Oregon's 100-year-old relay race involving pigs and Ford Model T cars is the 'most redneck' thing ever

Every town has its traditions, and In Tillamook, Oregon, it just happens to be scooping up a squealing pig, strapping into a Ford Model T, and tearing around a dirt track.

This isn’t some petting zoo sideshow either. It’s the main event at the Tillamook County Fair – a three-lap relay that mashes together vintage motorsport, livestock handling, and just enough chaos to make your insurance agent break out in hives.

The bleachers? Packed. The crowd? Screaming. The pigs? Wondering how they ended up in NASCAR: Rural Division.

And the drivers? All grins, all grit, and often tucking a pig under one arm like it’s a football headed for the end zone.

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How the ‘most redneck’ Ford race actually works

The Pig-N-Ford Race kicked off in 1925 as a stunt to entertain fairgoers.

A century later, it’s basically the Super Bowl of squeals.

The setup is simple: old-school Ford Model T racers, stripped for speed and often built by hand decades ago. 

When the starting pistol fires, drivers sprint to a pen, scoop up their first pig, and hustle back to the car. 

Then it’s crank-handle start, drop the clutch, and let that open-wheel relic rip around the dirt oval.

Lap one: deliver pig. Lap two: grab new pig. Lap three: hold on for dear life. 

Each lap involves balancing about a dozen things at once – steering, spark timing, reading the track, and making sure your pig doesn’t file for workers’ comp.

And yes, pig safety is a paramount here. Proper ‘scoop and cradle’ technique is a must, because as one racer put it: “If you take care of the pig, the pig will take care of you.” 

A tradition on wheels (and hooves)

For some families, this race is the crown jewel of summer and the family tree doubles as the pit crew. 

Cars and race spots get passed down like heirlooms, with third-generation drivers still hitting the track in the same machines their dads built.

The camaraderie is real: competitors lend tools, advice, and parts to keep each other’s cars running. But when that starter pistol pops, friendships are parked.

The cars are delightfully prehistoric – hand-crank starts, manual spark controls, zero electronics – which means the loudest onboard tech is usually the pig.

In an age where racing is carbon fiber and corporate sponsors, this is grease, dust, and hometown bragging rights. 

No wonder commenters are calling for it to become a ‘national sport’. 

Frankly, with the right TV deal, it could give NASCAR a run for its money – provided NASCAR starts allowing farm animals in the cockpit.

100 years on, the Tillamook Pig-N-Ford Race is still as loud, messy, and unpredictable as ever. 

No million-dollar supercars. No spotless race tracks. Just a crank-start Model T, a dirt oval, and a very confused pig under-arm.

Witness the outrageousness for yourself below:

@hereisoregon A Tillamook tradition: @model.t.pig.n.for #tillamook #oregoncoast ♬ Heavy country music with strong blues color – New Air

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