Posted by UMRA on 6/14/2005, 11:56 am
Board Administrator

Goff gets spun and wins UMRA feature at Mt. Lawn By JIM MORRISON Sprintin’ Around NEW CASTLE, Ind. -- Terry Goff got bumped on the last lap of the United Midget Racing Association feature at Mt. Lawn Speedway on Friday night, failed to take the checkered flag and still won his second main event of the season. Goff, defending UMRA champion, led Jason Willis exiting the final corner when he was bumped from behind by the Lawrenceburg, Ind., driver. The contact moved Goff up on the track and allowed Willis to pull beside him on the inside. They made contact again with Goff spinning into the wall, coming to a stop about 10 feet from the finish line and Willis the first under the checkered flag. UMRA officials disqualified Willis for rough driving, citing several points of contact on the final lap before the pair reached the last corner. Since all cars had taken the white flag, officials ruled the race complete with the running order reverting to the last completed lap, according to UMRA President Travis Stickles. “I can’t tell you what happened,” said Goff. It all happened behind me.” Goff had no comment when asked if there had been contact on the last lap before the final corner. “It is just a racing deal,” said Goff. “The club took care of it and they think they made the right decision. “I don’t necessarily like to win races like that, but I will take it and go to the next one.” Willis’ version differed somewhat from that of UMRA officials, saying there was no contact until the final corner and that was caused when Goff brake-checked his car. He tried to avoid hitting the leader, but failed, he said. “Going into that hairpin corner, Terry -- knowing that we were coming for the last corner -- checked it up real hard to keep it in real tight. When he did that, I slammed on the brakes. I thought my brakes went out, but I either hit oil or I just could not check up fast enough. “ ... I tried to steer in to miss him as much as I could but I hit his back tires. It knocked him up and got me underneath of him. Coming off the corner, I was underneath him and, I guess, he was going to keep me from passing him so he dove down into me. When he hit me, he bounced off of me, spun his car sideways and hit the wall.” Willis said he was holding his line when Goff dove into him. It’s unfortunate that Goff destroyed his car, said Willis, but he did not cause it. For about half of the race, Willis led with Will Niederman second and Goff third. Willis and Goff each said the track became slippery with oil. “I couldn’t hardly get on the gas,” said Willis. “The only place were my car was halfway decent was the hairpin corner where I came out pretty straight.” Willis said he made no contact until the hairpin corner and he was disqualified for that. Before the final corner incident, Goff and Willis put on an excellent show with Willis leading early and Goff working his way into second. “I just kind of kept adjusting on my car, getting it better,” said Goff. “The race track kept getting slicker and I kept adjusting and I kept getting better.” Someone was putting a lot of oil on the racing surface, said Goff, though he was uncertain which car it came from. “Tonight, that probably was to my advantage because if it would have stayed to where you could get ahold of it, Jason (Willis) was going pretty fast.” Willis pulled beside Goff on the backstretch when the race restarted with about five laps to go, but the caution came out. “My car misses a little bit on the bottom (of the power range),” said Goff. When the starter told drivers by radio the race was going green, his car sputtered while Willis pulled to the inside, said Goff, who acknowledged he was lucky the yellow flag waved again. “It is just one of those racing deals,” Goff said about the mishap with Willis. “I feel bad for him.” Goff must replace the front clip on his chassis before UMRA’s next race at Rushville, Ind., June 18. “It will be a busy week,” said Goff. Following Terry Goff at the finish was his brother, Caery “Oogie” Goff and Joey Paxson in third.after starting 12. Rain forced cancellation of qualification runs. Officials results from heat races were not available.

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