Craig Goess

Talk about excited.

So I’m writing about racing since I can’t be in the car right now. Driving into the track at Daytona this past December for the open test created a different feeling for me than a year prior when I was just a visitor. Probably because instead of watching I know I would be the one behind the wheel this time. In a way it was a relief.

No way could I go there a second time and watch. Talk about tormenting. Having to sit and watch without being in it is like asking an alcoholic to sit at a bar all day and not take a drink. I was ready, and so was my crew. Our car was sitting first in the line of many to get on the track that morning. I didn’t know what to expect, I just put it to the floor and kept it there, hoping the car would stay under me. It did, and with so much ease actually in 4-5 laps I found myself wanting more.

A lot more. I was thinking to myself…wish they’d let us take the restrictor plates off, run 230-240 miles per hour down the straightaway, and have to lift going in the corner. Now THAT would be fun.

Following the rather non-eventful three day test where we left scratching our heads a bit, the guys went to work. Body work, different engine, little of this, little of that. After the changes, they’re work awarded us with a very successful Talladega test which Patrick Donahue (my crew chief) thought would transfer over to the Daytona race. After the first official Daytona practice was over we felt relieved on the improvement. I was told we had a top 15 qualifying car but one that would be a front runner in traffic. We turned a lap that was good enough for a ninth place starting spot which was decent and I felt very confident about our chances of making a big splash in the race.

We never left the track the whole time we were there. Things at night were relatively quiet, spent wandering from coach to coach between ours, Patrick’s, and Eddie’s motor homes. The track is a relaxing place at night. The numbers up on the tower being the focal point, and the dim lights of what seemed to be thousands of motor homes scattered around the massive infield. When the sun comes up the peacefulness turns into high energy.

The day of the race I was aggressively calm if there is such a thing. We along with some others had to fall to the back due to an unapproved change we had to make. I wanted to get to the front bad. After two laps I knew we had a good shot. Our car was a bullet in the draft. As we worked our way up quickly from the tail an overheating radiator situation made us have to pit.

12 laps down and with a new radiator, we pulled back out, using the rest of the race for seat time. The best we could mathematically finish was 17th so we passed who we needed to get that and then just hung out till the end.

The race had ended, I was disappointed, and some of my guys relieved. Though I found it strange at the time I later found out it was the first time in three years that they didn’t have the car brought back to them in a box. So this was better luck than they’re used to having there.

All the race did was leave me even hungrier to get back in the car. I know we had a car capable of winning and I have a lot of confidence with everyone involved on the team.

At least this month we have two tracks we’ll be testing at, so that will have to hold me over till the next race. Other than that I’ll be trying to sell Toyota’s at the dealership so we can go race them in April. Hope this month doesn’t take to long!

I look forward to writing my column with Catchfence.com all year and I look forward to seeing you, the fans at the track.

Thanks for reading.

- Craig Goess -

Find out more about Craig Goess by visiting his web site at craiggoess.com.