The strained roar of powerful engines will fill the air this Saturday afternoon as tractors compete to move massive weights in the annual Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Department Benefit Tractor Pull.

Pilot Knob firefighter Tim Hall has served as a primary planner for the day and the pull will again be held on his farm, located at 1232 Mitchell Road in Pilot Mountain.

This year’s event will again serve as a sanctioned event for the Old Time Tractor Pullers Association (OTTPA), providing top tractors and competitors from throughout the state and beyond. Owners will compete in 30 classes for association points as well as trophies. A $250 cash prize will be offered to be divided among the top three finishers in the powerful V-8 modified category.

“With this being a sanctioned event,” Hall said, “we should have a lot of really nice tractors here.”

Admission for the day is $5 per person with children under the age of 12 admitted free. A “kiddie tractor pull” will also take place during the day. Lawn chairs are suggested for comfortable viewing.

This marks the second year that all proceeds will benefit the Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Department. Sponsorships were sold to help cover expenses for the day. Other local fire departments will have an opportunity to benefit as they help with a variety of concessions for the day.

But even before the Pilot Knob benefit, the pulls were a tradition for the Hall family. Previous pulls had been held to benefit other non-profit organizations.

Hall’s father, the late Durward C. “Dagwood” Hall, was a farmer who had enjoyed tractor pulls and the opportunity for rural fellowship. Tim Hall now dedicates the pulls to the memory of his father.

“ I want to keep this going,” he explained, “in his honor.”

For more information, please contact the Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Department at 368-4646.