General...

Name:
Age:
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Years in Racing:
First Race:
First Race Win:
Championships:

Brendan Gaughan (pronounced Gone)
31
July 10, 1975
Los Angeles, CA
Las Vegas, NV
5'9" / 190
Single
Georgetown University
BSBA - Human Resource Management
11
1991 Twilight 200 Off-Road Race
1991 Twilight 200 Off-Road Race
1991, '92 & '93 SNORE Class 10 Champion
1995 SODA Class 13 Champion
1996, '97 & '98 SODA World Championship
2000-'01 NASCAR Winston West Champion
2001 NASCAR Winston West "Most Popular Driver"
2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year

Behind the Scenes..

Favorite Food:
Favorite Beverage:
Favorite Color:
Favorite Type of Music:
Greatest Extravagance:
Most Treasured Possession:
Top Non-Racing Achievement:
Talent I Wish I Had:
Greatest Influences on My Life:

Hobbies:
I Couldn't Live Without:

Veal Marsala
Cranberry Juice
Red
Classic Rock
Sunglasses and Gambling (Of course, I'm from Las Vegas)
1894 Silver Dollar from Richard Ross
Playing Basketball in the NCAA Great 8
The ability to play musical instruments
My father and John Thompson, my Coach at Georgetown University
Basketball and snow skiing
My father

FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING: "Have faith in the midget" and "Patience my young Padawan"

TO RELAX, I: Listen to my favorite music, spend as much time with my four best friends in the world and my nieces and nephews. And with any luck, take the team to my family's house in Mexico. THAT IS the most relaxing place on earth.

FAVORITE CD: Not one that anyone would know. One of my very good friends, Mike Fuller, is a DJ and he makes me special editions of his music. They ROCK!

MY PRIORITIES ARE: Since I do not have any children, my first priority is to my team. They are the blood, sweat and tears behind what makes me go. They sacrifice their lives for me, therefore I must be expected to do the same for them. My family is not second, but more like a tie as my main priority. I have four nieces and nephews and they are the light of my life. My friends and my health are the other priorities in my life.

KIDS ARE SPECIAL BECAUSE: They are the future. Kids do not care that you are not Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt, all they know is that you drive a car and that is cool. There is no such thing as a bad child or a racist child. Those are things that are taught to them. Children are innocent until taught otherwise, and that purity is what makes them so special.

MY FRIENDS SAY I AM: I don't know, ask them!

MY GREATEST LIFE EXPERIENCE: The trip I took to Europe with the Speedway Children's Charity and the ESGR to Europe to visit our troops. It was a life changing experience.

One of NASCAR’s hottest young rising stars, Craftman Truck Series competitor, Brendan Gaughan, (pronounced Gone), has already made his mark in the arena of high-speed stock car racing. Taking top Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors and two wins last season, this young Las Vegas resident has firmly established himself as a top-ranked talent.

Earning the 2000 and the 2001 NASCAR Winston West Series Championships, Gaughan and Orleans Racing moved into the Craftsman Truck Series last season. “I started my racing career in trucks,” smiles Gaughan. “I really feel at home behind the wheel and better yet, they are really fun to drive. The Craftsman Truck Series offers incredible competition and I couldn’t be happier to be in the Series full time. There are some great drivers and the racing is aggressive. In short, it is a terrific series for both drivers and fans.”

Gaughan, son of Las Vegas hotel and casino magnate Michael Gaughan and the grandson of local gaming pioneer Jackie Gaughan, discovered his passion for racing at a young age. “My dad used to take me out to the desert races with him, and that’s where it all began,” said Gaughan.

From desert buggies to full-sized trucks, Gaughan’s off-road career boasts five championship titles and a wealth of knowledge. A lengthy union with the Walker Evans Racing (1992 – 1999) groomed him to make the full time transition from high-powered off-road truck racing into the arena of high-speed stock car racing.

“When I first got involved in off-road racing, I didn’t even have a driver’s license,” said Gaughan. “I had to be driven out to the race track! I think my dad finally took me seriously when I won that first desert race, and he’s been very supportive ever since.”

A graduate of Georgetown University with a degree in business management, Gaughan has shown that his athletic talents extend beyond the track to the basketball court and the football field.

During his tenure at the university, he was a member of the Georgetown Men’s Basketball team under well-known coach, John Thompson. The team won two Big East regular season championships, participated in four NCAA tournaments, and even competed in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.

Gaughan was also a member of the Georgetown Men’s Football team that participates in the NCAA Division IAA level where he earned All-Conference honors.

In addition to his current focus on the Craftsman Truck Series, Gaughan is an instructor for the Richard Petty Driving Experience at his home track, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He is also keeping busy learning the many facets of the family’s hotel and casino operations.

“I’ve been working in the business since I was 13 years old,” explained Gaughan. “So far, my duties have included just about everything from bussing tables to dealing cards. My goals are to be successful in both my business career and my racing career.”