A Family Tradition
Article taken from the 2003 Championship Tractor Pull Souvenir Program
If you are a regular at the
National Farm Machinery Show and the Championship Tractor Pull then you have probably
heard about, if not seen in action, the Sullivan family. We recently took a trip
down memory lane with Donnie Sullivan, a third generation puller, to get an inside
look at his family's tradition.
It all started three generations
ago with Hansel Sullivan and the very beginnings of what would become a long time
Sullivan family tradition. Hansel competed in one of the very first pulls ever assembled,
prompting Wayne and Eddie Sullivan, the sons of Hansel, to soon follow in his footsteps
and pull at the Championship Tractor Pull and county competitions for years to come.
Wayne actually went on to compete in 20 consecutive Championship Tractor Pull's
over the years before finally taking some time off.
As time went by, both Wayne and Eddie started families of their own, producing yet another generation of pullers.
"It's been me and my brother Danny
and our cousin David competing, but our families have backed us all the way. Every
one has pitched in at some point to have a part," said Donnie, Wayne's oldest son.
Shortly after Wayne stepped out of the spotlight and left the pulling to his sons,
his brother Eddie, also a long time puller, passed away. Wayne wanted to find a
way to make Eddie's memory live on at the Championship Tractor Pull.
"Eddie had this red S10 that he
always drove. After he passed away my father bought it and decided it would be the
perfect pulling truck, so we modified it. We had to give it a name that meant something,
so we called it 'Big Ed Red'," said Donnie. "It doesn't pull in the smaller county
pulls, but for competitions like this we have to bring it out. It's definitely competitive."
After nearly nineteen years of pulling,
Donnie is still passionate about the sport. The Championship Tractor Pull tradition
has also kept his family close over the years.
"When most kids wanted to be out
running around and getting into trouble, we wanted to be working on our trucks or
headed to the next pull. We've always been a close family, but pulling has been
a common bond to maintain that closeness," said Donnie.
One thing that has allowed the Sullivan
family pulling tradition to continue is sponsorships. Not everyone competing in
truck and tractor pulls have sponsors, but Donnie and Danny Sullivan do. Rent A
Wreck, the name and sponsor of their 2WD modified truck, has been a great sponsor
and has given them the opportunity to remain competitive year after year.
"While a lot of people can maintain
their machine on their own financially," said Donnie, "we knew if we wanted to maintain
our competitive edge we needed a good sponsor, and Rent A Wreck has been great."
The Sullivan family has a long-standing history at tractor pull also because they believe to compete here really means something.
"The Championship Tractor Pull is
a first class event. I'd rather compete here than anywhere. It doesn't matter how
you've pulled in the past, this pull is impressive. Unless you've won here, it doesn't
even count," said Donnie.
This year, however, it won't be
Donnie's face you see behind the helmet in Rent A Wreck - it's his brother Danny's
turn to drive. You can see Danny and his father Wayne compete on Thursday and Friday
night. Who knows? You may see a head-to-head pull-off on Saturday night between
two generations of Sullivans.
However, no matter how they are
pulling on the track, nearly 40 family member and friends - including supporters
from Rent A Wreck - will be pulling for them. Donnie's wife, Michelle, and two children,
Brandt and Blaire, Danny's wife, Lora Mae and their son Daniel; Donnie and Danny's
mother, Doris; their brother and sister, Paul and Sherri; and all their neighbors
from Warsaw, Kentucky will be in their corner.
Photo 1: From Left: Two generations of Sullivans - Eddie
(left), Hansel (center) and Wayne (right)
Photo 2: 1977 Championship Tractor Pull - Wayne with sons Donnie and Danny
Photo 3: Donnie's first Championship Tractor Pull win with brother Danny