Clay Haney follows in father’s footsteps
Published 11:46 am Friday, July 25, 2014
- Clay Haney driving his light super stock tractor, Cujo Unleashed, at an event earlier this year. The Athens resident will compete for points in the Tanner pull for the first time Friday.
Clay Haney has been attending tractor pulls for as long as he can remember. The son of Leon Haney, one of the founders of the Tanner Tractor and Truck Pull, Clay’s involvement in the sport was a natural one.
The 24-year-old Athens resident spent his childhood traveling around the South to various pull events.
After watching his dad pull for the past 20 years, Clay finally got his chance. Although he has pulled multiple times over the years, this will be the first year to compete for points in the Mid-South Pullers Association.
Driving “Cujo Unleashed,” Clay is one of the top drivers in the light super stock division. The tractor has more than 2,500 horsepower and can run on alcohol or diesel.
“He (Leon Haney) built that tractor from the ground up. The only thing left out of the tractor is the engine housing,” Haney said.
Entering this weekend’s event, Haney was first out of 15 pullers in the division. Haney and his family travel throughout Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee competing every weekend. His latest event in Bardstown, Kentucky, was rained out.
“It’s not all bad,” said Haney about the rainout. “You still get to see a lot of friends, grill out. We went to see some sights. It’s pretty much all the same people running the same circuit. It’s like NASCAR or anything else. A majority of them will be here this weekend.”
The event, held at Tanner High School on Friday and Saturday, is a favorite among seasoned pullers in Mid-South. It is expected to attract approximately 10,000 people.
After traveling around the South since early May, Haney and other local pullers have looked forward to returning home to represent Limestone County. “This is my first time pulling in my hometown, so it will be special because of that,” Haney said.
“It’s always good coming back here to this pull. I grew up having a lot of friends that were sons of tractor-pullers. Ever since I can remember, I was out there. It was like a family vacation every weekend during the summer.”
The 38th annual Tanner Tractor and Truck Pull begins at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission at the gate is $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 6 -12.
