Gene Sutherlands 180 AC Puller From 1970's

Gene Sutherland and his Dad were the AC dealers at LeRoy,KS....In the early-mid 1970's Gene pulled a strong 180 AC puller in the 7000 class..Here it is at the 1974 Kansas City Farm show winter pull.

Here it is winning the 7000 class at the 1974 Ozark Empire Fair pull in Springfield,MO..I was there that day pulling an 856 IH in the 12000 class..

Heres Gene getting 2nd place both days at the 1975 Winfield,KS Farm Show pull...The winner was Vern Diebolts stout G MM  down the road from LeRoy at Iola,KS..I was at this pull..

Genes strong 180 AC won the Kansas State Fair pull,Missouri State Fair pull,Kansas City indoor pull,and the Tulsa,Oklahoma Fair pull..Most of these wins were with 1 turbo and a Roosa-master pump at 7000 lbs..

Heres Vern Diebolts G MM puller from Iola,KS...He and Gene had lots of good battles in the 1970's...Both Vern and Gene are still with us,now in their late 70's and early 80's..

A few years ago I was in Leroy and took pictures of the long closed Sutherland AC dealership...There were still new parts there..In the 1970's a customers D-21 AC also pulled out of there...At first it was a 12000 class tractor but later it was made in to a 7000-9000 class puller..

I think the truck behind the Gleaner may have been the one that hauled the 180 puller..

Heres a tough little 460 IH diesel that Gene Sutherland and Vern Diebolt pulled against....Its Charles Hagedorns "Charlies Angel" from Barnes,KS.....Heres mechanic Dale Rothlisberger getting 3rd place in the 7000 class at Winfield,KS in 1975..It also pulled the 5000 class....It had a D-301 diesel that was converted to direct injection...I heard that in the late 70's it had an inline pump and twin turbos..

I'm glad that you enjoyed the pictures....Heres some guys your Dad pulled with in the 1970's..

The late Henry Moody from Kincaid,KS pulled  this 5000 lb Mod with a 409 Chevy..This would have been in 1972 at Iola,KS..

The Moody-Sutherland 7000 Mod "Alley Cat" blown 454 Chevy at LeRoy,KS in 1974..We were pulling on a city street at the NW edge of town..

Kenny Storrer from Iola,KS pulling his 77 Oliver at Springfield,MO in 1974....I see Kenny every summer at the antique pulls..

I have a picture of Harold Sprague from Colony,KS pulling his mod tractor..I need to find it..

I dont remember Henry ever hurting the 409 and he cranked it hard...He did get lots of WC rear ends..He only ran it 1-2 years and sold it to Claude Barnes at Raymore,MO..