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John Deere Preacher

Writer's picture: 3G video3G video

Updated: Jun 5, 2024

           Written by Jim Fox    Photos by Jesse Fox (3G Video)

 



                                       Something Familiar

On a personal note, being raised in the country, all my young years, around a lot of farmers, I was very used to the idea of seeing John Deere tractors.  They were in the fields and on the roads, very powerful and could pull a tremendous amount of load, but none of them went very fast. So when I met a man that had a John Deere truck/tractor or “trucktor” that ran 11s in the quarter mile, it caught my attention. With him only being a couple years younger than me and a preacher, I knew we had to talk. This is the story I found behind something familiar of my childhood.




 

                                                  Back Ground Check

Jesse Madaffari is the gentleman’s name, was raised in Arlington, TX in John Deere country. His Dad worked for John Deere organization for thirty years.  Spent time in Germany working for them and his Mom got to go there back in 1951, before Jesse was born. His Dad had the first dealership John Deere actually owned in south Texas. Back then the dealership operated as a distribution center for the company. His Dad retired at forty-seven from John Deere and in September of 2024, at the age of ninety-five, he passed away. His Mom is still alive at the age of ninety-one.  Jesse also worked for John Deere for twenty years.






 

                                        God Works in Mysterious Ways                                     

Jesse was raised Roman Catholic, his wife, JoAnn, was a “Nancy Nazarene” and wouldn’t have anything to do with him. Jesse said, “She was funny that way”.  Her Mom and his aunt were very close friends. She went to college to marry a preacher, didn’t like any of them. Jesse went to college and in his second year God got ahold of him and he received Jesus as his Savior. When she came back they started dating and she ended up marrying a farmer that is now a preacher.




 

                                          Being Exposed to Drag Racing

The beginning of his racing years started in the 70s with his brother-in-law.  1982 was the last year they competed in NHRA. Life took over with his kids. It had gotten to where whoever had the most money was going to win and he lost all interest in it totally. He believed he would work for the John Deere organization for the rest of his life. Then John Deere was bought and the dealerships dissolved so Jesse started working for the new owner.  Jesse was a trouble shooter, they would fly him all over the place and in the winter he would work on the owner’s projects.  The owner and his son drag raced. He would have Jesse build racecars, so he got paid to build racecars. Then if they had something going on they would pay Jesse to take the car and race it for them.  Jesse could keep the winnings and if it broke they would fix it.  The car was sponsored by John Deere as a write off for advertisement. The owner’s car was a Charger, his son had a Challenger Hemi with a 440 in it. Before Jesse left he built him up a Monte Carlo SS. Jesse said,

“It was really nice being told, this is how fast I                                                                                                                              want to go now make it happen”. 






 

                                      Introduction to Drag and Drive

In 2011 Drag Week went through Tulsa, OK.  Jesse liked the idea, no money involved, just have fun drag racing. Jesse said:

                                 “I am one, if I can’t get something working I take

                                       it as a personal insult. I like creating, things,

                                                    building things and doing it myself”

In 2012 Jesse started working on the old 83 square body truck. He couldn’t afford big block stuff originally, so everything he wanted to do back then he did in this truck and it was going to be a onetime thing. He made the statement, "I didn’t know what color to paint it. I wanted it Rat Rod, all ugly", but JoAnn, his wife, said you were with John Deere for twenty years and your Dad was with them thirty years.  He said

  



                                     “I aint painting that thing green “.

She wanted it pretty, so it became John Deere green. He said “No STICKERS”. So she took over placing the stickers. Thus the writing on the “trucktor” “Graphics by Mimi”.  Back then it was his daily driver, he was one of the few that drove to the events and back home after the event.




 

                                                        Odd Couple    

In 2012, the first year of doing Drag Week, there was a guy from England that came over to run.  They kinda teamed up, an English bloke, hair down to his waist, couldn’t understand what he is saying and a Nazarene preacher. The Englishman was driving a little blue postal van, turbo charged, four cylinder, Jesse had the big green “trucktor” with a big old box in the back.  They got the nickname, “Odd Couple”.  Then in 2019 Drag Week collected a bunch of money to help Jesse build what you see today and this is why he lets drag and drive people sign the roof.

Jesse said: “Scripture says that God will give you the desires of your heart and this is beyond and above anything I could have ever dreamed about. It has turned into a ministry, I Facebook all my sermons. I never know their watching until they say something and I realize it is getting out.”   

 Jesse retired from preaching two years ago but hasn’t been out of the pulpit yet.                                




 

                                     What to Expect in the Future

As of now 11:30 is as fast as the “trucktor” has gone, it is capable of 10s. He isn’t going below10:0 because of the money and safety issues.  His wife is not pleased with him going as fast as he is.  He can afford getting down to 10.0, putting nitrous on it and he has the nitrous just hasn’t had the time to put it on.  But to get below that, Jesse said, “I am not in it for that”.



 

 

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