This February, our Sponsor of the Month is “Armour Screw Company” led by Jeff Garvin; I hope
you will enjoy this interview as much as I did!
Woody: Hello Jeff, first off, I would like to thank you once again for being a sponsor of theMidwest Vintage MX Series. You have been an important part of our series over the last coupleof years and I would like to ask you some questions and let you tell a little something about you
and your connection to Motocross.
When did you start racing Motocross?
Jeff: Hello Woody, I started racing around 1977 and I only raced through 1980
Woody: What brought you back to this sport?
Jeff: After a short stint in the late 70’s to the early 80’s, I found that I needed to pay for college
and it was hard to do both…so, I sold everything to help pay for it… Also, at that time I got
divorced and remarried in my 30’s. Neither of us had any money so our honeymoon was in Lake
Geneva (wedding was at the Waukegan Courthouse…about 10 feet from where I got divorced!).
Back in Lake Geneva it turned out that they were having the Snow Cross finals and we went tocheck it out! As we watched the races going on and all of the action on the track and in thepits, I remembered what it used to be like. I must have looked so excited as my new wife looked
at me and said:” You want to do that again don’t you…you know race…Well that was the start
on my path back to the sport I love. I bought a used YZ 250 and hit the tracks, I got someseconds, but never won anything. I did race the Racer X series a few years back and did ok but
nothing to write home about. One year I brought the kids to the Byron round and we slept in atent and had a great night! The next day I lined up on the starting line and that’s all I canremember… Next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital and all my kids and my wife
were lined up in front of me, Micky was 2 hours away from me, so I was out for a while!! I’m
told it happened right off the line when the guy next to me got out of control and took me out. Iwas in the hospital for a week and off work for a month! I still have no memory of it!

Well My wonderful wife said to me “I’m not going to let you quit riding… Not this way! Shesaid I could ride one more time and decide myself after if I want to continue to ride but did say
NO MORE RACING!!
That would come back to bite me in the ass for sure! This was the first time Mic caught me nottelling the truth, she said I lied... I stated I just did not tell the whole story lol... I told her I wasgoing to the district 16/17 reunion in Walnut IL ... I just forgot to tell her it was also a MidwestVintage MX Series Race the next day… I didn’t think it was an issue…she was not planning to go
anyway? Damn, if she didn’t change her mind and ask to come along…right after I finishedloading everything up! Well, once again the mx journey begins.
Woody: Wow, funny how having the right people around you can be so positive, you have agreat family and your wife is outstanding! Why did you want to become a sponsor?
Jeff: Well the short version is, I have a lot going on in my life…just like all of us do… There arenot too many positive outlets for me, but Midwest Vintage MX gave me a port in a storm. Youguys are a family, without MWVMX I would probably have found a tall building by now…LOL
Being a sponsor is my way of giving back.. Saying thank you as well as making sure it continues.
Woody: Well, Jeff we are family for sure. Life is hard no doubt. It’s good to know that having aplace to take away some of the pain and stress life can dish out and revive your mind is a greatthing. Having people like you and your entire family to share it with is priceless.
Thank you for all your support, it does keep this series alive and helps us ensure our sport stays
strong and is remembered. Lastly Jeff, tell us your fondest memories of this sport, starting withback in the beginning and then more currently...
Jeff: Well this will be fun lol! Some of you may have already heard this but here goes…
I was a shy kid in High School that liked to ride his dirt bike. I would get up in the morning andside saddle my bike down Lake Cook Road all the way to Highland Park past Deerfield to a trackby the Volkswagen plant. I lived down the street from the Simos and Mike Belmonte. To thislittle kid they were Motocross Gods! One day when I came home from school Mike asked me ifI wanted to go with them to RED BUD and race! OMG Really? At that time, I had not ever racedyet!
It was like Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen came by and said “Hey wanna come to the UnitedCenter and Play a game!”
Well I called my dad at work to get his permission and could not get ahold of him. So, I did whatanyone back then at my age would have done. I left a note saying I was going to Red Bud torace, be back in 3 days…don’t be mad (remember we didn’t have Cell phones!) We loaded up
my bike (a YZ 100) and all my gear on a 3-rail trailer that was hooked to HUGE motorhome!! Itwas like the Pros! Yeah, I shit my pants standing there looking at what was unfolding in front ofme! Here I was in the motorhome with all these fast guys and thinking I better be quiet, sothey don’t know I’m here and kick me off lol.
We get to Red Bud and everything was a blur. Lots going on in and out of the RV (a new-foundrespect for the Simos) It was a Monsoon! But a pure blast, a special time for sure. It was myfirst race and first time in the mud like that! I got to watch the Pro’s and some of the best
racing, I watch Hannah just fly! It was totally amazing. When I got home all my dad said was…well how was it? Ahh….the good old days…..
Present day: This one is easy! Byron this year. My family was all there, the racing was epic!
Scotty Wallenberg was floating around the pits after the annual Hall of Fame Inductions and sat
at our campfire and played his guitar and sang. It was like a dream, 3 wonderful days spent withmy MWVMX family. Seriously one of the best times of my life.
Woody: Jeff thank you for writing this and for taking the time from your busy life andwork…your story is very inspiring…...I truly enjoyed listening to you. It brought back a lot ofmemories for me too and I look forward to another great season and even more memories! Seeyou at the track!