Tribute: Bill Jones, puller and former BTPA Chairman (1932-2024)
12th Nov 2024
The BTPA is saddened to hear of the passing of 92-year old Bill Jones. The Warwickshire farmer, tractor puller and former BTPA chairman was a well-known figure in the sport.
Bill competed for many years along with his younger brother John Jones. And until quite recently, he could also be found supporting his nephew David, with the Just Smoky alcohol super stock tractor.
Bill’s interest in the sport grew quickly, after he and John went on a trip to Ahoy stadium in the Netherlands, along with pal and former BTPA chairman John Bowen-Jones. He returned inspired, and interested in having a go.
The Jones Brothers reasoned it would be a good opportunity for Bill to get off the farm, and for John to get away from his land drainage business, so both could enjoy some downtime tinkering with tractors.
Their first puller, Smoky Joe, was bought as a Fordson Super Major farm tractor in the late 1970’s, with Bill and John focused on tuning it up. Smoky Joe was considered to be one of, if not the first, modified farm tractors to hit the track.
Bill’s diesel firm contacts around Coventry helped the pair to find more power, thanks to a single turbocharger, but still using standard farm tyres. It wasn’t long before the Jones brothers inserted the letters N and S into the Smoky Joe name, to create Smoky JoNeS.
Following the tragic loss of his daughter Susan, Bill and wife Angela decided to raffle the tractor to raise money for Walsgrave Hospital. Over the years Bill, Angela and their daughter Helen, have continued to raise money in support of various charities. And that included charity tractor pulls too.
Bill spent many years as BTPA chairman and he returned to the track when he and John bought a Ford 8600 at a farm sale in Stoneleigh, Warwicks. This standard farm tractor would soon be twin-turbo’d and fitted with wider, 30.5 tyres, and was known as Smoky JoNeS MkII.
The tractor eventually gained a third turbo, and while John spent most of the time in the seat, Bill was also encouraged to lean on the throttle. Those who saw Bill on the seat may recall that he used to puff his cheeks out while making boost, as if he was encouraging the tractor on a bit more, adding a bit more wind.
It was a tractor with which Bill and John enjoyed a lot of success, winning the 9,000 lb and 12,000 lb open classes many times.
Smoky JoNeS MkII was parked up as work commitments took over, but the pair eventually returned to the track with a revised Ford tractor that could compete in the pro stock class against the likes of Gary Dunn, Kevin Morris, Mike Simmonds and Lionel Lewis.
Over the years, Bill and John also hosted pulls at their respective farms, and also helped with preparations at the pulls being hosted at the Royal Show.
After competing in the pro stock class through the mid-1990’s, the Jones Brothers once again stepped back, before returning in 2004 to keep a watchful eye on David Jones as he took to the track for the first time in Arnhem, Netherlands, with Just Smoky.
Bill would continue to come to events as often as he could, right into his late 80’s. As Bill’s wife Angela once said, ‘you’ve all had a lot of fun out of playing around with old tractors.’
