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Curt Ulmer | 55 Years of Modified Tractor Pulling, Family Legacy & Outlaw Dominance

Jun 29, 2026 · 62 min

Curt Ulmer has spent more than 55 years in the sport of tractor pulling, building, competing, innovating, and winning with one of the most respected modified tractor programs in the country. From the early days of farm tractors, homemade sleds, and small South Dakota pulls to multiple Outlaw championships and a three-generation family team, Curt’s story is deeply connected to the history and growth of the sport.

In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Gary Bontrager sits down with Curt in Meadow, South Dakota, to talk about the Ulmer family’s early pulling days, building their own equipment, the evolution of modified tractors, the importance of tires, horsepower, sleds, and the people who helped shape the sport along the way.

Curt also shares what tractor pulling has meant to his family, what it takes to stay competitive for decades, and why there still needs to be room in the sport for the smaller teams, county fairs, and grassroots events that helped build tractor pulling in the first place.

#BreakingBarriersPodcast #TractorPulling #ModifiedTractor #OutlawPulling #PullingTractors #Motorsports #TractorPullingHistory

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