Gary Ulmer | 55 Years of Innovation, Grit & The Educator

About this episode

Gary Bontrager interviews Gary Ulmer about his 55 years of experience and innovation in tractor pulling.

In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Gary Bontrager sits down with pulling pioneer Gary Ulmer — a man with over 55 years in the sport, dating back to high school farm stock days in South Dakota. From early Oliver tractors to snowmobile drag racing circuits and eventually dominating the Light Super Stock ranks, Ulmer’s story is one of evolution, relentless experimentation, and hard-earned mechanical wisdom. Gary takes us inside the mindset of a builder who learned the hard way — breaking blocks, blowing head gaskets, redesigning valvetrain stability, and machining his own solutions when parts didn’t exist. From helping build sleds in the 70s to campaigning one of the top Light Supers in the region, he shares what it meant to be at the top of the class… and why politics ultimately pushed him to transition into a component chassis. This is not just a horsepower story. It’s about the constant pursuit of reliability, the chess match of tire selection and fuel systems, and the reality that in today’s pulling world, you can make all the horsepower you want — but if you can’t put weight on the nose and hook it to the track, it doesn’t matter. Ulmer also reflects on what’s changed most…

People in this episode

Host: Gary Bontrager

Guest: Gary Ulmer

Topics covered

• tractor pulling
• innovation
• mechanical engineering
• racing history
• relationships in sports

Keywords

• tractor pulling
• mechanical wisdom
• Light Super Stock
• reliability
• RPM increases
• boost levels
• chassis development

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Oliver tractors, snowmobile drag racing

Places: South Dakota

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