Allis Chalmers 7050
.049 Cox reed valve
w/recoil starter
AMD gearbox &
Wind-up Sled

The evolution of Micro-Mini pulling advanced to a point that a puller didn't know wether he would be pulling under what rules and weight classes when the puller attended a pull since the pulling clubs were formed by individual, 4-H, FFA, and local pulling clubs . State associations formed to bring all the clubs under one umbrella of rules. However, The state associations rules differed from state to state and the problem at the national level persisted.

New types of pulling classes were being developed with bigger tires and more power, it was time to develope a national body to sanction pulls and have a points system at the national level. In 1976 a group of pullers and suppliers set up a sanctioning body: The NATIONAL MICRO-MINI TRACTOR PULLERS ASSOCIATION. Better known as the NMMTPA. The state associations followed suit changing their rules so the state pullers could pull NMMTPA with little or no change to their equipment.

The NMMTPA's was growing fast, to fast maybe, with pulls being held year round and members trying to develope better equipment and always looking for an edge the rules changed from year to year. Super Stock and Open classes were added, followed shortly by the 4X4 class, the NMMTPA was sanctioning six classes. Pullers were traveling to pulls all over the US for points just to win the their respective state. the pullers who didn't want to travel out of state for NMMTPA points left the NMMTPA for state or local sanctioning bodies or left Micro-Pulling in general.

In the late 1970's the NMMTPA started a Grand National Circuit with it's own points system and a criteria for a pull to be called a GNP and it soon faltered and was abandoned in 1980. New pullers started and old pullers stopped pulling as the years went by but the ratio of new to old was losing ground and membership dropped. The NMMTPA started the SUPER PULL in 1986 and it's still a prominate feature of the NMMTPA today as pullers compete for individual state winners and top five points averages qualify for this prestigous pull.

The NMMTPA is not unlike other organisations. They suffer with growing pains to. With the advent of the internet this organisation is experiencing a new growth. Both old and new pullers are discovering and enjoying the NMMTPA and their Micro-Mini experience.

ANNUAL MEETING 2001

The 1/16 Scale Evolution

The original table top pullers were mostly worm gear driven toy tractors powered by a Cox reed valve engine which was started by a mounted recoil starter rope. Soon electric starters were used to perform this procecure. Tires used in competion are the same tires that came with the tractors with the bars ground off creating slicks to provide traction on the bare wooden surfaced track. These tires were quite hard, and to soften them it was common to soak the tires in deisel fuel.

Soon the worm gear tractors gave way to a three gear reduction gear box produced by American Model Design, KRD, Jim Crabb and others. It was these units that most of todays tractors are powered, with a few variations of home built units. Tires changed to with a production of tires designed for just pulling that durometered at 62 or better. The late and early seventy's saw the swing towards two models of tractors because of their length. The 70 series AC and the JD 5020. The Rule change regarding tire hardness changed in 1984. A durometer reading of 35 was adopted and the Kunke HI-LIFE pulling tires were allowed along with rotary valve engines.

1987 the members of the NMMTPA voted to change the stock classes to Pro Stock classes and with the installation of standarised length rules the table top pullers came of age and all models of 1/16 scale tractors were used to pull. Many of today's pulling tractors resemble the tractors of the 1970's are still in use and new design's are being developed every year.The Cox TD engines are still popular and the Norvel engine are gaining popularity. If you have a tractor from the 70's and 80's, they still fall with in the rules and with some minor changes they can be competitive.