Peissig cements his legacy in NTPA Hall of Fame

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Dorchester native and National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) legend Mark Peissig was inducted into the NTPA Hall of Fame on December 3 in Columbus, Ohio. Peissig, along with his family, was present at the awards banquet where he was inducted into a hall of fame that contains less than 85 members.

Over 43 years, Peissig had amassed numerous regional and national titles with his tractors “Fat Boy” and “The Bomb” until his retirement in 2017. His four consecutive national championships in the light super stock class proved his unprecedented dominance during the height of his career.

“It’s pretty special. Not a lot of people get this award. It’s quite an honor,” Peissig said.

In Peissig’s acceptance speech, he said he couldn’t believe he was being chosen as a member of the exclusive club.

“When I found out I was receiving this award, I thought, ‘Why me?’ This is an award that you don’t really strive for but it’s a great honor.”

Peissig said his favorite part about the journey was all of the new places he got to experience and all the fans he met. He said his career in pulling gave him a second family.

“This award really was a team effort. I just want to thank some specific people that really made this possible and helped me out through the years. Wayne Jicinsky–[ we had] a lot of late nights. Nate Sprotte, Brian Craig and Dave Pfund. All the other crew members that we had and all those long nights spent getting the tractor and rig ready for the weekends.”

He went on to thank friends and family members for the part they played in his success.

“Obviously Kevin Lynn–for all the long nights, laughs, great times throughout the last 40 years. For him always sharing his knowledge, guidance and encouragement. To my wife Terri, for putting up with me for 33-plus years. Always holding down the fort so I could pursue my hobby that I loved.”

Peissig was sure to include his kids in his acceptance speech.

“To my daughter, Emily–who I want to thank for tagging along all those years and never missing an event with me those first couple of years. To my two sons, Tim and Logan–thank you for renewing my passion in the sport. Tim, you never gave up on the sport and continue to push me. Logan, thanks for your wittiness and ability to have a one-liner for everything.”

Finally, Peissig thanked the sport for the summers of fun and entertainment for him and his family.

“Lastly, I’d like to thank the tractor pulling sport as a whole. Thank you for the weekends of fun, laughter and excitement. For taking me to new places and meeting people I would soon gain as great friends. Ultimately, you gave me a family I never expected to find and for that, I will forever be grateful.”

Peissig’s pulling career began at the young age of 12 where he pulled farm stock on blacktop with his dad’s help. Over the first 10 to 15 years of his pulling career, Peissig stayed local as he pulled at local farm pulls. From there, his passion for the sport showed in his growth and results.

“It’s just a passion for [the sport],” Peissig said about how he became successful in the NTPA world. “When you’re passionate about something, you become good at it.”

Peissig was and is currently very involved in the annual Dorchester Days tractor pull and served as the President of the Wisconsin Tractor Puller’s Association (WTPA) board. He also spent 15 years on the WTPA board as a member and also served on the NTPA board for eight years. Along with championships as a driver, Peissig also won NTPA Crew Chief of the year in 2001.

During his travels across the country, Peissig said some of his favorite pulls happened in his hometown of Dorchester but he also loved going other places and seeing unique areas.

“In Wisconsin, Tomah, the first time I won an event there was pretty special. There’s also a little town called Ridgeland, Wisconsin that has a population of 235 which turns into 10,000 people when they have a tractor pull. Brandenburg, Kentucky was a really cool place. The fans are insane there.”

Today, Peissig still plays a role in the pulling team’s success and also helps organize the NTPA pulls at Dorchester Days. His sons, Tim and Logan, have followed in his footsteps as they pull a mini-rod class tractor named, “Fallout.” Tim and Logan have won national and state events in the two years they have been pulling with “Fallout” and finished third in the modified minirod regional standings in 2022.

Peissig always thought of pulling as a fun hobby but he turned it into an opportunity to have success within the sport while bringing tractor pulling fun to central Wisconsin.

“I was just having fun doing something that I loved,” he said.

From organizing and competing in pulls, to winning national super stock championships and now being inducted into the NTPA Hall of Fame, one thing is certain, he has enshrined himself in the history books as one of the best tractor pullers in the world.