ST. LOUIS — St. Louis area residents will notice a pair of familiar faces on the 37th season premiere of the top-rated CBS competition reality show “The Amazing Race” on Wednesday, March 5. And if there was ever a team that could win the first-place million-dollar prize, it is St. Louis natives Jeff “Pops” Bailey and Jeff Bailey. This father-son duo will travel across the globe competing in what has been dubbed the “season of surprises.”
“I almost forgot we were being filmed,” Pops said. “Because we were in that mode to win – to get to where we were going and execute what we were doing – and it was a lot of fun.”
Pops and Jeff Bailey are lumberjacks by trade, and each own a business. Pops, an alumnus of University City High School, has been in the business for 40 years and counting. His company Green Thumb Tree Service (GThumb) is in Creve Coeur and has offered pruning and tree removal service since 1988.
“I told Pops maybe two years ago that we were going on ‘The Amazing Race,’” said Jeff. “Pops has never even done an interview because he’s always been an entrepreneur, you know, so this was completely out of his wheelhouse.”
Jeff, who is 36 and a graduate of McCluer North, has a business called EconoTree Service. Located in Jamestown, the business offers pruning, removal, and drought care.
Jeff wanted to bring his dad on “The Amazing Race” to show off his physical skills.
“My dad is 65 and he is in excellent shape,” said Jeff. “He’s what everybody wants to be at that age. As a kid for as long as I remember I had a chainsaw in my hands. I would be watching him climb trees and be amazed at what he was doing.”
Jeff began watching “The Amazing Race” in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. It was one of many shows he watched during that time – and just so happened to strike a chord with the rest of the family. He began watching it with his 12-year-old daughter Skylar. She became his “binging partner.” He then told his father about the show. Pops took to it immediately. He also quickly took to the idea of competing with Jeff on the show.
“I have my own business – and he has his – but sometimes we’ll collaborate on jobs,” Jeff said. “It’s been plenty of times where we’ll be on a job site together talking about ‘[The Amazing Race’ – so this is just another thing for us to bond over.”
The two would talk about the different challenges on the show whenever they got a chance. Once Pops agreed to be a part of the show, they began training immediately. Pops would carry plates on his head to increase his balance and agility and practiced little dance moves to dominate the performances to come.
Jeff sought counsel from close friend Ricky Hughes, creator of STL Run Crew, on the physical needs of the race like the correct shoes, and the mental needs like endurance. Jeff has been very fast since he was a child. He ran the 4×800 in the Junior Olympics when he was just 12 years old. “I didn’t really play any organized sports for that long because on the weekends and after school I was out working with Pops,” he said.
Jeff noted the race is inherently physical but there is also a social aspect as well. “The social side of it is very important – it’s not just about doing challenges and getting from place to place,” Jeff said. “We’re lumberjacks with loud chainsaws around us all the time, so for us to go out there with 13 other teams and play a social game, make friends and allies, I’m very proud of how we were able to navigate that.”
This season racers will encounter a new twist called the “Fork in the Road.” It includes a trap during the first leg of the race in Hong Kong. The “Fork” will be encountered on their way to the Pit Stop. If racers choose the wrong direction, it may lead them to an elimination.
If Jeff and Pops are victorious, they won’t be the first St. Louisans to win “The Amazing Race.” St. Louis’ own Dr. Maya Warren and her partner Amy DeJong captured the title for season 25 in 2014.
They are looking forward to sharing their journey on “The Amazing Race” with the world.
“I’m just excited for our family to watch it,” Pops said. “I’m proud of our actions.”
“One thing I think you’ll be able to see is we had fun with it,” Jeff added. “And we’re just a father and son that wanted to take this experience in.”
The 37th season premiere of “The Amazing Race” will air at 8:30 p.m. CST on CBS. Check local listings for channels.
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