Brendan Gaughan to Drive Full 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Season for Richard Childress Racing
WELCOME, N.C. (October 18, 2013) –
Brendan Gaughan will compete full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series during the 2014 season in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro.
Driving for RCR during the 2013 season, the Las Vegas native competed full time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, along with three Nationwide Series races. In total, Gaughan has made 84 Nationwide Series starts in his 17-year NASCAR racing career, and has two full seasons (2009 and 2010) of series competition on his resume since his NASCAR debut in 1997, earning one pole award, nine top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.
The No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino team will begin the 2014 Nationwide Series season with the owner points earned by RCR’s No. 33 entry in 2013 and will be under the direction of crew chief Shane Wilson.
“We have greatly enjoyed our relationship with Richard Childress Racing and jumped at the opportunity to continue this partnership,” said Ryan Growney, South Point CEO. “With some of the top drivers, crews and management in the sport, Richard Childress Racing is a perfect representative for the South Point brand on the racetrack.”
In addition to Gaughan, the 2014 Nationwide Series team lineup will include 2012 Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year Ty Dillon in the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro and Brian Scott in the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro.
“It is great to have Brendan Gaughan and South Point back with us for another season,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Brendan has proved he can race and win in NASCAR. We’re looking forward to having him with us full time next year in the Nationwide Series driving the No. 62 South Point Chevrolet Camaro. Michael Gaughan has been a big supporter of RCR, and racing in general, for many years and it’s a privilege to have him and Brendan as part of our team in 2014.
“This gives us a very competitive Nationwide Series line up for next year, and I look forward to winning races with all three of our drivers.”
South Point Hotel & Casino is one of Las Vegas’ premier destinations for racing action and motorsports. Whether enjoying a virtual NASCAR race while playing slots on the casino floor or enjoying live racing action in the casino’s sports book, guests can expect a unique experience with every visit to South Point. In addition to the racing atmosphere, South Point offers a delectable lineup of 11 restaurants, a full-service spa and salon, a state-of-the-art movie theater complex, a revolving lineup of top entertainers, 60 lanes of bowling, an equestrian center, more than 250,000 square feet of meeting rooms, convention and exhibit area. With all the resort has to offer, there’s no surprise why South Point is constantly filled with wall-to-wall guests.
“I’m really happy to be taking on this new challenge in my career and returning to full-time competition in the Nationwide Series,” said Gaughan. “We didn’t accomplish our goal this season of winning the Truck Series championship, but with the achievements Shane (Wilson) has in the Nationwide Series, and knowing how strong the team currently is, I’m extremely excited to be entering a new season moving up in the NASCAR ranks. Also knowing that I’ll be driving championship-caliber RCR equipment has really provided me with a lot of confidence to make this move.”
Gaughan will once again be paired up with crew chief Wilson as he embarks on this new journey in his racing career. The duo first teamed up in 2000, running four Camping World Truck Series races and three more in 2001, earning a third-place finish at Mesa Marin Speedway in Bakersfield, Calif. They ran a full season in 2002, winning both races at Texas Motor Speedway and finishing 11th in the driver championship point standings. The next year was a breakout season for the pair, winning six races, earning 18 top-10 finishes and three pole awards on the way to a third-place finish in the driver championship point standings. Together they made the move in 2004 to a full season the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, earning one top-five and two other top-10 finishes.
“I’m looking forward to moving up with Brendan to the Nationwide Series,” said Wilson. “It was great to be reunited with him last season in the Truck Series, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish in 2014.”
RCR has a championship history in the Nationwide Series that dates back to 2001 when Kevin Harvick earned the organization’s first Nationwide Series title on the strength of four pole awards, five wins, 20 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes. Harvick repeated this achievement by winning the 2006 driver championship, with Shane Wilson as crew chief, beating the competition by an unprecedented 824 point margin after collecting one pole award, a season-high nine wins, 23 top-five and 32-10 top ten finishes. Clint Bowyer also earned a championship title for RCR in 2008 picking up one win, 14 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes. The Welcome, N.C., based team also secured the owner’s title in 2003 with Johnny Sauter and Harvick and again in 2007 with Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer. To date, RCR-prepared entries have made 960 starts in the Nationwide Series though the last 15 years, earning 50 pole awards, 66 wins, 323 top-five and 536 top-10 finishes.
