Teen Age Tractor Puller Makes His Debut

Episode 168

July 2, 2017

Caribou Teenager Makes Tractor Pulling Debut

Logan Longley, Caribou, with his restored 1941 Allis Chalmers that he won in the Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club raffle November 2016. Maine Antique Tractor Club photo

When he received the news that he had won the Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club tractor. Logan Longley(13 years old) scratched his head and said,”Oh ya, I did buy them tickets”.

In the spring of 2016 he bought a $5.00 book of tickets from the tractor club at the Northern Maine Agribusiness Trade Show at the Forum in Presque Isle. He along with his parents, Lance and Lisa Longley of Caribou, picked up the tractor and brought it home.

There was more to the story, however, when it was discovered that Logan has Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE or “skiffy”), a rare hip-joint problem where the ball comes out of the socket. It typically affects 2 out of 100,000 children.

The treatment typically requires surgery where the surgeon will insert one or more screws into the joint to stabilize the area. If one hip-joint requires this corrective procedure then typically so will the other.

Logan’s first hip was pinned at Eastern Maine Medical Center in September 2016 followed by the pinning of the other hip in November. After missing a couple of weeks of school, he went back to Caribou Middle School where, for a couple of months he was wheeled around by fellow classmates as his hip treatments healed.

His family and he decided to join the Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club in February 2017. They would pull their newly restored tractor in as many events as they could this season.

Logan Longley in action at his tractor pulling debut at Limestone. NMATC photo

Logan’s tractor pulling debut was Saturday at the Albert Michaud Memorial Park in Limestone. Though he did not win in either the 2,500 or 3,000 pound class he remarked, “It was harder than I thought. I am ready to go back again”.

The Allis Chalmers was as they got the tractor from the antique tractor club. Like most gearheads the Longley family will be preparing their tractor to do better at the next meet for them, the Fort Kent pulls on August 15.They plan to fix a spring on the throttle and make a bracket for hitching at the back of the tractor.

Meanwhile Logan has worn a pathway around his house in Caribou getting some seat time in preparation for future pulls. The Longley family thanks Dan and Tyler Raymond for their assistance and encouragement in this family adventure.

Logan will be entering Caribou High School this fall as a freshman with plans to become a game warden.

The Flying Farmer Gets Good Results in 3,600 Pound Class

Former two-time kart racing champion at Spud Speedway, Tyler “The Flying Farmer” Raymond took up where he finished in 2016 at the NMATC pulls at Limestone with a second in the 3,600 pound class and 4th in the 3,000 pound class.

“The Flying Farmer” Tyler Raymond on his way to a second place finish in the 3,600 pound class aboard his Farmall Super C at Limestone. Roger Quint of Monticello on a Ford 960 finished first with Steven Wright of New Brunswick on a Farmall Super C placed third. The Flying Farmer Racing photo

WAR at New England’s Premier Speedway

Wyatt Alexander could possibly be the only driver in the 26 car field that took to the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday who has raced at all four configurations of the track. Alexander has run the kart oval, Legends oval, the road course, and now the 1.058 mile “big” track.

The 50 lap race was part of the Granite State Pro Stock Series . The race was won by Eddie MacDonald, DJ Shaw in second and Matt Swanson third.

Crew Chief Bob Alexander said, ” We are home after two days spent with the Granite State Pro Stock Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It was our first time here to race on the 1.058 mile oval but not the first time at NHMS.”

“We traveled to NHMS last month for a one day test session. We learned a lot and Wyatt was able to get comfortable at the higher speeds which approach 150 MPH at the end of the straight a ways.”

“Friday’s testing went well. We had spent a lot of time at the shop in preparation for this race. Extra bracing for body panels and windows was added for the downforce and buffeting expected from the higher speeds.”

“Our lap times and feedback from Wyatt indicated that the car was very stable and it responded well to the changes we made throughout the day.”

“We started 23rd of 26 cars in the 50 lap feature. Wyatt was able to avoid several incidents in the early laps which resulted in several of the top cars being eliminated due to damage or engine failure.”

“By lap 10 Wyatt was up to 13th place and continued to work his way forward eventually finished in 10th place, the last car on the lead lap and trailing the leaders by about half a track.”

“All-in-all it was a very fun weekend of racing. We definitely learned a lot about our setup and power options for future races at this venue.”
“We would like to thank Bob Guptill and The Granite State Pro Stock Series for giving us the opportunity to race at this great racing facility.”

WAR team owner and dad to Wyatt, Brett Alexander, moves the #96 around the garage area at NHMS. Rumor has it that Brett will be the substitute driver while Wyatt attends school in North Carolina this fall. Bob Alexander photo

Rain Lets Up Allowing Northern Maine Karting Association to Race

Make up race date double-header at Spud Speedway. HTF Motorsports photo

NMKA has had a difficult time getting race dates in since the season opener June 2. The June 9 and 16 dates were rained out forcing the kart racers to use the open date June 30 for double feature races.

Results of the two races were:

NAPA Auto Parts Winner Circle for June 30th feature race #1 Presented by JRT Customs

Blacked Out Window Tint Kid Karts
1. Parker Bosse, Limestone
2. Kayden Haines, Caribou

Aroostook Trusses Junior Cage Division
1. Bryan Searles, Presque Isle
2. Gage Theriault, Limestone
3. Ronnie Lynn Kelly, Presque Isle

Aroostook Savings & Loan Senior Cage Division
1. Damian Theriault, Caribou
2. Jason Theriault, Caribou
3. Tom Hale, Westmanland

NAPA Auto Parts Winner Circle for June 30th, feature race #2 Presented by Backus Racing

Blacked Out Window Tint Kid Karts
1. Kayden Haines, Caribou
2. Parker Bosse, Limestone

Aroostook Trusses Junior Cage Division
1. Bryan Searles, Presque Isle
2. Gage Theriault, Limestone

Aroostook Savings & Loan Senior Cage Division
1. Damian Theriault, Caribou
2. Jason Theriault, Caribou
3. Tom Hale, Westmanland

The next Friday Night Kart Racing Series race Presented by Machias Savings Bank is July 7 at 6:30 pm at Spud Speedway. Grandstand viewing is free and pits are $10.

NMKA Racers at Houlton Fair

NMKA Kids Karts racer Kayden Haines of Caribou finished first of six kids in the “Power Wheels Demo Derby” at the Houlton Fair Saturday. Haines Racing photo

Not to be outdone by his son, Kayden, Dan Haines the NMKA treasurer placed third in the lawnmower race at the Houlton Fair Saturday. Troy Haney photo

Kids and Grandkids Home and Helping at HTF Motorsports

Grandchildren atop my 1983 Rabbit GTI collection helping to sell all of the four. Left to right Lila Cole, Caleb Courtemanche, Lydia Cole, and Soren Courtemanche. Camera shy was youngest grandchild Matti Courtemanche. Erika Cole photo

Will Lila Cole be taking her grandfather Tom Hale’s place in the #10 HTF Motorsports kart soon? Erika Cole photo

 

I took advantage of my son Michael being home and put him to work wrenching on the #10 HTF Motorsports kart at the “garage” getting it ready for action next Friday night at Spud Speedway. HTF Motorsports photo

Got to love it when one sponsor visits another HTF Motorsports sponsor. Whitney and Darick Williams of ACE Rent A Car made their debut at Maine Indoor Karting in Scarborough. Reports have it that they enjoyed racing there despite some “ify” driving by Whitney. ACE Rent A Car photo

At Mt. Washington Hillclimb Next Sunday

As reported last week in Episode 167, I will be at the 2017 Climb to the Clouds  race up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Because this is a three-day event ending on Sunday I am unsure when I will be publishing the next episode.

I plan to interview Travis Pastrana, Bangor’s John Cassidy, Luke Moultrop, and many more at the event. Plenty of photos will be taken for those of you unable to attend.

I thought you might like to view a few photos from the recent Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Colorado Springs, Colorado to get an idea of the type of racers one may find at hillclimbs.

David Donohue, son of racing legend Mark Donohue in a Porsche at Pikes Peak. Murilee Martin photo

 

Overall winner at Pikes Peak, Roman Dumas in his 2017 Norma MXXX-RD electric-powered racer. Murilee Martin photo

Winner of the 2017 Pikes Peak Open class Peter Cunningham in his 2017 Acura GLX-GT Murilee Martin photo

 

I could not close this episode without showing you this photo of Kody Swanson and his son Trevor sitting in the grandstands at Lincoln Park Speedway. It gives me hope for the next generation of race families. Jordan Swanson photo

I want to leave you smiling with this short video clip of Tom Patsis at Cold Hard Art. I can rely on Tom to make me smile throughout the week.

https://www.facebook.com/tom.patsis/videos/10211675668240483/

Let’s Go Racing

Tom Hale

Soli Deo Gloria

Tom Hale

About Tom Hale

Tom wrote 14 years as freelancer for the Bangor Daily Sports covering motorsports in Maine. Now blogging and concentrating on human interest stories about people and places in racing. He races Champ Karts and owns HTF Motorsports in remote Westmanland, Maine