Gaughan Announces Changes For The No. 77 NCTS Team

Starting in 2007 driver Brendan Gaughan will bring an entirely new game to the Craftsman Truck Series. The most substantial change comes in his choice of rides for the 25-race season as Gaughan will campaign the newly designed Chevrolet Silverado.

“The team is going through a lot of changes and we’re trying to get back to winning a championship,” said Gaughan on the changes taking place with his race team. “We really feel like Chevrolet is going to give us the best opportunity to take the South Point Racing team to another level.

“We’re excited,” Gaughan continued. “We’ve already been to the wind tunnel three times and our body guy has been working hard on all our trucks to re-body them and fix them up with new Silverado skins. Kevin Kroyer has been working his tail off trying to get us some Chevy engines so we can go test.

“The guys are excited and our trucks look fantastic. So we’re really optimistic with what the team has going on right now.”

“We are very excited to have Brendan Gaughan back under the Chevrolet banner,” offers Chevrolet’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program manager, Dayne Pierantoni. “This team has shown a real commitment to returning as a championship contender. We have been working closely with Bryan Berry (crew chief) and Tom Buzze (general manager) as they prepare for an ambitious testing schedule in January. I am sure they will capitalize on the new Silverado package that we have developed for 2007. We look forward to seeing Brendan back in victory lane soon."

Gaughan has campaigned Chevrolets in the past winning two NASCAR championships in Monte Carlos in 2000 and 2001, in the NASCAR Grand National, West Division. Gaughan also wheeled a Chevrolet to victories when he began dabbling in the Craftsman Truck Series.

“It’s like being back with old friends,” Gaughan added. “They thought we were a team to be reckoned with. They liked what they saw on an organizational level. They liked what they saw as far as our equipment. So they were excited to come and be a partner with us and we’re excited to have them.”

The Silverado is not the only change Gaughan will take to Daytona as the name of his race team will change from Orleans Racing to South Point Racing --- a move that reflects the family’s realignment in the Las Vegas gaming industry.

With the name change the official web site for Gaughan’s racing endeavors will also change, from orleansracing.com to southpointracing.com. The new site, which is featuring a soft launch on January 1, 2007, will grow to what Gaughan anticipates will be one of the most interactive efforts in NASCAR when the team arrives in Daytona to race in February.