Las Vegas…Ready to mount a charge to the front, Brendan Gaughan and Orleans Racing are hoping to put their No.16 NAPA/Martin-Senour Chevrolet Monte Carlo in Victory Lane at the upcoming NAPA Auto Parts 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, February 28.
One of the hottest talents in racing today, Gaughan, the reigning Winston West Champion, has plenty of experience on the Las Vegas oval, often referred to as "The Bullring". "It's my hometown track", he says with a smile. "And I've logged in some good hours. We also tested there last week and learned a bunch. The team made some changes to the car and it is running great. Hopefully we can do well at this race."
"We were running really strong at Phoenix when the right front tire blew and we hit the wall", he explained. "I was very impressed with the way our safety devices worked. They certainly did their job and except for a couple of bumps and bruises, I'm fine. Our car didn't fare quite as well. For this race, we refreshed our winning car from last season and it is dynamite. I couldn't ask for a better machine."
With Gaughan behind the wheel, Orleans Racing is hoping to bring home NAPA's third consecutive Winston West crown. "We are really pleased to have NAPA as our on going sponsor," sums up Gaughan. "They are becoming more and more involved in the racing industry and this race will be doubly good as they are the title sponsor."
With a number of top Winston Cup regulars planning to run the NAPA 300, the competition for this event will be very strong. "We're going to just stick to our plan to be consistent and just chip away at the field one step at a time," says Gaughan. "It should be a good race."
A hometown favorite, Gaughan will be making appearances and signing autographs at the NAPA Hospitality tent on Wednesday, February 28, from 5:40 P.M. to 6:15 P.M. and on Friday, March 2 at the popular Race Rock Café from 7:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
