Brendan Gaughan Post-Race Report - Milwaukee

Brendan Gaughan rolled into The Milwaukee Mile with three consecutive top five finishes at the historic oval and he was fiercely determined to add a fourth.

Instead, his fourth start at the one-mile flat track turned into a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time instead of a night to remember.

Gaughan started the 200-lap race in 20th place and like most of his fellow competitors he struggled with a tight race truck until the first round of pit stops on Lap 40. The adjustments made by the pit crew were on the money and Gaughan was able to race the No. 77 Orleans Racing Dodge from 29th on the restart up to 17th by the time the third caution flew on Lap 77. A quick two-tire stop gained Gaughan another five spots as he lurked just outside the top 10.

His first close encounter of the evening came on Lap 83 when Kerry Earnhardt spun out while running mid-pack and the field scrambled to avoid him. The Orleans Racing Dodge made incidental contact with another truck but Gaughan was able to continue and lost just two positions in the fracas.

After the restart, Gaughan found himself running in a crowd with nowhere to hide. Caught in the middle with a truck on either side, he was along for the ride when the driver on the inside drifted high and forced him into the truck running the high groove.

Soon after the contact, Gaughan reported that the tight condition had returned and this time it remained until the end of the race. What started out as a night of promise for Gaughan and his team ended with a disappointing 19th place finish.

The Orleans Racing team will have little time to cry over the spilled Milwaukee mile as they gear up for next weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway.