10 to Go with Jeffrey Goodale

This week’s 10 to Go is with Jeffrey Goodale, the rookie driver of the No. 46 Modified.

When did you get started racing?

Jeffrey Goodale: First grade. So whatever age you are in first grade. I think I was probably eight. I had my birthday and my dad made me go out in the backyard and he had a go-kart out there for me. Ever since then I fell in love with it. So it’s been a while. I’m 20 years old now. It’s been a ride to get me to here now, but I think I was eight or nine years old when I first got started.

Do you remember your reaction when you walked out in the back and saw the kart?

Goodale: I wouldn’t believe it was mine. I was like “What is this thing doing here?” It took a while for it to kick in. We went to the track the first time and I just fell in love with it.

Was racing something you wanted to do at that point before you got the kart?

Goodale: Back when Westhampton was open I’d watch Eric race go-karts. My dad took me there and one day he asked “Would you want to do this one day?” and I said, “Yeah, I’d love to.” Then shortly after that he bought me the go-kart. I’ve been hooked ever since. We’ve all been hooked. That’s why we’ve got like seven cars here today. It’s kind of an unhealthy addiction (laughs).

How many types of cars have you raced and which one is your favorite?

Goodale: Well I went through the ranks in go-karts and then we started in the Legend car. We did that actually down south. We did some training with the Legends cars. And then we came up here and we were a pretty fast team. We didn’t get any wins, but we were pretty competitive. And now it’s my first year in a Modified. So this is my third stage I guess; my third real division that I’ve been in.

So which one is your favorite?

Goodale: Oh this thing for sure (looks at his Modified). I loved the Legend cars. I really loved go-karts. Go-karts got me started. Legend cars got me used to Saturday night racing. But there’s nothing like this. There’s just so much power and it’s so much fun to drive. Plus you’re like the main show, so it’s always fun to be a part of that.

What track do you want to race the most that you haven’t gotten to yet?

Goodale: Thompson. I want to see what it’s like. I want to see what kind of speed these things really have. You know, here at Riverhead or at Waterford, which are still fairly fast, you’re not in the gas nearly as long as you are at Thompson or Stafford. So I’m really looking forward to going there and seeing what she’s got and what we can do there.

Is that in the plans this year? To go up there?

Goodale: We’ve been talking about going up there maybe World Series weekend and having Kyle (Ellwood) run a Tour race and maybe I run the SK. But we have no set plans. We rarely know what we are doing the next weekend, whether it’s going to be Waterford or here. So far we are sticking with here for a while, because we are still trying to figure this place out. But we do want to do a bit more traveling. We definitely want to hit Waterford a few more times and hopefully Thompson by the end of the year. I just want to get comfortable with the car and then hopefully we’ll go there.

Do you have any superstitions or routines that you do each week or any lucky charms?

Goodale: No. I’ve always heard racing is a really superstitious sport. I mean, I follow a routine, but I don’t really consider it any kind of superstition. We wake up in the morning, we pack up the cars, we go over to Lolly’s Hut. I get my French toast and we come over here. I think superstitions only happen for superstitious people. We picked 13 today for tire draw. Someone was telling me it was going to be a bad day. But we got down to the one’s for time-trials and it’s going pretty smoothly. So superstitions don’t really have much of an effect on me. At least not yet.

What’s your favorite racing moment?

Goodale: I’ve always enjoyed when Kyle wins or when Brad (Van Houten) wins. It’s so cool when we are in the same race and I get to pull off in victory lane with them and get out of my car and shake their hand. It’s always good when one of my teammates comes home with a win.

As far as an all-time favorite, it was probably my first race in a Modified. I had Kyle’s dad, John Ellwood, on the radio for me spotting. I had never dealt with a radio. I never had a spotter. So we actually did excellent. I finished middle of the pack. It was right then and there that I realized I could run with these guys and we have a chance to be a factor along the way. It was really cool. I got out of that car and it was such a good feeling. That was probably my coolest moment ever in racing.

What’s your most embarrassing moment?

Goodale: That’s an easy one, actually. With the Legend cars we were time-trialing and coming out of turn two actually here at Riverhead I didn’t have the steering wheel clicked in all the way so when I came out of the corner the steering wheel came right off. I just went straight into the wall. And I was the only car out there so everyone heard it. Everyone saw it. I wasn’t able to hear Bob Finan on the speaker but I (was told) he went “Oh? I don’t really know what that was” (laughs), so that was probably one of my more embarrassing moments. Just because everyone is watching you. You’re the only car out there and you screw up like that. But yeah. That was just last year. So within the last two years I’ve had my most embarrassing and my best moments.

Have you suffered any injuries racing?

Goodale: No, knock on wood. Nothing major. I’ve had a few bruises and stuff like that, but nothing serious. My parents have always put me in good, safe equipment. Even in go-karts I took a few good, hard hits in go-karts. I’ve seen people get hurt in go-karts. But I guess I’ve been lucky. And hopefully it stays that way. Just keeping your eyes peeled and being alert. If I keep that up hopefully I’ll never have to see the inside of an ambulance.

Do you have a nickname?

Goodale: I do have a nickname, but it’s honestly my nickname and Eric’s nickname. It’s “Goodie.” Everyone calls me Goodie here. It’s just one of those things. If I’m at a family party with Eric and someone yells Goodie we all look, just because it’s our nickname. It comes from our last name and I love it. That’s where we got our team name, Goodie Motorsports. I get called other things too (laughs), but that’s really the only nickname I have. Which I guess is a good thing.

Does having Cystic Fibrosis cause you any issues while racing?

Goodale: Well I’m very fortunate to have a really mild case of it. So the only real factor it has is my small weight. I have a tough time gaining weight. Which is actually a good thing because we can put more lead in the car. We can put it where we want to put it in the car. So from a setup standpoint it’s really not that bad.

But as far as fatigue and me out on the track with the other guys, I really don’t see any disadvantages. Especially here. This track is fairly easy on the body. At Mountain I did have a little bit of trouble. But Mountain is hard on everybody. It’s such a bumpy track, especially in Legend cars.

But there’s no physical disadvantage that I see. Which is another reason that I love racing so much. A guy came for a Newsday interview and I said my favorite line that I always say which is, “everyone is the same size in the race car.” You could be six-foot-something, 300-pounds, jacked out of your mind, and you get in a race car and if I’m faster than you I can beat you around a track and I’m a 130-pound guy. Which is cool. I take a lot of enjoyment in that. It’s just another reason I love racing so much.

Source: Rob Blount/LongIslandJam.com