March 14, 2002

Brendan Gaughan, son of Michael and Paula Gaughan, brother to Michael Jr., John and Katie, and grandson of gaming pioneer Jackie Gaughan, is a champion racecar driver.

From the age of 6, when he rode in his father’s off-road race car during a parade, propped up on a pile of phonebooks and a pillow, there was only one thought in his mind: to one day follow in his father’s path and race a car out across the desert.

Michael Gaughan, Chairman of the Board of Coast Resorts which owns and operates four major hotel/casinos in Las Vegas, is very proud of the fact that the Gold Coast, Barbary Coast, The Orleans and Suncoast properties have consistently been voted “The Most Popular” such resorts by tourist and locals alike.

Do you want to know what he is really “most proud” of?

“I’m very proud of all my kids and especially Brendan,” the elder Gaughan said, a broad grin crossing his face as he and his wife, Paula greeted friends outside the blue NAPA/ Orleans sponsored semi-transporter. Everyone was waiting for his son, Brendan, to emerge from the trailer.

It was nearing time for him to do what he does best, drive a racecar. But instead of a car it’s a Dodge Ram Truck. And, instead of racing in the desert, he’s racing on a paved track in the 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

See, Brendan Gaughan is a professional racecar driver. The 26 year-old graduate of Georgetown University is not just another racer. He is a champion, having won the prestigious NASCAR Winston West Series (WWS) Championship in 2000, repeating the feat in 2001.

Winning runs in the Gaughan family. Michael was a champion off-road racer for a number of years, only retiring from the sport after an injury. He continued to sponsor a number of racers including the great off-road champion Walker Evans.

Naturally growing up around the sport the youngest of three boys (he has a younger sister) Brendan couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of a racecar. His first remembrance of being involved occurred in 1981 at the Frontier 250 Off-Road race. “I got to ride in Lennie Newman’s race car as a passenger. He was driving for my dad, so they put a bunch of phone books and a pillow in the seat and I got to ride in the parade.

That was neat,” Brendan grinned.

From that humble beginning at age six, the husky young man went on to win five championship titles in off-road racing, where he gained a wealth of knowledge about driving a racecar. A lengthy union with Evans Racing (1992-1999) groomed him to make the transition from high-powered off-road truck racing into the arena of high-speed stock car racing and now the very popular truck series. At one time he was an instructor for the Richard Petty Driving Experience at his home track in Las Vegas.

“Once, when I was first getting into off-road racing, dad said he wouldn’t allow me to race,” Brendan laughed. “Of course that lasted about a week.”

” In 1999 Michael Gaughan formed Orleans Motorsports. The new company opened a shop on the grounds of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), where Brendan’s Dodge Ram racing trucks are now constructed. The shop employs 12 fulltime employees dedicated to one thing: building him the best Craftsman series trucks possible. NAPA Auto Parts came aboard the Gaughan team as a primary sponsor in 2000 following his Winston West Series championship.

In five appearances during the 2001 Craftsman Truck series, Brendan (driving the #62 Dodge Ram) placed second in Texas, took third at Bakersfield and finished 10th at the new track in Chicago.

Today the entire family, Michael, Paula, sister Katie and brothers Michael Jr., and John are perhaps his biggest rooting section.

“Dad and mom and the rest of the family will try to make every race I’m sure of that. My oldest brother, John, however can’t stand to watch me race. But they’ll all be with me in thought as I compete fulltime this season.”

His father when asked if he would continue to attend all his races in 2002 replied, “I’ll make as many as I can and as business at home will allow. I’ll probably not make some of the eastern races, but I’ll be watching him on television if I’m not there.”

The Gaughan clan is a family of champions. From building magnificent hotels and casinos to breeding championship horses (his mother’s business), you discover quite quickly that this is a family built on love and adrenalin.

You can contact Norm at: Insider Racing News