Document text
Leaving foes in the dust photo by Jim Craven By DON HUNT WHITE CITY - The message on the back of Jessica Goodson's go-kart tells her story: Girls rule! Boys eat dust! Goodson, a 16-year-old sophomore at Crater High School, has won two of the three main events in the 500 cc open class at the Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Cage Kart Track. Some 50 to 60 go-karts take the track on a regular basis. "She's something special," says John Skinner, the Southern Oregon Speedway promoter who watched Goodson register a clean sweep on May 26 when she won her heat race, trophy dash and main event. "She has that innate ability to make the right decisions on the track, and she's not afraid to mix it up and scrape a little metal." Goodson got her start in racing at the age of 8 in her backyard. That's when her father, Glenn, stuck her in a spare kart and matched her against her older brother, Mike, a former go-kart racer who now drives a modified stock car on the adjacent track. A couple weeks later, Jessica entered her first race. She got lapped three times, finished last and threatened to retire on the spot. But she got back behind the wheel and, two races later, found herself in victory lane at a race in Roseburg. In the eight years since, Jessica has collected several points titles and more than 100 trophies. "We moved most of the trophies into my shop years ago," Glenn Goodson says. "We ran out of room in the house." The younger Goodson has steadily moved up the go-kart latter, starting in the beginner Briggs & Stratton class in 1994 and moving through the 125, 250 and 500 junior division before graduating to the 500 open class this season, where the carts travel as fast as 60 mph. What makes her success all the more impressive is that she's driven the same kart for the past six years. Many of her rivals operate much newer and more expensive equipment. "It's not easy to kick butt in a low-budget operation, but she does," Skinner says. While Jessica deserves the lion's share of the credit, engine builder Rusty McGrath and her father, who does all of the set-up work, warrant some accolades as well. Glenn Goodson was particularly busy last Friday repairing the kart following Jessica's wreck in a heat race. He got it ready in time for the main event, but Jessica managed only a sixth-place finish that dropped her from first to third in the points race. "There are three factors at work here - engine, set-up and driver," says Glenn Goodson, a large and neighborly man who befriends many of the young drivers at the track. "I think we've got them all covered, but Jessica is the one who makes us look good." As is the case with many of the drivers, Friday night is a family affair for the Goodsons. While Glenn and Jessica are busy preparing and driving the cart, Mike Goodson serves as a flagger and Betty Goodson - Mom - keeps stats, holds wrenches, push-starts the karts and does whatever else needs to be done. "That's what this is truly about - families working as a team and having fun together," Glenn Goodson says. "We don't have to worry where our kids are on a Friday night." Jessica, one of about a half-dozen female drivers at the go-kart track, plans to follow in her brother's footsteps and move to the stock car oval in another year or two. Ultimately, she hopes to drive a sprint car on the World of Outlaws circuit. And keep her male counterparts eating her dust. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.