Event Preview Fact Sheet at Chicagoland Speedway
This Week’s Rheem/Menards Chevrolet at Chicagoland Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot Chassis No. 103 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. Built new for competition in 2012, Gaughan has driven this entry three times earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway and Darlington Raceway earning a fifth, 10th and 26th-place finish, respectively.
Familiar Face … The Las Vegas native returns to the driver’s seat of the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet as the Nationwide Series travels to Chicagoland Speedway. The STP 300 marks Gaughan’s fourth of 10 scheduled Nationwide Series appearances during the 2012 season for RCR. So far this season, he has collected one top-five and two top-10 finishes to date.
Racing in Chi-Town … Sunday’s 300-mile race marks Gaughan’s 75th career Nationwide Series start and third Nationwide Series appearance at the Jolliet, Ill.-based facility. During his two previous series starts at Chicagoland Speedway, Gaughan has completed 402 of 403 (99.8 percent) of the laps contested and has been credited for leading one lap. He holds an average starting position of 30th and average finishing position of 14.5.
In the Loop … According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Gaughan maintains an Average Running Position of the 16.445 at Chicagoland Speedway and has made a total of 103 Green Flag Passes. The 36-year-old driver has completed 109 (72.7 percent) of the laps contested running within the Top 15.
To the Points … The No. 33 RCR Chevrolet team sits fifth in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, 50 points behind the No. 18 team in the lead. The No. 33 team has earned two pole awards, eight top-five and 13 top-10 finishes between six different drivers (Ty Dillon, Gaughan, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Max Papis and Tony Stewart) thus far this season.
Double Duty … In addition to competing in the Nationwide Series event at Chicagoland Speedway, Gaughan will also drive the No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Silverado for RCR during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on Saturday evening. The race is scheduled to air live on SPEED at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Gotta Have a Rheem … Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta and U.S. operations in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Minnesota and North Carolina. In its 86th year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar and hybrid heat pump water heaters; whole-home standby generators, controls, swimming pool and spa heaters; indoor air-purification products; and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Rheem, Raypak, Ruud and Richmond have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing, and is a primary sponsor of RCR’s No. 29 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
In the Rearview Mirror: New Hampshire Motor Speedway …Harvick and the No. 33 Barber Foods team finished second after battling handling issues and lapped traffic during the Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Saturday afternoon.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on driving the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway?
“I’m really excited to run the Rheem/Menards Chevrolet this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Having the chance to represent such a great company, the Menards associates and the Menards family is such an amazing opportunity and will be a lot of fun for me. I’m even happier to just be back in the car. The whole part-time deal this year has been an odd experience to deal with when you’ve spent your whole life racing for a living. I’m really excited just to be back at a racetrack.”