Interview:
Harold Goodman - Honda TRX 450R & 700XX
Pro ATV Racer
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#708
Harold Goodman - Quick Facts |
Birth
Date: |
7/13/1978 |
Weight: |
150lbs |
Hometown: |
Brownstown, MI |
ATV: |
Honda TRX450R |
Occupation: |
Real Estate Inv. |
1st
ATC/ATV: |
Honda ATC70 |
Started
Racing: |
7 Years Old |
Favorite
Food: |
Steak |
Favorite
Drink: |
Dr. Pepper |
Hobbies: |
RC Cars |
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Harold
Goodman has been a familiar face in ATV racing
for many years. He has raced a wide variety
of events ranging from AMA ATV Motocross, Extreme
Dirt Track, to GNCC to TT and just about everything
in between. Harold has always kept a busy schedule,
racing multiple series’ each season with
remarkable success. This year Harold’s
accomplishments include the Pro and Pro Lites
championship in the Extreme Dirttrack series,
a top 10 placement in the AMA ATV Motocross
Nationals, the Pro ATV Championship in the SCORE
series and his team just won the Pro ATV class
in the SCORE Baja 1000.
Over
the years, Harold has become somewhat of an
icon in ATV racing and was recently recognized
for his outstanding efforts and achievements
both on and off the track as the recipient
of the 2008 ATVA Athlete of The Year award.
Harold recently took time out from his busy
schedule to talk to us about his 2008 season
and his plans for the coming year.
ATVriders.com: Harold, you’ve
had a very successful season. You won the
Extreme Dirt Trck Pro and Pro-am ATV championship,
and placed in the top 10 at Nationals. That
must make you feel pretty good.
Harold Goodman:
Definitely! I’m really
happy with how the season went and I’m
already looking forward to next season.
|
|
Harold Goodman Won his 2nd straight
Extreme Dirt Track Pro ATV Championship
this year, and he also claimed the Pro
Lites Championship |
Harold
Goodman Won SCORE BAJA 1000 with Wayne
Matlock's team on the Honda TRX 700XX,
and they also won the SCORE Pro ATV
Championship |
ATVriders.com:
The team you were on also just won the Pro
ATV class on the new Honda TRX 700XX at the
Score Baja 1000. What was that experience
like for you?
Harold
Goodman: I’ve
been to Baja several times and it’s
always been a very challenging and fun experience,
but this time our team won. It feels really
good to be a part of a winning team. It’s
really a major highlight of my racing career.
ATVriders.com:
While you were busy winning at Baja, you were
also nominated and won the AMA Athlete of
the Year award. How does that make you feel?
Harold
Goodman: That
is the single biggest award that I have ever
won. It’s a real honor for me to be
recognized like that for my accomplishments
and how I’m perceived in this sport
both on and off the track. I just wish I could
have been there to accept the award in person.
ATVriders.com:
You’ve had an incredibly exciting year,
but the excitement still isn’t over
for you as you are getting married December
13th. Are you nervous at all?
Harold
Goodman:
Actually, I’m more excited than anything.
We’ve got everything really well organized
and I’m looking forward to it.
|
|
Harold
Goodman married Jessica bielak on December
13th at the St. Stephen's Catholic Church
in Michigan |
ATVriders.com:
Are you going anyplace special for your honeymoon?
Harold
Goodman: We’re
going to an all-inclusive resort down by Cancun.
I’m really looking forward to having
a real vacation. I’ve been going pretty
steadily all year so it will be nice getting
some time to just relax.
ATVriders.com:
What are your plans after you get back?
Harold
Goodman: The
day after Christmas I’ll be heading
down to Florida to start training for a couple
of weeks, then I will head to Texas to the
Rage ATV facility to train a bit down there.
ATVriders.com:
Are you going to be doing any special training
or will you be sticking to your same program
as last year?
Harold
Goodman:
I’ll be sticking to my same program,
but I will be working harder at it. I actually
feel really good. I’m in better shape
this year than I was this time last year because
I’ve been riding a lot more in the off-season
and haven’t lost any of my conditioning.
I think that will have a big impact on my
training this year.
ATVriders.com:
Who are your main supporters going to be for
next season?
Harold
Goodman: My
two biggest supporters will be Honda again
and Houser Racing.
ATVriders.com:
The competition really seems to be increasing
in ATV racing. What are your thoughts on that?
Harold
Goodman:
I think the increased competition is really
great for our sport and it makes things a
lot more fun and a lot more interesting. A
lot of people ask me why I don’t say
I’m going to go out and win a championship
when I’m asked about my goals. I don’t
say “win it” because there’s
just too many fast guys out there now and
you have 20 riders that are all capable of
making the top five on any given day. I think
that’s a great thing and I think that
all of that competition makes our sport better
and more appealing all the time.
ATVriders.com:
What series’ will you be committed to?
Harold
Goodman:
I’ll be committed to the Extreme Dirt
Track series again, AMA Pro ATV MX Nationals,
along with all of the SCORE and BITD desert
races, which I’ll be teaming up with
Wayne Matlock to do. It’s about 30 major
events total, plus I want to do the Montreal
Supercross again if I don’t have any
schedule conflicts.
ATVriders.com: Wow! That’s a
lot of racing. What exactly are your goals
for next year with racing all of those events?
Harold
Goodman:
My main goal is to defend my Pro and Pro Lites
championships at the Extreme Dirt Track Series.
I also want to make the top five at the AMA
Pro ATV MX Nationals. Top three would be nice,
but I think top five is reasonable. I also
want to defend the SCORE championship that
Wayne and I just won, and win the BITD championship
as well.
ATVriders.com:
Do you think you will be able to accomplish
those goals?
Harold
Goodman:
I think my goals are pretty reasonable and
I’m pretty confident about winning the
BITD and SCORE series’.
ATVriders.com:
Thanks for talking to us today Harold. Congratulations
on all of your accomplishments this year and
the best of luck to you and your fiancé’
on your big day!
Harold
Goodman:
Thank you!