Potent team buoys Gaughan’s return

Brendan Gaughan waited a long time for the opportunity to drive for a quality NASCAR Sprint Cup team.

Now that he has the chance with Richard Childress Racing, he knows what matters is taking advantage of it.

Gaughan, 36, will race in four Cup races, including Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also will compete in 10 Nationwide Series races, including Saturday's Sam's Town 300, and eight Camping World Truck events.

"This is going to be long term for me, or we're not going to keep doing it," Gaughan said. "I don't need to waste the South Point's money. I don't need to waste my money."

The Durango High School graduate has driven his No. 33 Chevrolet, primarily sponsored by the family-owned South Point, in one Cup race this season. Gaughan qualified 40th for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 just outside Phoenix after crashing his car but on Sunday drove to 27th.

The fact Gaughan is in a prove-it situation probably would've been surprising, if not shocking, nearly a decade ago.

He won six Truck races as a rookie in 2003 and came within a late crash in the season's final race of taking the series championship.

Gaughan then got his chance at Nextel Cup -- now Sprint Cup -- the following year. He drove in 36 races but failed to win and had one top-five finish and four in the top 10. That resulted in a 28th-place finish in the standings.

After Travis Kvapil replaced Gaughan in 2005, Gaughan surprisingly didn't climb into another Cup car until 2010 when he was given one race. He finished last at Phoenix when a flat tire on the second lap forced his car into the wall.

But the real opportunity is this season.

One reason for the long wait is Gaughan wanted to make sure he had a team capable of winning races before giving Cup another chance.

He finally found that in Richard Childress Racing.

"I haven't driven this style car that often," Gaughan said. "So I have to have the chance to get out there and practice and learn how it feels, but the reason I didn't go back in and jump at anything that was handed to me, I'm fortunate. I know I didn't just have to jump at anything they had."

But he also has heard the whispers and snickers that Gaughan is in this position because of his last name and the weight it carries throughout the Las Vegas hotel and casino industry.

"People are going to say certain things just because of who they are," Gaughan said. "I'm accustomed to that. That doesn't bother me. I'm here to race cars and know that I can do it and to prove that I can do it and make sure the sponsors think it and get sponsor money and go race for Richard Childress for the next 20 years."

And it's the results that will determine Gaughan's future in NASCAR.

"My goal is to never go to a racetrack and say we can't win," he said. "I'm not here to do that. That's why I don't want to keep doing this sport if I can't."

■ PLAYING THE ODDS -- Jimmie Johnson is a 9-2 favorite, according to the Stratosphere, to claim Sunday's Cup race. Las Vegan Kyle Busch is next at 6-1, followed by reigning Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart at 7-1. Defending race champ Carl Edwards is tied with Denny Hamlin at 8-1. Kurt Busch is 35-1, and fellow local Gaughan is listed as part of the "field" at 15-1.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.