Saturday events

8 a.m.: Poultry show at Junior Fair Arena

9 a.m.: Open hoarse show at Outdoor Arena and non-sanctioned fair board tractor pull at grandstand

4 p.m.: Junior Fair goat show at Hunter Arena

7 p.m.: OSTPA championship finals at grandstand and public speaking opportunity for 4-H at youth building

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Local drivers like to perform for hometown crowd at Coshocton County Fair