KILLEEN, Texas (March 3) – An early season practice session gave David Goode Sr. a new perspective on running a race track.
The new promoter at Texas Thunder Speedway opened the gates for an afternoon of hot laps on Feb. 20. Skies were overcast and Goode spent as much time answering the telephone as he did tending to last minute details.
“We had 50 cars show up and we had about that many people call and ask if hot laps were going to be canceled,” he said. “One of the best things about the day was that it made us look at the way we did some things and now we’ll do them better during the season.”
“I was impressed with the track surface,” he added. “We ran hot laps for five hours during the day and it really held up well.”
Some 60 truckloads of dirt were added during the off season to increase the straightaway banking on the short quarter mile.
Three sanctioned divisions, the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMods, return to weekly shows at Killeen starting this Saturday, March 6.
“We already have 89 cars registered to race this season and I know we’ll have more by opening night,” Goode said. “I really like these IMCA classes. Drivers don’t have to spend a lot of money in any of them to be competitive. If they can get the set up right, that’s where it’s at.”
Goode owns a tow truck company and watched from an infield seat before buying Michael Walter’s Southern SportMod operation.
“The next week I was in for a rude awakening,” admitted Goode, who competed 1-1/2 seasons in the class before getting into a Modified and garnering local rookie of the year honors.. His one career win in that division came in 2008 at Texas Thunder, in a field that included future national champion P.J. Egbert.
Goode’s son David Jr. won a pair of Southern SportMod features last season. His daughter Sarah earned the local SportMod ROY prize and finished in the top 10 in 2009 Lady Eagle point standings.
Texas Thunder hosts the July 4 regional event for Southern SportMods, a night when race fans will also be able to enjoy the incomparable Fort Hood fireworks display. Point races for the IMCA divisions continue through Sept. 25.
Modified points figure toward ButlerBuilt South Central Region standings. Texas Thunder is in the Stephenville Starter Southern Region for Stock Cars.
The new promoter at Texas Thunder Speedway opened the gates for an afternoon of hot laps on Feb. 20. Skies were overcast and Goode spent as much time answering the telephone as he did tending to last minute details.
“We had 50 cars show up and we had about that many people call and ask if hot laps were going to be canceled,” he said. “One of the best things about the day was that it made us look at the way we did some things and now we’ll do them better during the season.”
“I was impressed with the track surface,” he added. “We ran hot laps for five hours during the day and it really held up well.”
Some 60 truckloads of dirt were added during the off season to increase the straightaway banking on the short quarter mile.
Three sanctioned divisions, the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMods, return to weekly shows at Killeen starting this Saturday, March 6.
“We already have 89 cars registered to race this season and I know we’ll have more by opening night,” Goode said. “I really like these IMCA classes. Drivers don’t have to spend a lot of money in any of them to be competitive. If they can get the set up right, that’s where it’s at.”
Goode owns a tow truck company and watched from an infield seat before buying Michael Walter’s Southern SportMod operation.
“The next week I was in for a rude awakening,” admitted Goode, who competed 1-1/2 seasons in the class before getting into a Modified and garnering local rookie of the year honors.. His one career win in that division came in 2008 at Texas Thunder, in a field that included future national champion P.J. Egbert.
Goode’s son David Jr. won a pair of Southern SportMod features last season. His daughter Sarah earned the local SportMod ROY prize and finished in the top 10 in 2009 Lady Eagle point standings.
Texas Thunder hosts the July 4 regional event for Southern SportMods, a night when race fans will also be able to enjoy the incomparable Fort Hood fireworks display. Point races for the IMCA divisions continue through Sept. 25.
Modified points figure toward ButlerBuilt South Central Region standings. Texas Thunder is in the Stephenville Starter Southern Region for Stock Cars.
