Goess Returns to Action at Mansfield

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After taking a few weeks off from his duties in the No. 2 Greenville Toyota/Team ESR Development Toyota, Craig Goess, Jr. is ready to return to action.  The NASCAR Camping World East Series heads to Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park for the series’ 10th race of the season this Saturday.

“I’m ready to go,” said Goess.  “It’s somewhere new and I love going to new places.  It will be my first time competing at Mansfield, but second trip to Ohio.  I’m looking forward to going up there.”

As with nearly all the tracks on the NCWES schedule, Goess will be seeing MMP for the first time when he arrives.  Although he’s never set foot in the place, he’s been able to do a little bit of research to get the lay of the land.

“I just checked it out online,” Goess stated.  “It looks pretty cool.  The place has some history behind it and it will be neat to race on such a legendary track.  We had plans to test the car we were going to run at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, but we were rained out.  So, we’re not really sure what we’ve got heading into Mansfield, but we’ll have a good baseline and go from there.”

Although Goess hasn’t behind the wheel of his No. 2 Greenville Toyota/Team ESR Development Toyota, he hasn’t sat idle.  Goess returned to his home track, Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C. to compete the Legends race, where, as in the past, he dominated and won in grand style.  Goess also made the trek to Elko, Minn. for another Legends race.

Goess is getting the jump on his competitors when he made his mark at Elko by winning the main event.  Goess has intentions of running in the Legends Cars Nationals being held at Elko Speedway in early October and decided with the off weekends in the NCWES, the timing was right to get some practice.

For this weekend, however, Goess returns his focus on his Eddie Sharp Racing-prepared Toyota Camry.  Practice gets underway at 10:40 a.m. and will run until 12:10 p.m.  Qualifying will take place at 1:40 p.m. following the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Qualifying session.  Both series will have a combined autograph session from 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.  Pre-race ceremonies begin at 4:50 followed by the green flag for the NCWES race at 5:40 p.m.