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Mark Ulmer and the engine of “The Weapon,” one of the most well-recognized tractors on the Outlaw circuit.
in the pulling industry. They take part in the modified division in which automotive-type motors are added to a homemade chassis. “So at Christmastime, we don’t usually talk politics – we talk horsepower.” According to Mark, “Dad started pulling in the ’60s with farm tractors, pulling at area county fairs. He was always a fixer, builder-type person. I called him the welder and torch guy. If he could make it himself cheaper or it just wasn’t able to be purchased, he would just make his own parts.” Mark and his wife, Cindy, farm south of Menno on ground homesteaded by his great-great grandfather in 1896. He said he loves farming “just as much” as the tractor pulls. Cindy laughed with a quick reply: “Oh no you don’t!” Mark’s gentle response: “Oh yeah, I do. It’s made all this available.” “You’re right,” Cindy said, “It gives you the freedom to do what you do.” He describes farming as their base living income. Yet more of his time is spent driving in tractor pulls or working on tractors for other people. Cindy said, “When he’s not working, the other pullers and mechanics are always picking his brain.” The tractor pulls consume his summer. “We start in June and end in September. It gives you time to plant your crop and harvest your crop,” he said. Mark is part of the Outlaw Truck & Tractor Pulling Association (OTTPA) circuit. Formed in 1982, OTTPA is the largest of three sanctioned national pulling associations, endorsing over 70 sessions of pulling in more than 50 Midwestern cities from Texas to South Dakota. September 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine
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