-Messenger photo by
Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Matt Goodwin stands next to the Intimidator in his shop in Farnhamville. His tractor pulled a winning 407 feet in Wisner, Nebraska, in August. Goodwin has enjoyed tractor pulling since he was in grade school and grew up watching local events in Gowrie as well as national competitions. “I liked the smoke,” said Goodwin.
FARNHAMVILLE — “Thunder by the River” isn’t just a catchy name for the ultimate national truck and tractor pull held each August in Wisner, Nebraska. It’s also the high-pitched symphony of horsepower that sounds like a jet airplane taking off when the turbos on Matt Goodwin’s Intimidator tractor roar to life.
This year, the cheers of the crowd followed that unforgettable sound after Goodwin’s 4,500 horsepower, multi-turbo diesel super stock pulled an incredible 407 feet.
“That’s why you come to Wisner!” shouted the announcer. “That’s why you follow the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pullers! That’s awesome, baby!”
In the moment, Goodwin had no idea how fast or how far he went. “I didn’t know how cool it was until I saw the video later,” said Goodwin, 55, of Farnhamville. (The video is available online at YouTube.com at “Fans go wild when Matt Goodwin and the Intimidator go 407 ft in Wisner!”)
It’s an unforgettable highlight for Goodwin, who’s been passionate about tractor pulling since he was a grade-school kid. The sights and sounds of the tractor pulls were irresistible to young Goodwin, who went to tractor pulls with his father, Dennis.
-Submitted photo
This photo shows Matt Goodwin competing with the Intimidator.
“I liked the smoke,” said Goodwin, referring to the powerhouses he watched at local events in Gowrie and national competitions in Cedar Rapids and Davenport.
It wasn’t long before the Goodwins began competing in tractor pulls, first with 1/16th scale tractors, followed by antique tractors like the John Deere B and John Deere G. “It was fun at the time,” said Goodwin, who runs Goodwin Insurance in Farnhamville.
Planning for the next pull
Those pulls led to bigger things around 1984, when the Goodwins purchased an International Harvester (IH) 460 that ran on alcohol.
“We started competing at tracks in Hampton and Sumner,” Goodwin said.
-Submitted photo
This photo shows Matt Goodwin competing with the Intimidator.
In 1986, the Goodwins invested $18,000 in an IH 966.
“We were very competitive with that tractor,” he recalled.
After graduating from Cedar Valley High School in 1986, Goodwin earned his industrial technology degree from Iowa State University. He never lost his passion for tractor pulling.
“In 1988, my family went from one tractor to two tractors,” he said. “When my dad ended up selling one of the tractors in 2008 to a guy in New York state, I took it hard. Those tractors almost become part of your family.”
It’s no wonder, since avid tractor pullers invest countless hours (and dollars) each year in their machines. When he was starting his career, Goodwin not only sold life and health insurance through his family’s business, but he hauled mail for the U.S. Postal Service at night, often working from 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.
-Submitted photo
Matt Goodwin has had a lifelong passion for tractor pulling. He first began competing at tracks in Hampton and Sumner. Today, with years of experience, Goodwin says his favorite Iowa tracks to compete at are in Rockwell (above) and Rock Valley.
This gave him more time to think about ways to become more competitive on the track.
“When you’re not competing, you work on the tractor so you’re ready for that next pull,” Goodwin said. “It’s an all-year hobby that you only get to play with for a few months in the summer.”
Making the sport safer
Tractor pulling is known as the world’s heaviest motorsport. The goal of tractor pulling is straightforward — determine the strongest machine and the best driver. Different from every other motorsport in the world, it’s not about speed, but the distance pulled.
Competition-level tractors might look like standard-issue farm equipment, but the similarities stop at the basic body and tires. Tractor pulling is a sport based on horsepower and torque, which means that the engine must be modified to generate as much power as possible.
-Submitted photo
Matt Goodwin has had a lifelong passion for tractor pulling. He first began competing at tracks in Hampton and Sumner. Today, with years of experience, Goodwin says his favorite Iowa tracks to compete at are in Rockwell and Rock Valley (above).
Goodwin learned the mechanics of tractor pulling by building his own machine back in the day. He scoured salvage yards for the parts and pieces he needed, including a fuel tank from a boat. He named his IH 3688 “Against All Odds.”
“We didn’t know if we’d be able to put it all together and win,” Goodwin said.
Unlike other motorsports, there are no hot laps or warm ups on the track. There’s only go-time. “Learning to compete is all seat time,” Goodwin said. “You’ve just got to hook up and go.”
More wins allowed Goodwin to invest in more sophisticated equipment. Today, the custom tube chassis of his Intimidator (named in honor of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt) was built in Indiana. The transmission and Firestone 30.5 L-32 tires (which are designed specifically for tractor pulling) came from Wisconsin.
Through the years, safety features have also become a key component of pulling tractors, which can be ticking time bombs without roll cages and other safety gear.
“One of my buddies was thrown off his tractor during a pull in Wisconsin before roll cages became mandatory around the late 1990s,” Goodwin said. “I’m grateful he wasn’t killed.”
Goodwin experienced the school of hard knocks — literally — during a tractor pull in Tomah, Wisconsin. “I was knocked out after hitting my head on the roll cage,” Goodwin said.
Around 2004-2005, the tractor-pulling associations (including the National Tractor Pullers Association and the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling Association) started requiring competitors to use neck cushions, in addition to roll cages.
Computer diagnostics have also become a key part of tractor pulling.
“It’s helpful,” said Goodwin, who also checks the oil filters, turbos, clutch and more after every pull. “We also rebuild the tractor after every tractor-pulling season.”
In 2022, Goodwin competed in 10 tractor pulls across the Midwest, including Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin. He competed in seven pulls in 2023.
“Some of my favorite tracks in Iowa are in Rockwell and Rock Valley,” said Goodwin, whose son, Mason, 21, is also interested in tractor pulling.
Goodwin plans to keep competing for at least another decade. He’s already planning for the 2024 tractor-pulling season. “I’m ready to tear into the Intimidator and see what we can make better.”