Monday, August 27, 2012

  Largest classic tractor parade: Nebraska State Fair sets world record (VIDEO)

GRAND ISLAND, NE, USA -- 1,139 tractor drivers started their engines at the Nebraska State Fair during an event organized by RFD-TV, setting the new world record for the Largest classic tractor parade, according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/.

  Photo: The World's Largest Classic Tractor Parsade. Photo: Matt Dixon ( enlarge photo )

The previous Guinness world record for the largest parade of classic tractors consisted of 745 tractors older than 30 years, in a parade organized by the Heimatverein Eibach in Eibach, Germany.

  Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest parade of tractors; it consisted of 1,231 and was achieved by the Dresden Branch of the Canadian Cancer Society (Canada) in Dresden, Ontario, Canada.

  Traveling from 31 different states drivers showed off their classic models, made by John Deere, Allis Chalmers, Farmall, Minneapolis-Moline and more.

  Although plenty of green (John Deere) and red (International) tractors were in the parade, there was also a large number of other colors represented -- Allis-Chalmers and Minneapolis Moline orange, Oliver green, the red shades of Farmall, Ferguson, Massey-Ferguson and Massey-Harris, and both blue and gray Ford tractors, The Grand Island Independent reported.

  The tractors were lined up three to four rows across the large circle race track and in order to break the record, the parade had to travel a full two miles, about four times around the track.

  Many drivers wore shirts that declared their allegiance to their favorite tractors, like the one worn by the driver of a green tractor that read "Save a horse, Ride a Deere."

  The tractors were driven by men and women of all ages, from teenagers to 88-year-old World War II veteran Marvin Sobotka of Diagonal, Iowa who drove a 1937 Farmall F-30 that along with facts about the tractor, had a sign attached that proudly announced his action as a bomber in the 98th Bomb Group.