If you are a longtime resident of Las Vegas, you've definitely heard of the Gaughan name. At one point, most local casinos had the Gaughan name on them – Gold Coast, Orleans, South Coast, etc. Eventually, they sold off most properties and kept just one – the South Coast – and changed the name to South Point, which would eventually adorn the hood of one of their own's new ventures.
That family member is Brendan Gaughan, graduate of Bishop Gorman High School and driver of the No. 62 South Point Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, owned by Rusty Wallace Racing.
Gaughan began off-road racing trucks in 1991, winning three consecutive CORR Pro-2 Word Championships ('96-98). In 1997, he graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in business, where he had played basketball and football.
In 1998, he left off-road racing and hit the pavement, running a partial NASCAR West Series season and won back to back titles in 2000 and 2001. He then moved up to the NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series, where he took home the 2002 Rookie of the Year award and won six times in 2003.
In 2004, he made his way to the Cup level, driving for Roger Penske. In an ironic twist of fate, his teammate was Rusty Wallace, who would one day become his boss. At the time, Gaughan looked at Wallace as a mentor, calling it “one of the greatest opportunities of his life.” He finished second for the Rookie of the Year award and had four top-10s under his belt. However, by season's end, he was replaced by Travis Kvapil.
In 2005, he got back behind the wheel of a truck owned by Jasper Engines & Transmissions/Orleans Racing. He finished19th in points and was sponsored by the South Point Casino towards the end of the season. He had two top-fives and seven top-10s.
By 2008, after mergers and manufacturer switching, the team had closed and Gaughan was without a ride. Luckily, he was hired by Circle Bar Racing and finished 15th in points.
2009 would take Gaughan's career to different level – literally. He began driving the No. 62 Chevy for Rusty Wallace Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide series. South Point Casino was once again on the hood of his car. He finished ninth in points, was second in points for Rookie of the Year, had one point, three top-fives and eight top-10s.
Gaughan sticks to his local roots by writing a blog for the Las Vegas Review Journal called “Gaughan Crazy.” Click here to read his entries.
Gaughan can be followed on Twitter at @Brendan62 or visit his website at BrendanGaughan.com. You can also visit RWR at RustyWallace.com and find out more about his sponsor at SouthPointCasino.com.
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