Gaughan Loves to “Hate” Martinsville
Mooresville, N.C. (March 30, 2011) – Brendan Gaughan gets tapped often to promote races at Martinsville Speedway. The fit isn’t natural. Gaughan graduated from Georgetown University , he hails from Las Vegas , NV , and he didn’t cut his teeth racing on short tracks. Still, the old-school charm of the flat, tight half-mile circuit is not lost on Gaughan, nor is the fervor of the Virginia race fan. But he has this moniker…that he hates the place.
“I didn’t grow up on short tracks. I’m a big track guy, but I do enjoy racing at Martinsville Speedway. It’s one of those hard-nosed tracks. It’s old-fashioned. It’s a mean, tough place to race and it should never come off of the NASCAR schedule,” said Gaughan. “I remember running top five, finishing sixth and looking at my truck and there wasn’t a straight panel on it anywhere! One day, before I quit this great sport I want a “W” there. I’d love to have a Martinsville trophy with a sticker hanging next to it that says ‘I hate Martinsville .’”
Gaughan loves the Martinsville area, and has always enjoyed interacting with the fans and locals during his race weekends and media advances. He knows that though he’s promoted as hating Martinsville , he actually doesn’t really hate the place. What he really hadn’t realized is that he isn’t half bad at the track that befuddles many racing drivers.
“I didn’t realize I’ve actually done OK at Martinsville Speedway. The moniker that I hate the place is a long-standing joke that came about after I’d had a rough day racing at another track. When I was interviewed I said, ‘yeah, had a bad day, and the next thing I get to do is go race at my favorite track, Martinsville .’ Mike Smith from Martinsville called me up, and because of our bantering back and forth, I just continue to say I hate Martinsville with a smile on my face,” beamed Gaughan. “I love going to that area. I love working with Mike and the Martinsville fans are true NASCAR fans. It’s funny because I’ve done so much pre-race media for the track. I love the track, I love the area. But if anyone asks me, I hate Martinsville .”
Gaughan has earned two top-ten finishes and three 11th-place finishes in ten trips to Martinsville . He’s completed 2254 of 2256 laps in the Truck Series. In his Sprint Cup Series debut at Martinsville , he started 11th and finished 17th on the lead lap. These are impressive numbers for a guy who started out racing in off-road and has had to learn the subtle nuances of short-track racing all the while competing against the best in NASCAR.
In the weeks between Darlington and Martinsville , Gaughan participated in two of his favorite past-times. Scuba diving, and, watching the NCAA tournament. With his Hoyas out of the tourney, Gaughan will likely cheer for VCU—the team that defeated Georgetown .
Watch Gaughan’s No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Saturday, April 2nd, at Martinsville Speedway. The action starts on SPEED with practice airing at 2:00 PM ET on Friday. Qualifying is on air at 10:30 AM Saturday followed by racing at 2:00 PM—all on SPEED. If you’ll be away from a TV, set the DVR and tune your radio dial to your local MRN affiliate.
Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.
Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. He currently ranks 21st in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points standings following his 26th-place finish at Daytona. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.
- Gaughan drives the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra
- He is an 8-time winner in the Truck Series
- He holds two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship Titles
- Gaughan won in the GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year
- Gaughan has competed in 10 races, completing 2254 of 2256 laps with two Top-10 finishes
About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas , Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.