Weighted sleds, roaring engines and the Massetti family's truck-pulling tradition are set to take over Madera Speedway this weekend as the fifth annual Golden State Invitational Truck and Tractor Pulls rolls into town for two nights of competition. The event runs Friday and Saturday, November 13 and 14, with pullers converging on the track from as far away as New York.
The Massetti family has made the event a hometown tradition, and according to YourCentralValley.com, truck pulling has been part of the family since the 1970s, when Jim Massetti started what has become a multi-generational pursuit. Family member Brian Massetti said in an interview that some competitors are traveling in from New York for this year's event, and the station reports the Golden State Invitational draws around 85 competitors from around the country, timed to coincide with the close of the major league pulling season.
Trevor Massetti, who operates the family's trucks and tractors during competitions and also helps with event setup, told the outlet he was interested in truck pulling from the beginning. He called it a whole family ordeal and described the sport in blunt terms: loud and exciting. The family travels together for truck-pulling events, with James Massetti, Brian Massetti and Kristi Massetti all involved in the effort alongside Trevor.
How the Sport Actually Works
For readers unfamiliar with tractor pulling, the premise is straightforward but the mechanics are anything but. According to the National Tractor Pullers Association, the sport pits modified tractors or trucks against each other as they drag a metal sled along a prescribed course, with the goal of identifying the strongest machine and best driver. It is not about speed, the NTPA notes, but about distance pulled.
The pulling sled itself is engineered to make the job progressively harder: its weight moves forward toward the pulling vehicle as the run continues, adding resistance the farther the truck travels down the course. Per the NTPA, today's sleds use a complex system of gears to move weights of up to 65,000 pounds. Competition unfolds on a track that the NTPA says is a minimum of 30 feet wide and 320 feet long, matching the dimensions reported for Madera Speedway's course by the Madera Tribune, which describes pullers from Nebraska, Oklahoma and across California converging on the 320-foot dirt track for two nights of what it calls ground-pounding action.
Competitors and Awards
The YourCentralValley report puts the field at around 85 competitors. Winners are chosen based on who pulls farthest, and the pulling competition awards points to the competitor who travels the greatest distance down the course.
The overall winner takes home a decorative ring, and trophies are handed out as well, according to seed event details relayed by the station. The Massetti family itself has three trucks competing this year, with two of the three pictured in promotional material for the event.
Schedule Details, With Some Discrepancies
The Tribune's 2022 article said Friday gates opened at 5 p.m. and pulling action started at 6 p.m.; YourCentralValley lists the 2026 event as ending around 8:30 p.m. Saturday's schedule lists a 4-to-5 p.m. pit party, followed by competition beginning at 6 p.m. and ending around 8:30 p.m.
The pit party lets guests view the trucks and tractors up close and meet the drivers before the engines fire up. Food and vendor stalls round out the grounds.
Event Logistics
The event listing places the venue at 1850 Cleveland Ave in Madera, where the Massetti family's five-year tradition at the speedway continues to draw a national field of pullers to the dirt.
