An Open Farm Stock pulling tractor that turns out triple-digit boost, 2,000+ hp, and that put 60 feet on the rest of the field in 2025.
Reuben Spicer started truck pulling practically as soon as the Indiana BMV handed him his driver’s license. It’s just something country kids do in the Hoosier State. Raised on a farm (and with the blue-collar work ethic that inevitably goes along with it), Reuben learned at an early age how to fix things when they break—a skill set that often encourages younger generations to push the mechanical limits of things. Later on, Reuben would build an immaculate, 800hp OBS Ford with a P-pumped 12-valve and send it through the 1/8-mile in low-7-second intervals. He still owns the truck. In recent years, he’s returned to the dirt, but now sits behind the wheel of the 5020 model John Deere you see here.
When we asked Reuben what made him want to build a pulling tractor, his answer was immediate. “My dad,” he told us. “He took me to so many great pulls as a kid. I remember watching Kent Payne and some of the other legends in tractor pulling growing up,” he continued. “My dad was into it and actually pulled a little bit, but nothing real serious. I grew up on an antique tractor, an Allis Chalmers WD45.” Sadly, Reuben lost his father, Tim, back in 2021. But Tim’s influence in Reuben’s life remains strong and steady, and it extends to his son’s wheels-up hot-rod. “I named it The Last Ride for him,” Reuben said. “That’s the whole theme. He got me into this.”
So, what exactly is The Last Ride? It’s a 12,500-pound Open Farm Stock class tractor with a 680 cubic inch 50 Series John Deere between the side shields. The big, green, P-pumped inline-six is limited to turning 3,000 rpm but isn’t handicapped by any turbo size constraints. The result is a menacing machine that turns out power figures approaching 3,000 hp and 5,000 lb-ft of torque…
Reuben came across the impeccably clean 5020 through a family friend who, as a John Deere collector, had bought it at a Mecum Auction years before. But Reuben never intended it to be a showpiece. Instead, the 5020 was transformed into a dedicated pulling tractor. Thanks to spending considerable time on Scheid Diesel’s engine dyno (and we’ll note that Reuben once even worked for Scheid), Reuben was able to squeeze well over 2,000 hp out of the 680ci “big block.” And thanks to the relatively low, 3,000-rpm restriction imposed in the Open Farm Stock class—which keeps the big green engine from living upstairs—it produces a steep torque curve that never tapers off.With no cubic inch limits to adhere to, Reuben went straight for the kill. His factory based, cast-iron, wet sleeve (yet dry block) 619 ci 50 Series John Deere has been treated to a billet stroker crank, which raised displacement to 680 ci. The crankshaft anchors in place via girdle and main studs, and it swings a set of billet connecting rods. Riverside Engine, Inc. forged-aluminum, low compression pistons with deep valve reliefs make room for plenty of fuel and air to flood each cylinder. A billet camshaft, designed to meet Reuben’s needs, operates the valvetrain. Up top, a ported factory cast-iron 12-valve cylinder head allows the engine to breathe, and OEM 5/8-inch diameter head bolts (torqued to 230 ft-lbs) secure it to the block. Fire-ringed liners keep combustion contained.There’s a lot to discuss on this one component alone. But, as a vital piece of Reuben’s winning horsepower recipe, we were sworn to secrecy on its inner workings. It’s an Ag governor equipped, competition Bosch P7100 from Scheid Diesel and, thanks to its larger plungers, aggressive cam, and select other features, and it can move a boatload of fuel in a very short window. It feeds a set of Scheid-built, John Deere based, billet style fuel injectors (another key ingredient in Reuben’s 2,000-plus hp combination) and receives a steady, 70-psi worth of supply pressure courtesy of a gear-driven fuel pump.This is all we could capture of the magical piece that produces triple-digit boost for the engine to ingest. On the other side of the velocity stack and air guillotine, you’ll find a sizeable T-6 foot turbo from Wimer. Holset HX series based, Reuben tells us the charger is a map groove unit that’s been perfectly matched to the big John Deere, with the boost-to-drive pressure ratio checking in at an ideal 1:1. It hangs from a factory John Deere exhaust manifold.A Sandridge Custom water-to-air intercooler, along with the corresponding ice, chills boosted intake air before it enters a reinforced factory intake manifold. Highly effective, the Sandridge unit drops intake air temperature from 600 degrees F to less than 100 degrees F, perfect for making horsepower. Combined with a boost-referenced, single stage of water injection—which comes online between 40 to 50-psi of boost—EGT peaks at 1,300 to 1,400* F, depending on which cylinder you’re viewing on the data log. The 7-gallon fuel cell you see was sourced from a Pro Stock tractor puller.As is common in tractor pulling applications, the 5020’s factory 8-speed transmission has been converted (and customized) to a 3-speed unit. For efficient and durable engine-to-transmission power transfer, Reuben relies on a 4-disc Rursch Specialties clutch. Said to be very operator friendly, he tells us it’s a pedal clutch, not a springer (i.e. “slipper”) clutch that kicks your foot off when it’s engaging. For optimum safety, the ballistic clutch blanket you see here is in place to contain any parts that could cut loose in the event of a clutch or flywheel failure.So, what’s it like to sit in the driver seat and pilot this thing? Reuben explains it this way: “First, I rev it up and slip the clutch a little bit. My engine and governor will kind of growl at me when it’s time to go. At that point, I let off the clutch around 50 feet out or so [depending on the track conditions]. If the tractor wheelies, I try to correct it using the steering wheel, if possible. I try not to hit the brakes, and I never really have had to yet.” Then he continued: “They say that every time you hit the wheelie bars you lose 10 feet…”For both real-time vital monitoring and extensive data logging, Reuben depends on a Corsa Data Acquisition system from Corsa Instruments. In this photo, you can see that EGT is monitored individually for each cylinder, and that the tach (which cannot exceed 3,000-rpm during the course of a pull) is positioned front-and-center. Other key parameters include boost pressure, water injection pressure, fuel supply pressure being delivered to the P7100, and oil pressure. It’s still a wet sump engine, but Reuben relies on an external oil pump to keep plenty of oil pressure on tap. Beyond the data logger’s digital collecting abilities, Reuben also keeps a log book that records everything from each specific pulling surface to the air pressure he ran that night, along with notes on air conditions such as humidity and ambient temperature.Taking care of business in the dirt begins with the 72-inch outer diameter, Firestone 520/85R38 directional tires mounted out back. They feature a 23-degree deep tread that’s been top-cut to maximize traction on hard-packed pulling tracks. “Basically, we took a brand-new set of tractor tires and we went from a 2-inch lug to a much shorter lug,” Reuben said. “We can run double-cuts in some classes, but these work really well and are probably the best tires to run for what we’re trying to do with the tractor.” The big Firestones are mated to a pair of 38×22-inch Midwest aluminum wheels, both of which were sourced from Hawthorn Tire.As for the unique hardware that’s present up front, you get the sense that Reuben’s love of OBS Fords influenced the decision. The polished set of Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels certainly grabbed our attention. In order to get the old-school, 5-lug aluminum wheels to bolt up, Reuben had to have hubs machined to accommodate them. The Classic II’s are wrapped in tubeless, 4-rib, Firestone Champion Grip tires. Subtle maybe, but the truck wheels are a nice touch that add a bit of curb appeal while also serving to set the tractor apart from the rest of the field.We’re in good company here. It doesn’t take long for a winning tractor to catch the keen eyes of Built Diesel Mafia, and the world’s largest truck and tractor pulling media outlet (pushing 2 million followers) showed Reuben and his 5020 some love last summer, right in the thick of a season where he seemed unbeatable (check out the video). Of course, you can see that Reuben was kind enough to accept a Green Handle sticker and even add it next to the holographic one provided by the best in the pulling videography business.You could say Reuben figured out a thing or two for the 2025 season. When all the dust settled, he and The Last Ride had won all but two pulls they made it to—and even the losses were Second Place finishes. Perhaps the most memorable was the win that came one hot, humid July night in Jerseyville, Illinois, when the green machine put 60 feet on the runner-up distance, sparking a protest. After the data log proved he hadn’t exceeded 3,000 rpm (again, the driving limitation in the Open Farm Stock class), Reuben was “officially” cleared as the winner.Getting the tractor to the point of being a contender (and on most occasions, the surefire winner) took many years to achieve. And throughout the tractor’s ascension to the top, Reuben’s uncle, Cary Howard, has been along for the ride. Even though Cary is a drag racer through and through, he has become quite fond of tractor pulling since joining in on Reuben’s adventure. “He is my biggest supporter, and has put so much time into this thing,” Reuben said. “Sometimes he gets more excited about pulling than I do.”
