WPI Board of Directors
Vaughn Bauer, President
Vaughn was elected to a three-year term beginning in 2022. He is the founder and president of Bauer Built Manufacturing of Paton, Iowa, which began in 1982 as a small machine, welding, and paint shop based in a garage. Vaughn’s design of a folding planter for road travel caught the attention of John Deere, with whom he partnered for 10 years in the construction of the DB Series. Bauer Built Manufacturing reopened in a new 200,000-sq. ft. facility in 2015, a complex that was further expanded in 2020 and presently employs about 80.
Bauer Built’s “Ironman” weight transfers, which are called upon to regulate such contests as Tomah, Chapel Hill, and Bowling Green, have been routinely honored with the NTPA’s Sled of the Year Award.
Vaughn and his wife Lori reside in Paton.
Scott Doty, Vice President
Scott was elected to a three-year term beginning in 2022. A competitor in the late 1970s and early 1980s with his “Heartbreaker” Modified, he has been a certified NTPA Official since 1991 and is best known to NTPA fans as the longtime South track finish-line flagman at Bowling Green. He is a former president of both the Michigan Tractor Pullers Association and its successor, the Wolverine Pullers Association, and has served the latter organization as its Head Tech Official. He was named NTPA’s Tech Official of the Year in 2006.
When time permits, Scott campaigns his vintage “Heartbreaker” on the National Tractor Pulling Legends circuit.
Scott and his wife Darlene reside in Monroe, Michigan.
Dale Quamme, Secretary
Dale Quamme was elected in 2020 to a three-year term on the WPI Executive Board, but his continuing service to the Association as a technical official and regional director goes back decades. A devoted garden tractor puller, Dale founded the National Garden Tractor Pullers Association in 1994 as an affiliate of the NTPA to bring structure to competition within that sport’s various divisions. Later on, he was instrumental in the development of NTPA’s rollcage standards that have, over the succeeding 20-plus years, protected countless drivers from serious injury.
Dale, his wife Donna, and their four children—Kelly, Kim, Kyle, and Kevin—have all been involved in truck and tractor pulling as competitors or support staff. Dale and Donna reside in Rosemount, Minnesota.
George Everett, Treasurer
George started pulling at age 14. He was an NTPA Full Board member in 1980, became an NTPA Executive Board member in 1982 and served on both boards for a year before being elected as treasurer of WPI, the position he currently holds. George was on the first Super Stock Divisional Committee and he and Tim Engler helped to set up the SFI safety program that NTPA uses today. George resides in Monrovia, Indiana and has three sons and nine grandchildren.
Roger Wysong, Director
Roger Wysong is the owner of AP Productions (www.approduction.net), the studio from which NTPA Championship Pulling on RFD-TV originates. But longtime fans remember Roger’s name from his days aboard the “Sting” modified mini, and competitors know him best as the man behind Midwest Wheel, his aluminum fab shop in Lewisburg, Ohio.
Roger and sons Rusty and Ryan got their start in the a/v business from their work producing services and programs for their church. Today, Roger and his dedicated crew film some of the NTPA’s top events for inclusion in 26 episodes per TV season.
NTPA Board of Directors
Keith Theobald, President
Theobald has been NTPA President since December of 2006, and was elected to the NTPA Executive Board of Directors in 1995. The Shelbyville native began his pulling career in 1981 with a Modified Tractor, and then switched to the TWD Truck class in 1988 – a class that the “Wicked Willy” Team still currently competes in today with his son, Doug, in the driver’s seat. Theobald is involved in agriculture with his wife Jan.
Mike O’Connor, Vice President
Michael has been involved with the NTPA since 1988 and currently serves as Vice President of the NTPA Board and board member for the United Pullers of Minnesota. Michael began pulling tractors and pickup trucks in 1975. His career highlights include Region III Championships in 1995 and 1996, along with a Minnesota Sweet Championship in 1996. Michael passed on his fondness for the sport to his children, Michelle and David. Michelle pulled Michael’s Four Wheel Drive truck, “Nasty Boys” and David currently pulls “Nasty Habit.” Diversified in agriculture, Michael is a Pioneer Sales Representative, crop insurance agent and a third generation farmer of 4,000 acres. When he is not working, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife of 35 years and snowmobiling. He and his wife, Beverly, reside near Blooming Prairie, Minn. and have four children: Michelle, David, April and Marybeth.
Jimmy Thigpen, Secretary
In addition to his duties as NTPA Secretary, Jimmy presently serves as the President of the United Pullers of the Carolinas, an NTPA member state, and his wife Carol is the alternate Secretary/Treasurer. The UPOC staffs a dozen Region IV and state events per year in North and South Carolina.
Jimmy recently retired from his job as a mechanic for an equipment rental franchise. He looks forward to returning to the Grand National circuit to campaign his modified mini “Satisfaction.” Jimmy and Carol make their home in Burgaw, North Carolina.
Jessie Petro, Director
Jessie is an NTPA board member and TWD competitor from Camden, Ohio. He is a graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio and got his strong love for pulling and competition from his father, Randy, who has been pulling for more than 30 years. Off the track, Jessie served as an intern with NTPA working on the contingency program in 2003. In 2007 he was elected to the NTPA Board of Directors. In his spare time, Jessie enjoys playing Texas Hold ’em poker, watching drag racing and playing baseball.
Jim Webb, Director
Jim bought a state level minirod in 1984, he had no idea that he would be involved in the sport of truck and tractor pulling for so long. It began as “something” to do with his two sons, Jason and Jesse. The three “J’s” are still at it with a couple of minis (Red Headed Stepchild and Jumpin’ Jack Flash) on the NTPA circuit. Jim is married to Virginia, a farm girl from Ohio. Jim has three college degrees (Bachelor’s and Master’s in Business and Bachelor’s in Social Studies Education). His last job was a History, Government, and Economics teacher at Churubusco, Indiana. He also coached basketball, Varsity Volleyball, and Track (specializing in the pole vault event). Jim has been a NTPA Tech Official for a number of years and also announces a few NTPA events each year. Jim was elected to the NTPA Board in 2010.
Dennis Christensen, Director
Dennis first attended a tractor pull in 1967 and the sport quickly caught his attention. In 1968 he built his first single engine modified tractor. Shortly after, Dennis began competing with the Minnesota Tractor Pullers Contest Corporation (MTPCC) and was President of the MTPCC when they and Gopher State Pullers became the United Pullers of Minnesota. Dennis has also been on the NTPA Board of Directors since 1974. Dennis and his wife, Sharon, live in Glencoe, Minn. and have been married for 41 years. They have three children: Doug, Kim and Chad, and 10 grandchildren. Their children have grown up pulling and currently pull “Pack Rat VI” (Doug), “Pack Rat VII” (Kim) and “Pack Rat V” (Chad). Sharon videotapes the events and Kim and her husband, Rick, take pictures for the pulling team and also for The Puller magazine.
Rob Foster, Director
Rob pulls the FWD Chevy “Simply Red.” In 2010 Rob grabbed his first Grand National Championship after four runner-up finishes in previous attempts. He was also named FWD Puller of the Year and won the NTPA Hard Charger Award. Other accomplishments include FWD ring winner of the 2004 and 2006 Bowling Green, Ohio event and was the 1995 Region II Champion. In 2012 Rob added a second truck to the team with “Child’s Play” with wife Tanya driving. Pulling is a family affair for the Foster’s with son Tyler and daughter Carmen attending the majority of events and crewing during the summer. Rob was elect to the NTPA board during the 2012 NTPA Convention. When Rob isn’t pulling, he farms 2,200 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and navy beans.
Tim Cain, Director
Tim has been pulling with NTPA for the over 15 years and currently drives a Pro Stock International called “Red Gambler”. Tim has served on the Pro Stock Divisional Committee prior to his election the the NTPA board during he 2012 NTPA Convention. Tim has won many accomplishments throughout his years of pulling; some of them include placing second in 2000 and 2001, third in 2007 and fourth in 2008 in Grand National points and a Grand National title in 2009. One of Tim sons Chris also pulls along with Tim in Pro Stock with “Aces Wild.” Tim farms 2500 acres of corn and soybeans and in his spare time he enjoys bowling and spending time with the family.