LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Due to the ever-changing landscape of the Championship Tractor Pull, the event’s announcing team has added knowledgeable members to help boost the fan experience.
In the world’s longest-running indoor pull, only nine people have been announcers. Dan Mayer, Leslie Mears, Miles Krieger and Dave Bennett will serve as the 2020 Championship Tractor Pull announcing team.
Mayer is a recent addition to the Championship Tractor Pull, joining the team in 2017. He started announcing pulls in 2006 with the Empire State Pullers and is a truck and tractor pulling historian, operating Pulling-Reference.com, a valuable resource to learn about the history of organized pulling.
For Mayer, the Championship Tractor Pull is a very special event.
“The greatest part about the pull is that it brings together the best of the pullers and organizations to a single location. It’s one big family reunion,” he said.
Mears is joining the announcing team this year. The Southern Indiana-based Mears started in 2006, when her husband needed an announcer for an event in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Mears credits her growth as an announcer to her mentor, former Championship Tractor Pull announcer Scott Douglass. She strives to spread her enthusiasm for the sport to all fans watching.
“Louisville is really such a special place. I’m honored to be announcing at the Championship Tractor Pull, and I will make it my duty that fans are as engaged as I am,” she said.
The Krieger family is a familiar name in the sport of pulling. Miles Krieger grew up watching his father, Butch, announce the Championship Tractor Pull. Miles Krieger began his announcing career at America’s Pull in Henry, Illinois, and is still at it 17 years later.
Krieger operates his blog, MilesBeyond300.com, and hosts the Miles Beyond 300 Road Show, where pullers are interviewed at select events including the Championship Tractor Pull.
“Announcing the Farm Show is the very reason I chose this career path. I’ve attended the show my whole life and this pull has a special place in my heart. Listening to my father has pushed me to keep gaining experience at every event. Being able to continue the Krieger legacy on the Championship Tractor Pull microphone is a dream come true,” he said.
Bennett is an 11-year veteran of the Championship Tractor Pull. Bennett’s announcing career began in 1980 at events across the Southwest.
Bennett has been the go-to announcer for the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pullers Association, doing events and voice-over work for televised OTTPA shows. His extensive knowledge about pullers west of the Mississippi River is key to keeping fans informed and entertained.