Since after the ARCA RE/MAX Series season opener almost two months ago, Craig Goess has been sitting idle, anxious for this coming weekend's event. Finally, Goess and his No. 81 Greenville Toyota team will head to the Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the series' second race on the 2009 schedule. Goess and his Eddie Sharp Racing team recently tested at the high-banked half-mile facility in preparation of the 85th Annual Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 presented by Federated Car Care.
“I learned you have to run right up against the wall in (turns) three and four,” described Goess. “It's definitely going to be exciting. From what I've heard, there are a lot of wrecks that take place and I'm just hoping we're not a part of those. Running more laps under caution than under green is never a good thing. I was definitely impressed with our test. We were the fastest of our own cars. I think we have a pretty competitive car and I'm looking to run strong with our No. 81 Greenville Toyota Camry.”
Goess, along with his other ESR teammates, tested at the track which has been hosting ARCA events since 1955. Goess is competing for rookie honors, along with two of his three other teammates, so testing at a new facility is crucial for shortening the learning curve when the teams hit the track this weekend.
“Salem is an awesome track,” claims Goess. “It's going to be a lot of fun. You have to be up on the wheel and can't take your attention away for a moment. If you lose your focus for a split second, it could be trouble. This isn't like Daytona where you have the straightaway to collect yourself.”
Making his series debut at Daytona International Speedway, Goess still managed to bring home a top-20 finish, despite the fact he was behind the wall for 11 laps replacing a damaged radiator. A strong qualifying effort placed Goess in ninth place, but an unapproved change afterwards put him to the rear for the start of the event. As he was making his way through the field, a competitor got sideways in front of him and Goess made contact which punched a hole into the radiator. The ESR team quickly went to work replacing it and thanks to cautions and a multitude of attrition, Goess managed to place 17th in the final rundown.
“I'm so glad we're going racing again,” said Goess. “We've been able to test two times and that definitely fed the urge. I'm definitely looking forward to April and the next couple of months. After this weekend, we'll be racing pretty much every week for the next few months and that couldn't get me any more excited for what's to come.”
Practice gets underway at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and runs until 2:00 p.m. Qualifying follows at 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, an on-track autograph session will run from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Driver introductions take place at 2:00 p.m. with the green flag set to drop around 2:15 p.m. for 200 laps of short-track action. You can listen to all the action on the ARCA Racing Network via www.arcaracing.com.
Goess Ready to Bank on Salem
His First Career Event at The Track Will Take Place This Weekend
