Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association
2025 General Rules
1. All pull participants must be members of the Central Jersey Tractor Pullers. Membership is $30 annually from April to April. Hook fee is $20 per hook. If registering after the beginning of the drivers meeting, an addition $10 late fee will be charged.
2. UNSPORTSMAN-LIKE CONDUCT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!! Offenders will be asked to leave the event immediately without refund. Not negotiable.
3. Tractor operators must be at least 16 years of age, with a valid farmer’s or driver’s license, otherwise 17 years of age, in accordance with New Jersey State Law.
4. Owners, operators, and tractors are entered at their own risk. Only one person, the operator of that tractor, is to be on the tractor when it is motion on the track or anywhere else on the fairgrounds. Absolutely no riders are permitted at any time.
5. Awards will be given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each class.
6. The use of alcoholic beverages or controlled substances is strictly prohibited. Anyone found in violation will be barred from membership for 366 days from the date of violation.
7. Engine may be bored only to factory recommended maximum size using standard stock blocks, crankshafts, etc. for the model entered. The original chassis must conform to the engine and have no modifications, except Division 5.
8. Tractors will be weighed and placed in divisions and classes that the tractor has qualified in. See below for Division Qualification Rules. Rules Committee can place a tractor in different class, if needed.
9. The tractor may be in various stages of wear, but must operate safely, have brakes in good condition, and have hood, grilles, and fan shroud in place.
10. The only pressurized fuel tanks allowed will be factory LP gas, no alcohol or nitrous oxide fuels allowed.
11. All engines must be naturally aspirated, no turbos or blowers unless the tractor was originally equipped with such. This applies to Division 1 only. If engine is turbo-charged, it must be equipped with a muffler or straight pipe (no curved pipe) with at least 2 crossed bolts (5/16” minimum diameter) through the pipe.
12. All carburetors, distributor or magneto must be stock and OEM. Some exceptions will be made under certain circumstances if it is presented to the rules committee. This applies to Division 1 only.
13. No altered tires (Divisions 1 & 3); no four-wheel drive; no duals; no tire studs, chains, or steel lugged steel wheels. Altered tires are acceptable in Divisions 2, 4 & 5. All tractors may run tin wheels.
14. The drawbar must be locked in a stationary position. No pulling on three point hitch-cross drawbars allowed.
15. All operators must supply their own 3-inch or 4-inch twisted clevis or loop which is easily accessible. (NO EXCEPTIONS)
16. Additional ballast in the form of iron weights will be allowed. No weights may extend more than 24-inches beyond the foremost part of the tractor or more than 12-inches beyond the outside of the rear wheels. No weight may extend beyond the back of the rear tires.
17. All weights must be securely fastened to the tractor. Liquid ballast is only allowed in the tires. No weight may be fastened to the operating platform of the tractor. See the rules committee for individual clarification.
18. All tractors are allowed 100 pounds allowance. For example, weight may be 4600 pounds in the 4500 pound class.
19. Wheelie bars may not be attached to the pulling part of the drawbar. Wheelie bars must be effective and are subject to inspection by the rules committee. See picture below for reference.
20. The competitors in each class MUST re-weigh and are subject to inspection by track officials. Tractors are prohibited from re-entering the pits before reweighing.
21. It is MANDATORY for operators to make eye contact and/or voice contact with the hook-man, with one or both hands in the air when hooking to the sled. All tractor transmissions must be neutral with the brakes applied during hook up.
22. No portion of the tractor shall interfere with the sled, hitch, or pull chain during the pull. The hook-man reserves the right to refuse to hook if it puts him in danger.
23. All operators must take starting and stopping signals from the designated flagman’s command in the event of a breakdown or for safety reasons.
24. If the sled operator determines the sled is not set correctly after 3 tractors have pulled, the class will stop, the sled will be reset, and the first three tractors will pull again; and the class will resume.
25. No tractor front-end may exceed 18 inches off the ground during a pull. The flagman will have the final say on disqualification.
26. Any operator that jerks the sled after two warnings will be disqualified.
27. Any operator that fails to make a pull of 50 feet may immediately make a second attempt.
28. The tractor must stay in-bounds during the pull (the sled may go out of bounds). The boundaries will be well marked.
29. Any track decisions will be made by the flagman and/or Rules Committee, including dis-qualifications. All decisions are final.
30. On-site conditions can override some rules on any given day at the discretion of the Rules Committee.
31. No tractor is allowed more than 1 hook per weight class. No tractor is allowed more than 2 hooks per event, unless prior approval by track officials.
32. All protests of tractors must be made to officials immediately after said tractor has completed its pull with a cash-only $25 complaint fee. The protestor must pull in the same class as the questioned tractor. If upon inspection by track officials the questioned tractor is proven illegal, the $25 fee is returned to the protestor. If upon inspection by the track official the tractor is proven legal, the $25 fee is forfeited to the Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association.
33. Rules will be reviewed annually by the Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association Rules Committee and voted upon by all members, present at the meeting. Rules are set for one year.
34. If parts fall off your tractor you are immediately disqualified – NO EXCEPTIONS. In the case of a pull-off, if a part falls off your tractor, you will immediately place last in the pull-off.
35. Minimum hook length is 18 inches from the center of rear axle to the point of hook. Maximum height of point of hook is 20 inches.
36. All operators are required to wear long pants, shirt and closed toe shoes.
37. All operators in Divisions 4 and 5 must wear DOT and Schnell approved helmets. Operators in Divisions 1, 2, and 3 are currently exempt from wearing a helmet.
38. Speed Warning: The first horn blow is a warning and driver can back speed down; the second horn blow is a disqualification’ Also if is horn blowing (regardless if fist horn blow or second horn blow) at the 300 foot mark, it will be a disqualification.
Division Rules
Division I
Weight classes: 3,500; 4,500 5,500; 6,500; 7,500; 8,500; 9,500; 10,500; 11,500; 12,500; 13,500; 14,500; 15,500
1. Tractors must be stock, manufactured prior to, but not including, 1960.
2. Speed limit of 4 MPH.
3. Wheelie bars are recommended for driver safety.
4. Wheelie bars are mandatory on tractors using on-the-go-shift. If on-the-go-shift is not used, no wheelie bars are needed.
5. No altered tires.
6. No aluminium wheels.
7. Stock, or factory option, front-end.
8. RPM not to exceed over 10% of factory recommendation (see chart).
Division II
Weight classes: 3,500, 4,500; 5,500; 6,500; 7,500; 8,500; 9,500; 10,500; 11,500; 12,500; 13,500; 14,500; 15,500
1. Tractors must be manufactured prior to 1965.
2. Speed limit of 8 MPH.
3. Wheelie bars are mandatory on ALL tractors; subject to inspection and approval by Rules Committee.
4. Altered tires are allowed.
5. RPM max is 3,000.
6. Throttle must be against throttle stop at maximum RPM. If in question, Tech Team will perform test.
Division III
Weight classes: 3,500, 4,500; 5,500; 6,500; 7,500; 8,500; 9,500; 10,500; 11,500; 12,500; 13,500; 14,500; 15,500
1. Tractors must be stock and at least 25 years old..
2. Speed limit of 8 MPH.
3. Wheelie bars are preferred, but are not mandatory, on tractors having swinging drawbar, PTO, and three point hitch. These tractors are considered field-ready.
4. Wheelie bars are mandatory on all tractors with PTO and three point hitch removed; subject to inspection and approval by Rules Committee. If on-the-go-shift is not used, no wheelie bars are needed.
5. No altered tires.
6. No aluminium wheels.
7. Stock, or factory option, front-end.
8. RPM not to exceed over 10% of factory recommendation.
Division IV
Weight classes: 3,500, 4,500; 5,500; 6,500; 7,500; 8,500; 9,500; 10,500; 11,500; 12,500; 13,500; 14,500; 15,500
1. Tractors must be stock and at least 25 years old.
2. Speed limit of 15 MPH.
3. Wheelie bars are mandatory on all tractors; subject to inspection and approval by Rules Committee.
4. Altered tires are allowed.
5. Emergency engine shut-off recommended.
6. RPM max 3,000.
7. Throttle must be against a visible throttle stop at maximum RPM.
Division V
Weight classes: 3,500, 4,500; 5,500; 6,500; 7,500; 8,500; 9,500; 10,500; 11,500; 12,500; 13,500; 14,500; 15,500
1. Speed limit of 20 MPH.
2. Wheelie bars are mandatory on all tractors; subject to inspection and approval by Rules Committee.
3. Tractors must have original looking sheet metal.
4. Multiple engines are not allowed in tractors.
5. Altered tires are allowed.
6. Emergency engine shut-off mandatory on all tractors.
7. RPM max 3,000, unless tractor equipped with scatter blanket or equivalent scatter shield. Scatter blanket, or equivalent scatter shield is recommended on all tractors.
8. Automatic (dead man) throttle return is mandatory.
Rules Comm. Rev: 2/26/25
First Vote: 2/26/25
Second Vote & Approval: 3/26/25
Wheelie Bar Specifications
This is only a guide. Wheelie bars must prevent the tractor from flipping. All wheelie bars are subject to inspection by the rules committee. Measurements may vary depending on tractor. See the rules committee for approval. Pad height is 10 inches above the ground.
A 5 inch by 5 inch pad is required. Width between the wheelie bars should be at least 20 inches. Center of axle to pad should be 32 inches. EACH BAR MUST SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE TRACTOR! Safety is our goal!
