Remember the Ugly tractor?

[RandyB(MI)]

A pair of rusty "C" channel frame rails with an Allison aircraft engine mounted between them with a "wizzard" at the helm. Back when super mod pulling just started out ( late '60,s early '70,s) he outpulled the blown Chevies and hemis with regularity. Before that , drag raced injected V/8 Chevy powered drag bikes. A seat of the pants engineer who will be missed. E.J.Potter aka " The Michigan Madman" from Ithaca MI died on Monday Apr 30. One of a kind. RIP EJ.

 

[VicS]

Met him about 30 some years ago. He was really neat to talk to. Found out his F30 he started with came from my Brother-in-law"s Dad. They used it to pack trash. He had turned the final-drives upside down. First one I had seen. The second place tractor that day was a 44 Massey with two 389 Pontiac"s. The tires were just cut like we call top cut today. Maybe it was 40 years ago. LOL Vic

 

[A.P.]

When Ugly wasn"t enough he built Double Ugly, a twin Allison powered pulling tractor. EJ"s tractors were the living embodiment that "paint don"t pull". A very unique and creative person.

 

[Anonymous-0]

That's a shame. He was one of
the last living legends. That boy was fearless..

 

[Anonymous-0]

Anyone have pictures to post.Thanks

 

[DAVE CHASE]

I HAVE BEEN DOING THE IONIA FREE FAIR GN PULL FOR 32 YEARS. A FEW YEARS BACK EJ CALLED ME TO SEE IF HE COULD PUT HIS BOOK AND TAPE AT THE EVENT AND TRY TO SELL A FEW. I SAID YES AND HE GAVE ME A COPY OF EACH AND IS GREAT STUFF TO SEE AND READ. I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME HE CAME WITH BOTH TRACTORS AND UNLOADED THEM WITH 12" OAK PLANKS FOR RAMPS AND WENT OUT AND KICKED EVERYONES BUTT. HE ALSO CALLED ME IN 1994 WHEN HE WAS IN BRAZIL BUILDING DAMS. QUITE THE GUY. DAVE CHASE

 

[42 M]

Watched him run one of his small block chevy powered bikes at Milan dragway once. THAT BOY HAS A PAIR BIG ENOUGH FOR A WHEELBARROW!!!!! Fire it up on a kickstand at the line.Wound the living pi!@ out of it and kicked it off the stand! There is no way in hell I'd ever have the nuts to do that. If I remember right it was direct drive off the flex plate. Never seen the tractors pics would be nice.

 

[1940barnstormer]

1975 I was 13 my brother 9 and we had snuck into the infield area at the Ionia Free Fair to get a look at the super mods. E.J. rolled by with ugly thing and burped the throttle as we stood 10 feet away. 2 large slabs of sod cattapolted into the air about 8 feet high and landed in the very spot they had been removed from. Needless to say we had become instant fans of E.J. Potter for every more.

 

[Hilltop]

Found an interesting article with some pictures.
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2012/05/03/e-j-potter-the-michigan-madman-r-i-p/