Muskegon's Mike Garvey Having Fun "Again"

Montgomery Motor Speedway: Garvey going for 2nd straight
Racer, 49, still running strong
Written by
Ethan Bernal

Pro Late Model racer Mike Garvey returns to Montgomery Motor Speedway today for the first time since his June 16 victory for the fourth race in the Show Me the Money series.

Garvey, who drives the Buddy’s Home Furnishings No. 1 Ford Fusion, cruised to a 3.7-second victory in the last Show Me the Money 100, ahead of last year’s series champion Hunter Robbins. Garvey is second on the point standings for the series at 157, behind Robbins at 188.

“It was just a good night,” Garvey said. “The car was fast and really consistent. That’s they key at Montgomery is that the car doesn’t get tight as the race goes on. We were able to keep the car good and neutral the whole race, and the car just drove really good.”

Garvey finished third in the series-opening race March 31 and ninth June 2 before making the right adjustments to get to victory lane. “In the first race, we got a little too tight as the race went on,” Garvey said. “In the second race, we freed it up too much. The biggest thing about Montgomery is that there is such a difference in grip from daytime to nighttime that we just have to try to make sure we have the car freed up enough to be good at night.”

Despite his recent success at the track, Garvey knows better than to assume victory.
“There’s a bunch of good racers there that you can never count out,” Garvey said. “You never know week in and week out who’s going to stand out. We won the last race, and hopefully we can bring some momentum in and maybe get two in a row.”

Garvey continues to pad his resumé in the Late Models after racing in all three NASCAR series from 1993 to 2010. During the later years of his NASCAR career, Garvey starting a consulting business. He teamed up with 21-year-old Matt Hawkins, and they enjoyed great success until Hawkins died in 2009 from an accidental gunshot.
Garvey continued consulting after Hawkins’ death. He had success with other racers but still felt unfulfilled.

“It wasn’t the same,” Garvey said. “Something happened to me when Matt died. Something was different, I wasn’t having as much fun anymore.”
Soon after, Garvey was asked by long-time friend and current car owner Tracy Goodson to consult. When Garvey went to see Goodson, their conversation turned to other subjects.

“We hired Mike to come help us with a car, and that’s how we got to talking,” Goodson said. “I asked him to come back and race, and here we are.”
It didn’t take long for Garvey to make a decision. “I thought, ‘Why not? I might go back and have some fun,’” Garvey said. “And that’s what we’ve done.”
Decades of racing has not eroded Garvey’s passion for the sport. Now 49 years old, he doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.

“I love it today as much as the first time I raced,” Garvey said. “I’m having a lot of fun.”