Local racer Brendan Gaughan back for Truck Series race

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 | 2 a.m.

Brendan Gaughan remembers the roar of the crowd and standing in disbelief trying to figure out why the fans were so excited.

When the Las Vegas driver was introduced during pre-race ceremonies at the 2003 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he asked a publicist next to him why the 80,000-plus fans were cheering so wildly. The cheers, Gaughan quickly learned, were for him.

“I actually walked back off (the introduction stage) and looked at NASCAR media director Owen Kearns thinking someone else was walking up behind me,” Gaughan said. “Owen grabbed me on the shoulder and said, ‘Hey, Brendan, that is for you. It was just an amazing feeling.”

Gaughan went on to win the race, capping off one of the most memorable days of his racing career. Gaughan, whose family owns the South Point, will be back in action at his hometown track Saturday in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Smith’s 350. He’s looking for a repeat performance — in the race and from the fans — for a race he considers his Super Bowl.

Gaughan has been all over the Las Vegas Valley this week promoting the race, typically armed with free tickets. He jokingly estimated he’s distributed a four-inch stack worth of tickets.

“He’s just a great guy. The kind of guy you enjoy being around,” speedway President Chris Powell said. “He has a lot of energy. He exudes energy from the moment you are around him.”

Powell is used to the local racers — whether Gaughan when the truck series is town or brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its annual spring stop — promoting his facility.

Gaughan said the Las Vegas stop is one the drivers most look forward to, partially because of the entertainment options the city offers, but also because of the speedway.

“If you look at the Neon Garage and you look at the caliber of racetrack built here, it matches the image of Las Vegas,” Gaughan said. “It’s fancy, with showgirls and neon lights. That garage is like no other in our sport. It has taken a taste of Las Vegas to the racing world and meshed it together.”

With Gaughan’s strong ties to the community bringing out nonracing fans, the 2003 event enjoyed a major spike in attendance with nearly 80,000 fans. .

“It was such a special deal to come to Las Vegas that first year,” Gaughan said of the 2003 race. “That was the first year they had a crowd for the truck series. My brother didn’t even make it to the speedway (in time for the race) because traffic was so bad. They didn’t expect such a crowd.”

Ron Hornaday Jr., who has a record 50 career NASCAR truck victories, has never won in Las Vegas. He knows beating Gaughan will be easier said than done.

Before moving his team’s headquarters to North Carolina, Gaughan’s shop used to be situated behind the first turn at the speedway to give him a distinct home track advantage.

“This is Brendan’s home track. He sneaks out there and gets to run,” Hornaday jokingly said.

It surely felt like Gaughan had the home-track advantage in 2003.

“It was the kind of roar you hear in Indianapolis when Jeff Gordon is introduced, or in Las Vegas when the Busch brothers are introduced, or in California when Jimmie Johnson is introduced,” Powell said ... It was quite a roar that went up because he was the hometown boy and he is so well liked.”