Gary Leo Ellis Jr. (born March 21, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.) was one of the last American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 1982 to 1996. He was nicknamed "The Lumberjack". Just like Tommy Brackens was nicknamed "The Human Dragster", "The Lumberjack" was coined for Ellis by the BMX "play by play" announcers at nationals. By the age of 16 he was 6' 2" tall and 190 lbs (ultimately growing to 6' 3"). He also had a thick beard and mustache making him look meaner and older than his years. The place of his birth was also a factor in the nickname since it was a stereotypically American lumberjack region of the United States. Plus, there was an apocryphal story that he sawed down a tree that was in the right of way of a practice track he was building in his front yard. The appellation stuck and he had it throughout the majority of his long 21-year career. Racing career milestones He started racing in 1977 at age 11 after he saw a BMX display at a car show and he asked his father if he could race. His father, Gary Leo Ellis Sr., is a 1987 ABA Hall of Fame Inductee for the track operator with the longest continuously operating track in the country. His first race bicycle was a Schwinn Sting-Ray. His first local race result was fourth place at the Tacoma Jaycees BMX track. The sanctioning body was Northwest Bicycle Motocross Association (NWBMXA), a short lived regional governing body in Washington State. His first national amateur win was at an American Bicycle Association (ABA) in 15 Expert in Portland, Oregon in 1981. His first sponsor was Pedal Pushers Bike Shop in 1979. He turned professional on December 1983 at age 17. His first pro race result was a first place in junior "A" pro at the joint 1983 American Bicycle Association (ABA)/Canadian American Bicycle Association (CABA) Canadian-American BMX Championships pre race in Monroe, Washington on December 10, 1983. His first senior pro** race result was a seventh place in "A" Pro at the National Bicycle League (NBL) Celebrity Race For Childhelp USA/International in Azusa, California, on January 22, 1984. He moved himself up to "A" pro after the 1983 Jag World Super Bowl Championship which was held on December