Brendan Gaughan Brings Home a Second-Place Finish at Chicagoland Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
After leading the most laps of the race, Brendan Gaughan and Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino team finished second in Saturday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Chicagoland Speedway.
The Las Vegas native started the American Ethanol 225 from the sixth position and reported early in the event the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet was becoming increasingly tight. Despite the handling condition, Gaughan continued to gain ground and claimed the lead on lap 13. The Gere Kennon-led pit crew worked on the truck’s handling throughout the course of multiple scheduled two and four-tire and fuel only pit stops throughout the 150-lap event that allowed Gaughan to continue to pace the field. On lap 99 the RCR driver brought the black and yellow Chevrolet down pit road for one final pit stop which included four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. Several teams opted for fuel-only or two-tire pit stops, positioning the No. 2 Chevrolet sixth for the lap-100 restart. As green-flag racing resumed, Gaughan worked his way toward the front regaining the lead with 27 laps remaining in the race. An untimely caution was brought out on lap 137 and, the No. 2 RCR Chevrolet remained on track, retaining the first-place position for the lap 141 restart. Gaughan spun the tires on the restart, causing the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet to fall back to the fifth position. Gaughan had just taken over the fourth position when the caution flag waved over the field for a final time on lap 145, setting up the field for a green-white-checkered finish. In an attempt to take over the lead, Gaughan made a dash to the front in the final laps but crossed the line in the second position.
Start – 6 Finish – 2 Laps Led – 83 Owner Points – 9
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“Tonight Richard Childress, Gere Kennon and all of the No. 2 guys gave me a South Point Cheverolet that was capable of taking us to victory lane. There was no truck out there that was going to beat us, unless we beat ourselves, and we did. I spun my tires on the second to last restart and, I gave an opening and that’s what you can’t do. I was lucky we had another chance at the restart, which allowed me the opportunity to get the second-place finish. I’m very thankful for the opportunity Richard (Childress) has given me to drive equipment of this quality. A second-place finish is great, but not when you had a truck like we did, we could have won this race.”