Driving in a Standardbred race seems simple enough. You go around in circles a dozen or so times, perhaps head to another track and then make your way back to your bed in order to rest up for the next session. Unfortunately, regardless of your chosen vocation, sometimes life gets in the way of the easiest tasks and makes what should be a simple decision into an unsolvable puzzle that your mind is insistent on solving to perfection. There was a time when driver Eric Goodell was near the top of the harness racing world. From 2004 to 2008 he finished in the top 25 in wins four times and from 2007 to 2013 he was consistently in the top 25 in earnings. During those good years, the Michigan native was winning stakes races and even captured an elimination of the Hambletonian in 2008 with Atomic Hall, but behind the scenes his mind was always on overdrive. "Brian Sears and I talk a lot. He always said I have million-dollar hands and a 10-cent brain," said Goodell. "I change my mind way too much and I complicate things more than I should. I should've put my career first and the rest would work itself out. I was really close with my kids and I wanted to be close to them, but I should've kept racing." A divorce, which saw his wife and two kids move back to Michigan, had the then East Coast-based Goodell split between two worlds and desires – the need to make a living - while at the same time longing to be near his children. The indecision led to Goodell admittedly going through the motions of racing and giving up his standing on the East Coast to race at The Meadows in western Pennsylvania and also on the Ohio circuit beginning in 2014. He eventually returned closer to the Atlantic Ocean and raced at tracks like Yonkers more frequently from 2017, but it was never the same. "I wasn't happy driving $6,000 or $8,000 claimers at The Meadows. It's like getting your Master's degree and working at the Dollar Store. Don't get me wrong, The Meadows is fine and there is nothing wrong with it, but the last 10 years of my career should've been the best of my life instead of the worst. I really give credit to guys like David Miller who have been able to keep it up year after year. "There are many things that bother me still to this day," continued Goodell about his regrets. "I used to butt heads on the track with guys like Tim Tetrick and Yannick Gingras and now both are in the Hall of Fame. That bothers me because I probably could've had 8,000 wins by now if I stayed committed. I got divorced 10 years ago. That's how long my career has been stagnant." After perhaps a half-dozen years of half-heartedly participating in the sport he had loved since he was a kid in Michigan, competing at tracks like Saginaw and Sports Creek, Goodell simply disappeared from the racing landscape when the Pandemic hit in March 2020. He built a small farm in Aiken, South Carolina, around the horse community in that region, and along with his now wife of three years Julie, bought some rental properties that are available via Airbnb. Goodell wouldn't get back in the bike again for over a year until May 2021, and while he raced sporadically for a few months while bouncing around from track to track, the joy of racing was simply eluding him in the moment. There were many factors at play for Goodell, and looking back he admits to being embarrassed and filled with regret when it comes to the last 10 years of his life. In addition to the divorce, he dealt with a number of on-track injuries that he says led to concussions which weighed heavily in his thoughts. Everything Goodell accomplished in his career that began with one drive in 1993 and took off later that decade was on hold for a long time. While his win total of 5,852 has remained stagnant for nearly a year and a half, that all could end Sunday (2/19) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun Pennsylvania. Some 520 days removed from his last drive, Goodell is mentally and physically prepared for a renewed commitment to harness racing as he is set to compete in three races on the Pocono card. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter "Physically and mentally I'm more fit than ever in my life. I feel like I'm finally more mature and to the point where if I finish last every race for a month I won't run away from [harness racing]," said Goodell, who is clearheaded enough to admit he dropped the ball on many levels. "Looking back I would have done things differently. I would've kept my eye on the prize and committed to a better work ethic." Goodell said his phone has been "blowing up" since his name appeared in the entries, but he wasn't expecting much in the early going as he attempts to make his way back into the mix. According to the driver, he passed up a number of opportunities to come back in recent years, including from top trainers like Noel Daley, who while he hasn't had contact with Goodell in some time, said he wouldn't hesitate to list him on his horses. "I can always use him at Yonkers, but with him I'm always leery about how long he's going to stay around," said Daley. "It's never about his ability on the track and I'm not scared to use him." One has to wonder what has changed inside Goodell to reignite his flame for racing. The driver cited a number of little things which provided the spark. First, his involvement with fellow horseman Mike Simons while breaking babies in South Carolina. The trainer was telling him about a nice 3-year-old filly he has for 2023. That interaction played a role, as did unexpectedly coming across a video of himself winning the Artiscape in 2009 with Tug River Princess. "It choked me up a bit," said Goodell about watching the race. "I thought, that's where I should be; on the track." Goodell also clearly regrets that his relationship with his 19-year-old son is sporadic at best. While he only speaks to him once in a while, the now 49-year-old driver took inspiration from a text he received on Wednesday (2/15). "He's bitter about what happened, but today when I was on the golf course he texted me: 'You're coming out of retirement I see.' I think it means a lot to him to see his dad give it a shot," said Goodell. "My biggest regret is not leading by example for my kids." In fairness, there is no master plan in place for the resurrection of Goodell's career. He was still arranging where to stay in Pennsylvania as of Wednesday, but at the very least there seems to be a solid support system from his friends as Goodell mentioned numerous offers from fellow horsemen to provide him a bed or even a house. "Rob Harmon and Tyler Buter both said I can stay with them in Milford, Pennsylvania. Brad Irvine, who is in California now, has a place like 15 minutes from Pocono, and he said he'd leave the door open for me," said Goodell, whose first drive is slated to be behind the Paul Fusco-trained Night Explorer in the sixth race on Sunday. Talking to Goodell, the driver appears accepting of his mistakes and level-headed enough to make better decisions in the future. He understands he is fighting an uphill battle and name recognition will only take him so far, but he certainly doesn't lack confidence in his ability to make his own luck. "It's been a while since I drove a horse but I didn't forget how to do it," said Goodell. "I'm not putting pressure on myself. I'm going to keep climbing out of it until I do get the one [horse] that really puts a smile on my face. I'm going to enjoy the camaraderie and the people in the paddock and on the track. "This is something I have to do. I have to give myself a fair shot at it," said Goodell. "At the end of the day, this time next year, I'll say I put myself back into it and we'll see where I am."