Breaking Barriers Podcast

Breaking Barriers Podcast is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the sport of tractor pulling. Hosted by Gary Bontrager, this podcast dives into the stories, legends, and evolution of the sport, capturing its impact on competitors and fans alike. Each episode features in-depth conversations with key figures who have shaped tractor pulling's past, present, and future. Tune in to celebrate the legacy and innovation that keep this thrilling sport alive!

Breaking Barriers Podcast is a leisure podcast hosted by Gary Bontrager, with 46 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Gary Bontrager hosts Breaking Barriers Podcast, a leisure show with 46 episodes published.

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  Breaking Barriers Podcast

  Gary Kohl | Family Legacy & the Birth of Pro Stock Tractor Pulling

  Sep 21, 20261h 28m

  From farm tractors to three-turbo Super Stocks, Gary Kohl has lived through some of tractor pulling’s biggest changes. On this episode of Breaking Barriers, host Gary Bontrager visits Gary’s shop in Perrysburg, Ohio, to explore a lifetime of pulling alongside his father, Dale, and the ingenuity that kept their International Harvester tractors competitive. Gary shares memories of Dale’s wins at Bowling Green and Louisville, the early days of operating a pulling sled, and the meeting where they helped establish the original Pro Stock rules. He also recalls burning through 50 pistons in one season, battling transmission failures, and finding solutions with help from fellow pullers. Along the way, they discuss rising costs, the evolution of safety, and the friendships that made the hard work worthwhile. It’s a firsthand look at the people, perseverance, and homemade engineering that helped shape tractor pulling. Subscribe to Breaking Barriers for more stories from the people who built the sport, and leave a comment with your favorite memory of Gary and Dale Kohl! #BreakingBarriersPodcast #TractorPulling #GaryKohl #ProStock #InternationalHarvester

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  Breaking Barriers Podcast

  How the NTPA Changed Tractor Pulling | Ed Hart

  Sep 7, 20261h 15m

  Before the NTPA, tractor pulling was largely a collection of local events with different rules, different organizations, and no national standard. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Gary Bontrager sits down with NTPA founder Ed Hart to hear the firsthand story of how a conversation among pullers grew into an organization that would help shape the future of the sport. Ed takes us back to the early meetings, the push for common rules and better safety, the first NTPA office operating out of his basement, and the people who helped get the organization off the ground. He shares stories of promoting pulls across the country, raising the money needed to keep the organization running, expanding tractor pulling into new states, and even developing technology that was ahead of its time. Gary and Ed also dig into the tougher parts of NTPA history, including politics, sanctioning, competing organizations, the growing number of classes, and lessons Ed believes the sport can still learn from today. This is more than the history of an organization. It’s the story of the people who helped turn tractor pulling from scattered local events into the national sport generations of fans and competitors know today. Subscribe to Breaking Barriers for more firsthand stories from the men and women who built the history of tractor pulling. #BreakingBarriersPodcast #EdHart #NTPA #TractorPulling #PullingHistory

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  Breaking Barriers Podcast

  Brabec Brothers | 7x National Champions, The Country Dude & Tractor Pulling Legends

  Aug 24, 20261h 30m

  Seven national championships. Hall of Fame careers. And a legacy that helped shape the foundation of modern tractor pulling—this is the story of the Brabec Brothers. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Gary Bontrager sits down with Alan and Dennis Brabec to uncover how two farm kids from Iowa built championship-winning machines like the legendary Country Dude and The Imposter. From their very first pull—winning with a brand new tractor—to dominating national circuits across the country, the Brabecs share the grit, innovation, and relentless drive that made them icons in the sport. What started with six tubes of grease as a prize turned into a career defined by ingenuity—building their own parts, experimenting with multi-turbo setups, and outworking the competition at every level. They open up about the evolution of tractor pulling, the risks they took, and the moments that defined their journey, including unforgettable wins at Louisville, Bowling Green, and across the national stage. This conversation is a deep dive into the golden era of tractor pulling—where creativity beat budgets, and passion fueled performance. If you want to understand what it truly took to become champions in one of motorsports’ most demanding arenas, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Watch now and hear the stories behind the machines, the championships, and the legacy that still impacts the sport today.

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  Breaking Barriers Podcast

  From Schoolteacher to Big Rig Truck Pulling Pioneer | Rick Feicht

  Jul 27, 20261h 21m

  Rick Feicht entered the world of tractor pulling with no previous experience in the sport. What began with announcing local events eventually became a remarkable career in promotion, helping transform big rig truck pulling into a recognized and celebrated class. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Rick joins Gary Bontrager to share the story behind Full Pull Productions, the creation of the Big Rig Pulling Series, and the development of USA East Sled Pulling. He discusses working with fairs and sanctioning organizations, attracting sponsors, improving safety standards, and producing events that gave fans more than an ordinary tractor pull—they delivered a complete show. Rick also reflects on the relationships he built throughout the sport, the lessons he carried from teaching into event promotion, and why the most important person at any tractor pull will always be the fan sitting in the stands. Like, subscribe, and share this episode with another tractor-pulling fan as Breaking Barriers continues preserving the people and stories that built the sport.

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  Breaking Barriers Podcast

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

  Jun 29, 20261h 2m

  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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