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Submitted: 11/30/22 • Approved: 12/12/22 • Last Updated: 12/15/22 • R1459930-G0-S3
STAFF SERGEANT US Army
Persian Gulf
1972 - April 24, 2016
*Obituary
Newspaper Unknown
Date Unknown
On April 24, 2016, Titus Goodger passed away following a crash at Turn 2 at Motorsports Ranch Cresson during Round 3 of the CMRA season. I had the pleasure of doing battle with Titus on the track, but more importantly I was fortunate enough to meet him in person just two days before he left us. When we visited he was upbeat and clearly passionate about this sport. At one point the conversation shifted to the subject of Eagle’s Canyon Raceway. When Titus talked about his experiences at ECR his eyes lit up with delight as he explained all the intricacies of the layout and how he overcame the challenges of the track to push and become faster. It was the type of bench racing I love to hear, and before I knew it I’d burned 45 minutes. Despite being a pretty quiet guy most of the time, Titus spoke multiple times in the CMRA Town Hall meeting that evening and made an impact on many people – most of which had never spoken to him personally.
I have been impacted more heavily by Titus’ passing than I have anyone else in my life whom I only knew for a short amount of time. Maybe it’s because I had only just met him days before, maybe it’s because I witnessed the crash, but likely it’s because there is a brotherhood (and sisterhood) which exists in this sport unlike any other. We look out for each other in the paddock, fist bump on the grid and give enthusiastic thumbs up after crossing the finish line in a heated battle. Sometimes we bicker or push each other’s buttons (as siblings do), but in the end we all genuinely care for each other. Subconsciously we understand that in a sport with such heavy consequences for mistakes, we must look out for one another whether that racer has been with the club 30 years or 30 days.
A lot of people ask me why I have chosen to put myself at risk with this sport. I’ve even been judged and lectured by family and co-workers for being “selfish and irresponsible”. This event has fueled the fire for those who argue against my racing career, but it hasn’t made me question my involvement in motorcycle racing. There are several complex answers for the question “Why do you do this?”, and I’ll actually touch on them at some point on this page, but for now I will leave you with this statement, posted by a fellow CMRA racer on social media. I don’t think it could be said better:
“The realization sinks in that we risk our lives each time we straddle a motorcycle. It’s been argued that motorcycle racing is the closest descended to the ancestral gladiatorial games where riders willingly risk their lives for a sport and feeling of accomplishment or reward. These few days since his passing have been of heavy reflection. People will ask us why we keep doing it, to which we will never have a good answer. It’s a lifestyle. It’s what’s in our blood, and it’s what makes us who we are.
RIP Titus Goodger”
Contributed on 11/30/22 by judyfrog
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Record #: 1459930