Racing has been a part of Jeff’s life since he was old enough to sit behind the wheel. He grew up at the track in the 1970’s and ’80’s watching his Dad, the late Neil Montgomery, race. As a child, Jeff remembers the good times running around the grandstands cheering on his favourite drivers.
Jeff’s racing career started with BMX bikes from 1982 until 1986 competing with “Team Canada”. In 1987 he got behind the wheel of an Enduro car for his first race and won the prize of $1,000.00. This sparked his passion for race driving which continues to this date. In 1988 Jeff got his first real break when he was asked by Rocky Horne to drive the #11 Thunder Car after regular driver Robbie Haslam suffered a broken back. From 1990 to 1991, Jeff ran in Western’s “Claimer” division winning a few races and during the ’92 and ’93 seasons drove a Stockcar owned by Marty Block and Ron Simpson. Jeff bought his own Stockcar for the 1994 season and ran on the dirt at Cassidy Speedway. At Cassidy the following year, he drove the Russ Lejeune and Neil Montgomery-owned Sprint Car and found that driving without power steering was a challenge.
During the mid-’90’s he drove a Stockcar at Western with Rocky Horne as Track Announcer giving Jeff his “Hurricane” nickname in 1998. Jeff drove Rocky’s #33 “Sportsman” car in 1999 and 2000, recording nine out of eleven main event wins the second year but still losing out on the Season Championship to Tim Christy. In 2001, he again drove the Sportsman car for the first couple of races after which Rocky traded the car for Bart Smith’s Sprint car giving Jeff the chance to race his first Sprint race on pavement which was that season’s “Strawberry Cup”. The race unfortunately ended in a wreck with the car destroyed but following it’s repair, Jeff was able to compete in his first “Daffodil Cup”.
In 2002 he drove for Rocky in the #33J Sprint car, continuing to wheel it for new owner Jeff McLeod from 2003 until 2006. Jeff and this team had many accomplishments during this time but one of Jeff’s most memorable moments in his entire driving career was his first winning of the prestigious Daffodil Cup at Western in 2004. In 2006, Jeff and the team ran their year in the “NSRA” series, winning the overall championship. Jeff began driving for his Dad Neil at the 2007 Daffodil Cup and the following year as well. In 2009, “Neil Montgomery Motorsports” built a new “33J” car with “A&A Performance” that ran until the end of of the 2019 season.
In 2015 and 2016 Jeff pulled double duty and raced a non-winged Sprint car as well. During these years, one of Jeff’s proudest moments was becoming a six-time winner of the Daffodil Cup in 2019. He hung up his helmet following that season but came out of a short-lived retirement when Gerry Vantreight asked him to drive his Sprint car in 2023. That year was a great one with Jeff also getting to share his love of racing with his new grandson Beck cheering his Papa on. No one knows what 2024 will bring but Jeff knows he is not ready to retire!
Some of Jeff’s successes over the years include:
“WILROC Winged Champion” from 2002 to 2004.
“WILROC Non-Winged Champion” in 2015 and 2016
“Wayne’s Trucking” series winner in 2017 and 2019
“NSRA” championship winner in 2006
“Strawberry Cup” winner in 2008, 2017 and 2019
“Daffodil Cup” winner in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
Racing has given Jeff relationships with the veterans that he watched and learned from in his younger years, the kids he grew up with that he still calls friends today and all the others throughout his racing career who shared his passion for racing.
Jeff has so many racing people who allowed him the opportunity to fill his passion for racing over the years to whom he says, “Thanks to all of my car owners, crew members and sponsors. None of this would have been possible without all of your help. And lastly, thank you to my parents Claudia and Neil, my wife Renee and my daughters Carly and Mackenzie for always supporting me”.
Car Owners
Marty Block and Ron Simpson
Russ Lejeune
Rocky Horne
Jeff McLeod
Neil Montgomery
Gerry Vantreight
Crew Members
“The Chief” (His Dad, Neil)
Dave Ferguson
Joe Macmurchie
Daryl Sorensen
Darren Propp
Bruce Lesperance
Jim McKay
Roy Rippon
Russ Lejeune
Kent Sheldrake
Steve Kloeckner
Mike Moss
Dieter Lejeune
Dustin Wright
Wayne Harrison
- 2024 induction ceremony with (left to right) Jim McKay, Jeff Montgomery, Dave Ferguson and Tracy Cessford (Michael Nicholson photo).