Goforth edges Wilson to earn first victory

USA modified driver Kyle Goforth won his first A feature dirt car race Friday night at State Fair Speedway. Dena Wilson and a rough track certainly made him earn it.

The track avoided its sixth rainout of the season, but the recent wet weather left its mark. Derek Nadler barrel-rolled his No. 18 car after a tire caught a deep groove between turns three and four on the first lap of the feature. Stanley Reed Jr. rolled his car on the same stretch of track a few laps later.

Race leader Steve Smith then blew a tire through the turns, sending him off the track and giving Wilson the lead on the sixth lap.

But Goforth tracked down the 34-year-old Coweta resident on lap 13, and the two drivers entertained the estimated 2,500 fans with several lead changes. Goforth nudged ahead on the straightaways only to watch Wilson regain the lead through the turns. The two even bumped cars on lap 15.

Goforth finally took the lead and pulled away for good.

"I can't really think of a better way to win my first race,” the 17-year-old Goforth said. "She (Wilson) put up a good fight. I knew she was really aggressive. I had her in my heat race.”

Goforth, who will be a senior this fall at Dale High School, knew the track had some trouble spots in the turns, even though he didn't see either Nadler or Reed crash.

"The ruts were in the middle of the track,” Goforth said. "(Wilson) was sticking to the bottom of the track, and I stayed high. It paid off.”

•Grade-schoolers from across the metro were on hand to show off their Kid Sprinters. The speedway dubs the event every year, "The Stars of Tomorrow.”

The Kid Sprints put on a five-lap race at the end of Friday night's regular show. Cody Jarvis won the event. The 9-year-old attends Mustang Creek Grade School and is currently third in the point standings at I-44 Speedway, which has its weekly race card at 7 tonight.

"I want to eventually race big sprint cars,” said Jarvis, whose father, Wade, raced sprinters several years ago at State Fair Speedway. "They go faster.”

•Justin Allen won the factory stock feature on Friday night, while Joe Wood won his first super sprint feature of the year. Reed won the pro stock feature despite injuring his shoulder during his USA modified crash.

Reed, who was considering a trip to the hospital to have his shoulder examined, was unable to drive his pro stock back to the pits after his win.