Pro stock pulling legend, Don Masterson, passed away on May 08, 2023. Let’s see how did Masterson die and his cause of death in detail.

How did Don Masterson die?

Don Masterson, a famous Pro Stock pulling icon passed away on the night of May 08, 2023.

Pulling Texas announced this sad news on their social media page in the following statement.

We just lost a legend in the tractor-pulling world. Don Masterson has passed away. Famous for his Tinker Toy Pro Stock pulling tractor, Don was one of, if not the greatest to ever do what he did. Thoughts and prayers to the Masterson family during this difficult time.

Who was Don Masterson?

Don’s influence on the sport and the Pro Stock class spans six decades, bringing a trail of championships and national event victories in his wake, according to Pro Pulling League.

Early in the 1970s, Don started his career with a Farm Stock John Deere 4430. From there, he was put to work on the pulling track with a ’74 John Deere 6030, competing against the Hoosier State and Kentucky State organizations at tournaments near his home base in Grandview, Indiana.

That 6030 would subsequently be known as the “River Rat” (after Masterson’s farming land along the Ohio River) and was a pioneering machine at the birth of the Pro Stock class in the late 1970s.

Don discussed his Pro Stock career’s origins in a 2014 interview, sharing his experience with pulling in Houston Astrodome in 1980. “I was the first Pro Stock to ever pull in there, you talk about opening a country boy’s eyes!”

Don’s Tractor Pulling Journey:

The River Rat was the first Pro Stock vehicle, but its stablemate would become inextricably linked to Don and his history. 

Don Eldert and the Armistead families spent time campaigning for a John Deere 4430 that had never been used in a field; Masterson would later buy the Armisteads’ John Deere from them and rename it ‘Tinker Toy’. 

The Tinker Toy moniker alludes to the “tinkering” required to make a “small block” John Deere like the 4430 competitive with its “big block” counterparts, the 6030s.

Don campaigned both tractors in the next years, and his son Kevin soon joined him, taking up major driving duties on the River Rat.

Don and his Tinker Toy:

Don’s operation of the Tinker Toy would solidify his place in sports. It brought a lot of wins at National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky throughout the years.

Don and Kevin commissioned Engler Machine & Tool to create an entirely new Tinker Toy – the first component Pro Stock – in 2004. Don used the machines for the first time in 2005 at the World Championships in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Tinker Toy was initially delivered in 8220 sheet metal but was later redesigned as a 7280R in 2013. Don received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pro Pulling League in 2013.

Thanks for reading from Ghsplash a news publishing website from Ghana. Share this article, For spelling mistakes and other related issues contact us