Twenty years after his last race, the name "Ohio George " still stirs the memories of racing buffs. Scale model kits of his cars are collectors items and three* of the vehicles he drove to victory during his career are on display in museums. The 33 Willys is at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.; his 1934, Cadillac-powered Ford three-window coupe is at Don Garlits' Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Fla., and his 1967 Mustang is at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

In the 1970s, Montgomery worked with Evel Knievel, who was famous for the daredevil motorcycle stunts he performed.

"I didn't work on Evel's motorcycles, but I took care of his stunt cars," he says. "I made several trips with him and I'll never forget the time in 1975 he left his cars at my shop after successfully jumping 13 buses at King's Island amusement park. Evel was immensely popular in those days, you know, and once word got out that his cars were here, the neighborhood was gridlocked with traffic as families cruised the area to have a look at them."

Montgomery picked up his "Ohio" nickname in the 1960s.

"Those were the days when parts suppliers ran big magazine ads for their products and for some reason, instead of using my last name in the ads, they identified me as 'Ohio George' and it stuck," he says.

He describes his racing style as serious and focused. "I tried not to be flamboyant, but I was tough. I was a confident driver. I went into every race thinking I'd win. I prepared for races, and I was proud of that."

Gregg Montgomery, 48, agrees.

"I've been helping Dad since I was 6 years old, but once he put on his race face, I didn't talk to him until the race was over. He was totally focused. He never ate or drank anything before a race. He took his racing seriously."

Gregg, who attended Stebbins High School, says it was fun growing up in the shadow of a famous father.

"I was always proud of Dad. He was a celebrity. There were model kits of his cars and stories about him in newspapers and magazines. It was neat when the kids at school talked about him."