Gaughan, 36, is the 2002 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year and competed fulltime in the Nationwide Series in 2009 and 2010, earning one pole and 17 top-10 finishes in 71 career starts. He finished ninth in the 2009 driver championship point standings and 11th in 2010. The two-time NASCAR Camping World Series West champion (2000-2001) has also earned eight victories and 63 top-10 finishes in 187 Truck Series starts, finishing 12th in the 2011 driver championship point standings. Gaughan was also part of the five-driver lineup that won the GT3 division of the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race at Daytona International Speedway.
“The last few years, I have been racing for teams that try to buy their engineering or equipment from organizations as great as RCR, but doing that is never the same as racing for RCR,” said Gaughan. “I have always steered away from switching to a part-time schedule in the past but I had to look at where I would have the best opportunity to win races again and the opportunity to race for Richard Childress is one I couldn’t pass up. By sharing the Nationwide Series seat with RCR’s Cup Series drivers, I know I’m going to be in the best equipment in the garage and have the best opportunity to win races to get myself back to where I want to be and that is to compete fulltime again.”
The Las Vegas native’s 18-race schedule will kick-off with the Truck Series event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and includes visits in both series to his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gaughan’s Nationwide Series events include races at Iowa Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway among others. His Truck Series line-up includes events at Texas Motor Speedway, where he is a four-time winner, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and others, as well as the 2012 season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.
“Brendan is a proven race winner and champion so we’re excited to have him driving for RCR,” said Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing. “He will be a great addition to RCR’s overall driver lineup as we re-launch our NASCAR Nationwide Series program and continue the strength of our Camping World Truck Series program in 2012.”
The complete crew chief and remaining driver lineup for the No. 33 Nationwide Series team and the No. 2 Truck Series team will be announced at a later date.
For additional information on today’s announcement, and all that’s happening at RCR, please visit www.rcrracing.com.
About Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its current Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser / Rheem / Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar / Wheaties Chevrolet). Its Nationwide Series program includes Elliott Sadler (No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet), 2011 Camping World Truck Series champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Advocare Chevrolet) and Brendan Gaughan (No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino/Menards Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. and Brendan Gaughan (No. 2 Potomac Family Dining Group/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet), Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Chevrolet) and 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion Ty Dillon (No. 41 Chevrolet) will compete in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series season.
- Richard Childress Racing Press Release
