Now, since the hitch is rear of the rear axle, as the front tires lift off the ground, the hitch height drops. Therefore, your best best is to weight the tractor so that the front wheels just skim or tap dance on the ground. At the rear of the tractor is a kill switch. A cable attaches the kill switch to the front of the sled. If the chain or hitch breaks, the cable will pull the kill switch out and turn the engine off.
Most sled operators can also manually pull the switch if the tractor goes out of control.
The tractor also has wheelie bars in the back to prevent the front end from coming up too high. The engine and drivetrain are shielded to contain parts from engine explosions and the like. OK, so what is the strategy. Winning means going farther down the track than anyone else. For a 5,550 lb economy class, the sled weights about 32,000 lbs.