This years’ 13thannual WHO Radio Great Iowa Tractor Ride was held June 21-24 and Fastline Publications was one of many sponsors who helped make the ride possible.
This years’ ride was based in Waterloo with runs to Waverly and Independence. Featuring over 500 tractors with over 700 drivers, the WHO ride is one of the largest in the country. This year’s event began at the John Deere Waterloo Works, where all JD tractors 100 HP and above are built.
I was fortunate enough to spend one day on the ride, representing Fastline and driving “Little Red” a very nice IH 560. The temperatures were warm, and endless sunshine was available. Many drivers kept shaded by umbrellas and canopies, and a few even had tractors with cabs with the air conditioner on to keep them cool!
How do you find stopping places adequate for over 500 tractors? You run in shifts. There were 9 groups of tractors spaced about 20 minutes apart. The groups were assembled based on road speed of the tractors. The slowest group went first and the fastest group last. I was in Group 5 with a cruising speed of 14 mph. Here are a couple of shots of our first break just outside of Readlyn, IA.
The next two days, riders charged on through intense heat, humidity, and a couple of severe thunderstorms. Once again the communities of IA stood up and gave shelter to the riders to weather the storms. All along the way audiences would gather; on lawn chairs in the front yard, on the back of a pickup, in a car stopped along the road, in town past folks on the way to the store, in front of a daycare with kids all lined up. All the waving made one feel like it was more of a parade.
Riders return each year for the nostalgia, the camaraderie, and to get a view of the Iowa countryside that many will never see. After all, it’s a ride, not a race!
Thanks to WHO Radio and all of the other Tractor Ride sponsors: John Deere, G&L Clothing, Farmers National Company, Titan Tire, Iowa Soybean Association, Dale Howard Motors, Tone’s Spices, Mullica Portrait Studio, Artistic Waste Services, HyVee, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Hearing Aid Centers, The Good Feet Store, ValuBilt Tractor Parts, Agvantage FS, Iowa Machine Shed, Heartland Co-op, and Pro Farmer.
A special thanks to the Colyn family of Baxter, IA for use of “Little Red”; the Van Ryswyk’s also of Baxter for use of their trailer. For more photos of the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride check out our Flickr page.
Photos and Story Submitted by Fastline Sales Rep Mike Zimmerman
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