Brendan Gaughan and the South Point Hotel & Casino Team Finish Third at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Brendan Gaughan and the No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino team brought home a third-place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season finale Saturday night under the lights of Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Starting the 200-lap event from the 16th-position, the Las Vegas native spent the early laps working toward the front of the field, breaking into the top 10 by lap 38. As the team approached the first round of green-flag pit stops, Gaughan informed crew chief Ernie Cope that the black and gold machine developed a tight-handling condition. The Cope-led pit crew changed four tires, added fuel and made a chassis adjustment during a visit to pit road on lap 47. As green-flag pit stops cycled through the field, the 37-year-old driver held onto a top-10 position, but noted the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was still tight. The South Point Hotel & Casino pit crew continued to work on the handling of the car during several scheduled pit stops as Gaughan continued to climb in the running order. The RCR driver returned to the track in the fifth position following the team’s final four-tire pit stop on lap 175 and continued to advance his track position, bringing home a third-place result in his 10th Nationwide Series appearance of the 2012 season.
Start – 16 Finish – 3 Laps Led – 0 Owner Points – 5
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“We were fast all night. Ernie Cope (crew chief) and the boys gave me a Chevrolet that could run up front. I got a great restart at the end and was able to get the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet near the front and pick up a solid finish tonight. I can’t thank Richard Childress and the No. 33 team enough for everything they have done for me all season, I’ve had my confidence built back up this season because of everyone at RCR, so it was very fitting to finish well at Homestead (Miami Speedway).”