Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Gaughan drives into the Guinness record book

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004 | 9:38 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

You now can add "World Record Holder" to Brendan Gaughan's growing list of accomplishments.

Gaughan, a NASCAR Nextel Cup rookie and Las Vegas native, on Monday put the Viper-powered Dodge Ram SRT-10 into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's fastest production pickup truck by driving the truck at an average speed of 154.587 mph at the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Mich.

The run, which averaged Gaughan's sustained speed over a "flying kilometer" in both directions on the 4.71-mile oval, shattered the record of 147.54 mph set last summer by the Ford SVT F-150 Lightning.

"I've certainly driven some fast trucks but I've certainly never experienced anything like setting a Guinness world record," Gaughan said after the record run. "I've known for a long time that the Dodge Ram is the ultimate truck for the racetrack, and this certainly proves the Ram SRT-10 is the ultimate performance truck for the street."

Officials from Guinness World Records and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) were on hand to certify the record.

"I was honored that Dodge asked me to do this," Gaughan said. "I've been with Dodge my whole life and they've always taken good care of me. They got me in this (Nextel Cup ride) and they came up and asked us to do this. They've done such a great job taking care of me."

Gaughan will make his NASCAR Nextel Cup debut in the No. 77 Penske-Jasper Racing Dodge in the Feb. 15 Daytona 500.

BAHRE RECOVERING: New Hampshire International Speedway owner Bob Bahre remained hospitalized in stable condition Monday after an automobile accident last Thursday night in Maine left him with a fractured vertebrae, a broken ankle, a concussion and rib injuries.

According to a police report, Bahre, who is in his late 70s, apparently fell asleep at the wheel of his SUV while driving home from the track. Bahre and his son, Gary, oversaw operations at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the track's inaugural NASCAR weekend in 1998.

Wimmer was involved in a single-vehicle crash in a truck owned by Bill Davis Racing and then left the scene, according to a police report. Wimmer was arrested a short time later at his home and police said his blood alcohol content was 0.15 -- nearly twice the legal limit.

"Bill Davis and Bill Davis Racing are aware of the current allegations against driver Scott Wimmer," the team said in a prepared statement. "Davis has been in contact with NASCAR, Caterpillar, and all of the current sponsors and will remain in constant communication until all of the facts have been established.

"Until all of the facts have been revealed, Davis is not in a position to comment on the specifics of the allegations. Davis and Wimmer will continue to work with NASCAR, Caterpillar and other sponsors until there is resolution."

Schwan's Home Service, a unit of The Schwan Food Company, will sponsor BAM Racing's No. 49 Dodge and veteran driver Ken Schrader in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series this season. ...

The purse for the 46th annual Daytona 500 will be a record $15,972,313 -- an increase of nearly $2 million from last year's race. The winner of this year's race will earn a minimum of $1,391,730.