An Angus teenager is taking the battle to the boys in the high-octane world of tractor pulling.
Mhairi Cameron from Letham hopes to follow in the tracks of her five-time British Champion dad, Ewan.
And the fearless 18-year-old says she’d like nothing more than to add another title to the family trophy shelf.
Her 2022 campaign kicks off on home turf in the British Tractor Pulling Association’s opening rounds at the Angus Show at Brechin.
Hopes of running on Friday night were spoiled by the weather.
But the tractor pullers are due back out on Saturday after the main show.
Massive power
Mhairi competes in the Superfarm class on 3½ tonne monster Smokey II.
The 6.6 litre New Holland delivers a fearsome 700 brake horsepower – about five times the power of a small family hatchback.
And the former Forfar Academy pupil says she loves the thrill of the power under her racing boots.
“I grew up watching dad do it and always wanted to be the person in the driving seat,” said Mhairi.
Agricultural engineer Ewan built her a mini tractor to compete in the sport’s ‘garden pullers’ category as a youngster.
But that was a world away from the big machine with a protective cage for the driver and brute force on tap.
Tractors pull a weighted sled along a 100 metre track in the fastest possible time.
And Mhairi was even in the Smokey II hotseat before she passed her test to drive on the road.
“I just love it, you are buzzing the whole time,” she said.
“You can’t really practise, you just have to go for it on the day.
“It’s all about getting the balance right.
“You slip the clutch away so you get it going, but you really want to get the power down.
“There are two side brakes but if you hit them too hard it can make it go wrong so you have to get the timing right.
“A good run is probably only about 10 seconds so it all happens quite fast.
“The first time I did it there was just a huge smile on my face.”
Tough competition
And being the only girl in the hotly contested category doesn’t faze her.
“If anything, it makes me want to win even more,” said Mhairi.
“The Superfarm class is really competitive so I’d really like to do well in that.”
Mhairi’s hoping to head to agricultural college to study.
But she’ll find time to fit in British championship rounds at Blackpool and Dunecht in the north east.
And she’s building up her tuning skills to get the maximum out of Smokey II.
Ewan achieved huge success with it on a shoestring budget compared to many of his rivals.
“My dad and brother James do most of it, but I’m getting pretty good at the mechanical side of things,” said Mhairi.
And her dad’s delighted to be on the sidelines after so many seasons in the sport.
“I’ve done it a long time, but to now see Mhairi driving is great,” said Ewan.
“She’s absolutely fearless and really seems to have the skill.
“It’s actually given me a real boost to see her on the tractor.”
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