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Finding Their Piece of the Pie? Track Champ Goodwin, Burks Bolt Bombers for Sportsmen

By Chuck Corder

Two drivers separated by nearly two decades have spent the last two seasons chasing each other around the half-mile, asphalt oval at Five Flags Speedway.

Deuces seem wild for Gary Goodwin and Brandon Burks.

No surprise then that the pair, which has dominated the Butler U-Pull-It Bombers class of late, wants to take a stab at the pot this upcoming season with a bold move to the Sportsman Division.

Both Goodwin, 38, and Burks, 20, have already secured Sportsman rides and have high expectations heading into relatively uncharted waters.

Both will have to deal with the fearsome twosome of three-time reigning Sportsman Snowball Derby king Steve Buttrick and two-time defending track champion Brannon Fowler when the season gets underway March 22 at Pensacola’s high banks.

“I know the (No.) 33 (Buttrick), and the (No.) 00 (Fowler) have been battling for the points lead, swapping it back and forth,� Goodwin said, “but there’s gonna be a new car in the mix that they’ll have to worry about.

“I have no doubts we’ll be up front just like we were in the Bombers.�

Goodwin capped a historic two-year run last fall with his second consecutive track title, which included six wins and leaving runner-up Burks in the dust by 64 points.

The charter boat fishing captain by day has never lacked for confidence, and he was at his effervescent self when discussing the leap on a recent afternoon.

“There’s too many crybabies about me winning so much,� Goodwin said of the drivers in what is now his former class. “It’s time to go.�

Goodwin got a taste of what awaits by finishing a respectable fifth in the Sportsman Derby in December.

Shortly after he purchased that same ride, making some minor tweaks, most notably changing the number from 44 to his familiar 23.

“It’s a proven car, a good setup and ready to be in the front because we’re gonna be up front,� Goodwin ensured.

Burks, a multi-feature winner the last two seasons, hopes to follow a similar line. He’ll be driving a Sportsman car owned by Curtis Faircloth, who had helped young Burks with his Bombers setup the last few years.

“It’s crazy. I keep asking why they would want me to drive the car,� Burks said. “I feel really appreciative. It makes me want to go out and drive better because I’ve been given everything now. It’s up to me to win races.�

Whether the car will be ready in time for the season opener remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, though: Burks is light years from where he started just a few years ago.

“It is a sense of accomplishment,� he said. “When I first started, it was just me and my dad. We busted our butts on the car every week. I look back now and see I learned so much. I wouldn’t want to change it any other way.�

Now, Burks is transitioning to a division where the competition he knows is certainly somewhat stiffer than what he was used to on Friday nights.

“I’m excited,� he said. “I can’t wait to run against Fowler and Steve Buttrick and Shanna Ard. Those guys put on a show every week. It’s harder to win, harder to get in the top three. Some nights might be more frustrating, but it’s going to be a more fun race in itself.�

No surprise that Burks’ friendly rival is door-to-door with his observations of the new landscape the duo is preparing to embark on.

“I wanted to move the Sportsman class because it’s racier, more competition,� Goodwin said. “I hope we can have the same results as we’ve had the last couple of years. The car is perfect, ready to go to the front. I like it.�

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