Young tractor drivers follow in grandfathers' tracks to keep event alive

At the ages of 10 and 11, most children are still learning to ride a bike.

However, 10-year-old Jackson Kovac and 11-year-old Angus McKenzie are already behind the wheel of powerful tractors.

The boys were the youngest competitors at the Tractor Restoration and Appreciation Club of Sunraysia's (TRACS) annual tractor pull at Red Cliffs on the weekend.

Each year, tractor enthusiasts gather in Red Cliffs to put their machines to the test by pulling a weighted sled along a 100-metre-long track.

It was Jackson's debut on the track, having eagerly awaited his chance to enter after seeing his mate Angus make his debut last year.

Jackson has been driving his grandfather's tractor for about two years and has had many practice runs at home using the family's own sled.

At this year's event, he competed behind the wheel of two different tractors.

When asked about what he enjoyed most about being on a tractor, his answer was simple.

"It's just the joy of driving and it's just fun," he said.

For Jackson, competing in tractor pulls is a family tradition.

His grandfather Ross Kovac has been involved in tractor pulls for about 30 years and was behind the wheel of one at an even younger age than Jackson.

"I was born and bred on the farm, so I was driving tractors at the age of probably four," he said.

"We've been in tractor pulls for a long time ... originally it was out there at Coomealla, then they folded up and then this TRACS club started back in the late 90s, so we joined up and we've been in the game ever since."

Now, Mr Kovac is watching his grandchildren do the same.

"I'm very proud. It's great to see them," he said.

For Angus, the love of machines has also been inherited from his grandfather, Alan McKenzie.

"[I was] just mucking around with my pop in his garage," he said.

"I got into it, just driving around the garage, helping him out."

Mr McKenzie initially joined a Vintage Machinery Society with his own father before becoming a TRACS member two decades ago.

He is now a collector and is "pleased" Angus is taking an interest. 

"I try and take a bit of credit for it," Mr McKenzie said.

"But ever since he was a little fella, he's always been around our shed, playing around with things and trying to fix things up."

Now, with six years of driving experience and two tractor pulls under his belt, Angus knows his way around the machines.

After helping his grandfather rebuild the tractor he competed in last year, he is now working on a couple of his own projects.

The future of tractor pulling

The generational connection is becoming increasingly important for the TRACS club.

While it boasts 130 members, many are aged in their 70s and 80s.

Mr McKenzie said attracting young people to the club was critical.

"When we all fizzle out, who's going to be left if the young ones don't come along?"

he said.

"So it's good to see a few young ones starting to come through the system and get a bit of an interest now, and then hopefully they can carry it on when we fade away."

Mr Kovac agreed, saying the club needed to encourage more children to get involved so the sport could continue into the future.

For now, the youngest members are learning from the people who came before them.

The machinery may be old, but a new generation is already finding its place behind the wheel.