MONROE, Wis. — One of Green County’s biggest displays of horsepower returns Saturday, Sept. 12, when the Green County Fall Nationals Tractor and Truck Pull celebrates its 20th event at the Green County Fairgrounds in Monroe. Pulling begins at noon, with nine classes of Badger State Tractor Pullers competition scheduled throughout the afternoon.

What started as a one-time attraction connected to Wisconsin Farm Technology Days in 2007 has grown into a major Midwest pulling event. Organizers say Fall Nationals now draws more than 120 competitors from multiple states and thousands of spectators, and this year’s 20th anniversary is backed by more than 175 sponsors.

But the numbers that may matter most have nothing to do with horsepower or distance down the track. Green County Fall Nationals says it has donated more than $800,000 since its first event, with proceeds benefiting Green County families, nonprofit organizations, veterans, students, public safety projects and people facing illness, loss and other hardships.

For spectators unfamiliar with tractor pulling, the premise is simple even if the machines are anything but. A tractor or truck hooks to a weight-transfer sled and tries to pull it as far as possible down a dirt track. As the vehicle moves forward, weight on the sled shifts toward the front, steadily increasing resistance until even some of the most powerful machines in motorsports finally run out of traction and momentum.