Big Rich sits down with Tucson native and lifelong off-roader Jeff Furrier—board member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF), racer, entrepreneur, and preservationist of vintage race machinery. From a childhood in a tire-shop family to building UPR into a go-to racing safety and equipment supplier, Jeff shares the journey, lessons, and stories that shaped his life in off-road.
With roots in the desert, Jeff grew up one of eight kids in Tucson, learning hustle and car culture from his Air Force-pilot-turned-entrepreneur dad. Hear about the spark that set his career path and the pivots into racing equipment and safety.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:12.640] – Jeff Furrier
My next guest on Conversations with Big Rich. Growing up in the Arizona desert with a family focus on automotive, it was natural for him to become in the off-road world. I mean, you got desert and you got automotive. What else is there? Off-road. He’s also on the board of directors for ORMHOF, the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. And my guest is Jeff Furrier. Jeff, it’s so good to have you on the air.
[00:01:40.500] – Jeff Furrier
Thanks, Rich. I’m glad to be here. I’m glad you think I’m interesting enough to be on your podcast.
[00:01:46.040] – Big Rich Klein
Oh, absolutely.
[00:01:47.290] – Jeff Furrier
So a compliment.
[00:01:49.560] – Big Rich Klein
So, you know, if the Board of Directors, got you on there, you’ve got to have some cool background.
[00:02:00.000] – Jeff Furrier
Yeah.
[00:02:01.340] – Big Rich Klein
So we’re going to dive into that right now.
[00:02:07.040] – Jeff Furrier
Yeah, I guess. Sure. I guess that’s objective. But yeah, I’ve had a pretty good ride. I’m still going. So great Definitely happy to be here. And the industry overall has been good to me. So let’s point out and start with that easy question.
[00:02:25.400] – Big Rich Klein
Where were you born and raised?
[00:02:27.920] – Jeff Furrier
I was born in Tucson, where I still live. And there were eight kids in my family. So, yeah, there were seven boys and one girl.
[00:02:43.700] – Big Rich Klein
Did your sister feel outgunned all the time?
[00:02:47.720] – Jeff Furrier
Yeah.
[00:02:48.420] – Big Rich Klein
Or did she hold her own pretty good?
[00:02:50.860] – Jeff Furrier
She held her own pretty darn good. Yeah, she was definitely pretty tough. So, yeah, I want to ask that question, like how horrible it must have been. And I guess I didn’t have to walk in her shoes, so I guess, I don’t know. I’m sure it was definitely easier to be a boy. I think it is now, too. But anyway. Yeah, I know. She was good, but I have a good family. A lot of… And everyone in my family is super supportive of each other over the years, so everybody still communicates, and some of us even work together. But my dad ended up here. He’s in the Air Force. He was a pilot. And he moved around a bunch and ended up here in the ’50s. And while he was in the Air Force, he was always in different businesses. And honestly, growing up, he was always an entrepreneur from having booths and carnivals. It seemed like he worked in every industry and every type of factory, from bread factories to the ice to everything. He’s got a lot of great funny stories about growing up, but he was always a hustler and always working. READ MORE
