Brendan Gaughan is Psyched for his Return to Lowe’s Motor Speedway: Following two top-10 finishes in as many weeks, Gaughan looks forward to running at the Concord, N.C., facility.

“Coming off the past two weeks, it would be hard not to be excited about any track. Seriously, though, I like running at Charlotte. I know this is a ‘what if’, but if I hadn’t hit the wall during practice for the [Coca-Cola] 600, we might have had a top-15 finish. I would like to say higher than that, but I don’t want to be greedy.

Gaughan’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Experience at LMS:

Nextel Open – Gaughan started the Nextel Open from the 10th position but his night ended early; before crossing the line to take the green flag for that matter. Gaughan was caught up in the multi-car debacle that started the Open and finished 23rd.

Coca-Cola 600 – Gaughan qualified seventh for the longest event on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule but a wreck during practice required the team to pull out the back-up car. Gaughan said the car felt good but with limited practice in the machine, no one could foresee the handling troubles that would plague the No. 77 Dodge throughout the event. Gaughan finished 33rd, eight laps down.

Jasper Engines and Transmissions as Primary at LMS: For the sixth time in the 2004 season, Gaughan will run the Jasper Engines and Transmissions paint scheme. The familiar JET logo along with Elmo, Jasper’s fun-loving mechanic, will adorn the hood as the primary sponsor.

Shane Wilson Talks about the No. 77 Team’s Performance at Talladega and Kansas:

“We have a real strong team. The past couple of weeks, everyone has really executed. From the time we have rolled the cars off the hauler to the drop of the checkered flag the focus has been there. I guess you can say when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

“The teams in the ‘Chase’ are there because they have executed all year long. Mistakes have to be minimized. They are not always avoidable, but the key factor is to remain focused and execute the plan as close to original as possible despite the mistakes. That is how championships are won.”

Equipment: Brendan Gaughan will race chassis PRS-51 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway at Charlotte. PRS-51 is a Penske chassis with a new body. It was acquired from the No. 2 Miller Lite Racing team. Gaughan’s Penske-Jasper powered teammate Rusty Wallace raced PRS-51 several times. Despite minor handling challenges, Wallace thought PRS-51 was a good car.

from Jasper