32 33PULLERTH

E May 2015

Off the Hook

Mike Ott is the current president of the Northwest Ohio Tractor Pullers Association (NWOTPA). Commonly known as the “Blue Shirts,” the group promotes the annual National Tractor Pulling Championships in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Mike and his wife Nancy had plans a few years ago to build and campaign a Two-Wheel-Drive Truck with a partner. For various reasons, the project started but never came to fruition. Having spent a considerable amount of his life involved in pulling, Mike still wanted to take on a new pulling project. After taking some time to contemplate their next move, the Otts decided to start a unique adventure in restoring a classic, early-NTPA championship Modified tractor.

They knew the Bosse four-engine tractor was sitting around, but they were not certain where. After a few inquiries, the tractor was found in a junkyard an hour away from its original home about five or six years ago. The owners had bought the four-engine Modified tractor from the Bosses with intentions to pull it that never really materialized. Then they started selling off parts, mainly from the engines.

“It was in sad shape. All the injection, carburetors, exhaust headers, trophies and more were found here and there, mostly in old pickup truck cabs,” Ott recalled.

Mike bought the motors that still existed. Some things were sunken into the soil, such as the frame and rear end. “I was fortunate to have acquired almost everything as original.”

Everything was completely disassembled in the Otts’ shop and thoroughly rebuilt to the same exact specifications and appearance as when the Bosses finished competing with it in 1978. “Every nut and bolt was removed from front to rear. The engines, as was the rearend, were completely rebuilt.”

A pile of old photos was the guideline by which to repaint the tractor and make an exact replica. Prior to disassembly, they precisely measured the locations of each decal so they could again place them in the same spots. It was very detailed and thorough restoration work. The only things not original are the rear tires, clutches and some safety equipment. Many individuals helped; however, there were three key players.

Phil Schalk, the owner of Riverside Engine Inc. of nearby Tiffin, Ohio, was very instrumental. In fact, when the Bosses bought the engine parts from Robert Yates (who at the time worked for Holman-Moody, Ford engine high-performance specialists) it was Riverside Engine that assembled the original motors. During the restoration, Riverside performed all the machining

processes and Mike assembled the motors. “Phil was a huge part in implanting all the engine program.”

“A couple good friends, Doug Wenig and Jeff Rathge, have been very instrumental with helping me,” Mike said. “Many others have stepped in here and helped out.”

Mike, a Ford fan, visited the Holman-Moody shop. One employee has been there since 1965 and has ground every camshaft. The guys remember the Bosses and many names of the top pullers from the era. “They were the Roush [Performance] of Ford back in the ’60s and ’70s. Anything Ford performance went through their Charlotte, North Carolina shop. Robert Yates was their research and development engineer.”

Last year, a group of the legends tractors performed in Edon, Wauseon, Napoleon, Attica, Ada and Wapakoneta, Ohio and at Maumee Valley Tractor Pullers Association events. The same events are on the 2015 schedule along with the July Greenville pull.

This group is currently in the process of forming the National Tractor Pulling Legends (NTPL). Several are running Modified tractors, including Carl Sweeney with a John Deere G with a Hemi, Gary Grimm with his family’s first turbine, Kevin Dick with Gaylord Zechman’s single-Hemi-powered Mod,

Steve Schwartz with Zechman’s twin-wedge 440 Dodge (a common early-’70s tractor), Tom Hileman with “Buckeye Special” (which he pulls in northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana with the Michindoh Pullers and at other brush events), and Lee Pendleton with the transverse-mounted Allison “City Slicker.” In addition, Tom Arps has retrofitted the prototypical Modified TWD “Black Widow” to its original form.

Various projects are in-the-works, with hopes of being out in 2015. Tom Hileman is putting together an exact replica of his dad’s (Dave) and uncle’s (John) first “Buckeye Special” Mod and Carl Sweeney is resurrecting a tank-powered Mod. Long-time NTPA tech official, Scott Doty, plans to be out for 2016 with his late-’70s “Heartbreaker” Mod. Larry McVey will refurbish the original “Super Banana” Mod in honor of his deceased dad, Lloyd, who pulled it in the early ’70s. McVey helped set the power trend and Mod vehicle style to achieve in the young sport.

Once they are purchased, Bruce Hutcherson’s first quad-engine “Makin’ Bacon Special” and the triple-stair-stepped “Banter Brown” will be in the infancy stages. They have been located, but not in their original form, thus many pieces, particularly for the engines, need to be found.

There are plans to add early Super Stocks as a few have expressed interest. The most promising thus far is Harold McQueen with his JD diesel. “There are guys interested,” Ott said.

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The Bosse Project

“We just have to get them motivated to find the tractors and restore them to their originality.” Locating the vehicles requires asking plenty of questions, often about the most recent owner. “Part of the fun of the whole process is to find the tractor,” Ott shared.

If you are interested in learning more about the Bosse Project or becoming a member of the NTPL, access the group through Facebook (The-Bosse-Project) or contact Gregg Randall, WPI/NTPA General Manager (gregg@ntpapull.com).

Clockwise from top left: The distinctive looks of the

(a) “Super Banana” and (b) “City Slicker” are turning the heads of

a new generation of fans. Next on the drawing board:

Reboots of the legendary (c) “Banter Brown” and

(d) “Makin’ Bacon Special.”

Mike Ott and the fully restored Bosse four-engine Modified are staged in front of the grandstand at the 2013

Enderle Pull-Off in Urbana, Ohio.(tractor photo by Dave Dann)

Story by Dave Dann

photo by Dave Dann

photo by Dave DannNTPA archive photo

NTPA archive photo