Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Gaughan, crew chief part ways on ‘amicable’ terms

Friday, May 6, 2005 | 9:41 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.

Fewer than four months after veteran NASCAR crew chief Billy Wilburn joined Orleans Racing to oversee Brendan Gaughan's No. 77 Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Wilburn has left the team, Gaughan announced this week.

Gaughan described Wilburn's departure as "amicable." Gaughan also announced that truck chief Travis Sharpe has left the team and that he has begun a search to replace Wilburn and Sharpe.

The moves, Gaughan said, had nothing to with his failure to qualify for two of the first five races this season.

"Billy Wilburn is from the East Coast," Gaughan said. "It was a long way away for him to go to come out here and he really wants to be a Nextel Cup crew chief. So we sat down right before the St. Louis race and it was an amicable decision.

"It wasn't anything where I was mad at him for non-performance or he was made at me as a driver. It was personal reasons and he wanted to get back home and take care of some things. So we left on great terms and we went out with a great race, too."

Gaughan did not say who would take over for Wilburn as crew chief until he can find a replacement.

"Maybe we'll call in some old friends to maybe just call the next two races for us while we hunt for the right crew chief," Gaughan said.

Charlie Wilson, crew chief for Steve Park's truck, will take on additional responsibilities with the Las Vegas-based team, Gaughan said. Wilson, who has been Park's crew chief since last June, has guided Park to one victory this season.

"He's going to make sure my trucks are set up certain ways and take care of both sides in the shop while we search for a new crew chief," Gaughan said of Wilson. "Fortunately, because I have that much confidence in Charlie, I'm not in a big hurry to name the first person (who comes along).

"A few people have contacted us and we're contacting a few people and we're still looking for who we want as a replacement (for Wilburn). Like I said, I'm very fortunate that the Orleans team has such a good crew chief and a great team that we're not sitting here panicking and saying, 'Oh my God, what are we going to do?' "

Gaughan said he was optimistic that the performance of both his and Park's trucks would pick up when the team returns to the track next weekend at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway in Ohio.

"We just got some great results from the wind tunnel," Gaughan said. "We found out some big, huge things that the Orleans team was missing. That's thanks to Dodge for opening up their wind tunnel time. We found huge mistakes on our part that we're fixing.

"At Mansfield, of course, the wind tunnel results mean nil. Right after that, we go to Lowe's Motor Speedway and after the struggle we had with the No. 77 during our recent test, some of the stuff that Billy Wilburn fixed on the way out and what Charlie Wilson just found at the wind tunnel means the Orleans team really feels like we're going to be able to go there and compete now. I'm really excited about that."

GAUGHAN FINED: Michael Gaughan, owner of the No. 77 Dodge driven by his son, was fined $1,500 by NASCAR this week for a rules violation during last weekend's truck race at Gateway International Raceway.

NASCAR fined Gaughan when it was discovered during inspection that the No. 77 truck had unapproved carburetor booster stems. Gaughan was fined because crew chief Billy Wilburn had left the team.

BAR-HONDA BANNED: The BAR-Honda Formula One team has been banned from the next two races and stripped of the points it earned at the San Marino Grand Prix after a FIA panel ruled that driver Jenson Button's car was under weight during the race.

The panel found that the team used gasoline stored in a secondary fuel tank to make the car heavier than the required minimum weight during the postrace inspection. The panel couldn't determine, however, whether the team acted deliberately.

Button finished third and teammate Takuma Sato was fifth at San Marino.

MONTOYA RETURNS: Juan Pablo Montoya, who has missed the past two F1 races after injuring his shoulder while playing tennis, will return to the McLaren-Mercedes team for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

"I'm extremely pleased to get back behind the wheel," Montoya said in a statement released by the team. "It's been so frustrating to be a spectator."

Montoya slipped from a tie for third to eighth in points as a result of the layoff.

SECOND CHANCE: Tom Wood, who was severely injured in a Menards Infiniti Pro Series race in August 2003 at Kentucky Speedway, will drive a fourth entry for team owner Sam Schmidt of Henderson in the May 27 IPS race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Wood fractured his spine, hand, knee, both legs, ankles and feet in the 175-mph accident and underwent 14 surgeries to repair his injuries.

"I don't know of anyone with more courage and tenacity than Tom Wood," Schmidt said. "I know what he has sacrificed over the past 18 months to get here and I also know he is a talented driver.

"This is more than helping someone come back from injury; it's helping set him back on a very promising career path and I feel confident Tom will be right back where he was as a driver."

CHAMP CAR TESTING: Las Vegas resident Paul Tracy, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Timo Glock and Ronnie Bremer all were involved in accidents during a two-day Champ Car World Series test this week at The Milwaukee Mile. None of the drivers were injured.

Tracy set the fastest time (20.949 seconds/177.345 mph) during Tuesday's test, but had his day cut short Wednesday when he made slight contact. Bruno Junqueira set the fastest time Wednesday with a lap of 20.890 seconds (177.846 mph).

The Champ Car World Series next races May 22 in Monterrey, Mexico.

AT THE BULLRING: A 75-lap main event for the ASA Speed Trucks will highlight Saturday's racing card at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Super Late Models, Chargers, Legends Cars and Thunder Roadsters also will be racing.

Spectator gates open at 4 p.m., heat races begin at 5:20 and racing starts at 6:30.