The Northbrook Velodrome's 'First Family' celebrates the season opening night
In his season-opening race, national champion racer and 2006 Ed Rudolph Northbrook Velodrome biker of the year Jason Garner just didn't look like he felt like racing. Hanging toward the back of the pack, his family and family friends rolled their eyes. "He's just playing around," said Lynn Cohen, who has known the Garners for more than 25 years when she bought her daughter's first bike at their shop. Then, with half a lap to go, the red and white national team uniformed biker turned it on. Racing past the pack, he went from near-last to fourth in a little less than half a lap.

"Oh, I guess he did feel like racing today," said Cohen.

His brother and parents just stood smiling.

Meet the Garners, the first family of the Ed Rudolph Northbrook Velodrome.

George Garner Sr., a one-time championship racer in his own right, owns a popular bike shop, George Garner Cycling and sponsors a team at the track. He started his own kids racing at young age and the family spent their summers driving around in a "typical early 80s conversion van" complete with a television and VCR to keep the boys entertained. They would drive as long as five days to different tracks to compete, eventually breeding Jason to be one of the best bikers in the country, and the other two not far behind.

"That was summer vacation for us," George Garner, Jr. said. "We'd always have to train along the way. We'd have to stop and ride and then get back in the van and keep driving."

But nothing compares to home, so the Garners have been instrumental in helping the upkeep of the Chicago racing's community beloved track, providing money, support, and coaching to riders for 35 years. Many around the track can remember either lessons, jobs, or fun races with the Garner family. One of Northbrook Cycling Committee president Aram Bayzaee's favorite memories of the Garners is finishing a race in flip flops hand and hand with Jason after a long day of riding that left them too tired to want to race anymore. Nobody remembers who won, but that mix of fun and cycling is just what the Garners stand for.

"The Garners have been a driving force for the last 30 years in the Velodrome and its upkeep and the racers they put on the field," Bayzaee said. "Every sporting event should have a family that gives so much to the track, so we're lucky to have them"

Even if you missed out on the season opener, there's still lots of time to get involved in or catch the action at the Northbrook Velodrome. The Velodrome provides riding clinics every Monday and Tuesday, with races every Thursday and Friday. www.northbrookvelodrome.org for a full schedule.