Brendan Gaughan Finished Second in Wild Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway

Late Race Accident Drops Ron Hornaday, Jr. Back to Second in Standings with Two Races Remaining in the Season

Ft. Worth - Brendan Gaughan, No. 77 South Point Hotel Silverado, was looking to claim his fifth victory at Texas Motor Speedway when the green flag flew for the final time on lap 148 in the Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). But a multi-truck accident on the frontstretch as the field thundered to the start/finish line, sent trucks scattering and the caution immediately displayed again.

Under NASCAR rules, the race was officially over and Gaughan never got his shot at grabbing the win as the field fell in line behind the pace car to take the checkered flag to finish the race under caution on the 149th lap.

Ron Hornaday, Jr., No. 33 Camping World Silverado was in position to be on the way to his first NCTS) victory at Texas Motor Speedway in tonight's Silverado 350K. With two laps remaining in the in the scheduled 350K/147-lap/220.5-mile race, Hornaday was leading at the next to last restart of the race, when a multi-truck accident sent the two-time NCTS champion spinning.

Severe front-end damage was the result of multiple collisions with other trucks that dropped Hornaday to the 18th spot in the finishing order. The disappointing finishing position coupled with championship rival Mike Skinner's third place finish put the Kevin Harvick, Inc. driver 57 points out of the lead with two races remaining in the season.

Chad McCumbee, No. 8 TheGPSStore.com/GARMIN Silverado, who had his career-best qualifying effort to start on the outside of the front row, also was in position to grab his career first victory as he was the leader of the race when the green flag flew on lap 148. However, his night came to an abrupt halt when he got loose on the restart and contact from behind sent him hard in to the outside wall and damaging several trucks. The race was called official and finished under caution.

Ted Musgrave was the race winner.

Next on the NCTS schedule is the Casino Arizona 150 on November 9, 2007 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Brendan Gaughan, No. 77 South Point Hotel Silverado, Qualified 14th, Finished 2nd: "I am just bummed, cause I had number five (NCTS win). First thing I asked was if it was a green-white-checkered when I saw the caution or did we go green with three laps to go. If you go green with three laps to go, there is still a green-white-checkered. I was kind of hoping there was one more green white checkered in there because Ted (Musgrave) had some damage and I think I had something for him. We had probably one of the strongest trucks, those guys up front Mike (Skinner) and Ron (Hornaday) were really strong all night. Bryan Berry, crew chief, worked on it. We were a little tight, then a little loose, then a little tight. I love Bryan to death, I have bragged about him all year; he does a great job, never quits on me. It was great to be back where we are supposed to be, with all the distractions we have had going on, just really glad I was able to show that you can do it from the West c oast, we were up there, we earned it, we didn't it from the wrecks, but had a hell of a time getting through this guys wreck (Skinner).

"It was exciting, I joked on the radio to my crew guys, that was my Georgetown degree that worked there, Isaac Newton. It looked like it worked to me. It was banking, he was up high, I figured he'd fall. I closed my eyes and went through the smoke. You know with certain things are going to happen and guys like Ron and Mike are going to drive all the way through a wreck. They aren't going to hit the brakes and wreck. I was already up on the high side, I saw them both go down, what I expected, which was what I would have done, which was grab third gear, hit the gas and make sure I don't hit the wall. That seemed like what Mike did, he drove right off away from the wall. The smoke was there and I just barely missed him. Came right through it and cleared daylight.

"I have been getting pretty good at that lately, getting lucky and missing some of these wrecks. I'll claim skill, but in reality when you close your eyes, things happen."

ON HOW MUCH OF A DISTRACTION IT HAS BEEN WITH TEAM MERGER: "Distractions are one thing. I learned a long time ago from a very large, intimidating gentleman that you don't let distractions bother you when it counts. Coach Thompson said you can deal with distractions, you can let them bother you, you can let them affect your life but in the end, when it comes down to what you have to get done, you get it done. It may be distraction, but the hardest part is to keep the guys focused. The guys don't have that attitude; they didn't have a chance to work with a great man like John Thompson to instill that in them. It has been really hard for me and what I have been working on the most, is keeping them happy, confident and comfortable. Let them know they all have jobs, knowing that nobody is going to be without a job. I would never that happen in a million years, I don't care if I pay them out of what money I get. I don't get a whole lot to race cars. Matter of fact, I get noth ing to race cars. (Laughs). So I have a few other businesses that make money (Laughs). Mr. Gaughan does a pretty good job for me; he takes pretty good care of me.

"It has been very difficult for them, I am very proud of how they have overcome it. I am very proud of how Bryan Berry has been doing and for me personally, when you get in the race car, all the distractions go out the door. Fortunately, this is a sport that once you do get in the cockpit, you get your helmet on, the window net up, nobody else can look at me, nobody can talk to me except the people I want. That makes it very easy to do when it comes down to it."

Chad McCumbee, No. 8 TheGPSStore.com/GARMIN Silverado, Qualified 2nd, Finished 13th:
ON WHAT HAPPENED ON RESTART THAT RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT: "We had a little clutch slipping problem all race long and we were spinning the tires and that was one of the better restarts where we didn't spin them too much. We got past second gear there and going up to third, I looked in my mirror and he (Jack Sprague) was on my bumper and I looked back straight and got jacked up there. Everybody is trying to win the race and very disappointed. It was a great effort from the TheGPSStore.com/GARMIN Silverado team. I just can not catch a break this year. We did everything right this week. We did everything right last week.

"That is what we have been proving week in and week out with our MRD Haas team, qualify well and run up front. I knew I had a chance for the win when we got that last caution. We were really good on the long runs there, just didn't get the respect I needed there at the end. All those guys in the front gave me great respect all race long, but right there at then end, everybody did what they had to do."

Ron Hornaday, Jr., No. 33 Camping World Silverado, Qualified 8th, Finished 18th:
ON WHAT HAPPENED TO START THE ACCIDENT: "Mike got a heck of a run, he laid back a little bit and I spun. They (NASCAR) say at the driver's meeting we aren't allowed to lie back, but he laid back a couple of truck lengths. I knew he was going, but I just thought, I have been black flagged before on restarts, then another Chevrolet came in there and made it three wide and when I lifted, I got a little loose. That is going to happen when you make it three wide.

"I don't know, we had great pit strategy. Rick Ren and all the guys did a great job on the Camping World Chevrolet, but take our wounds and go on. We have two more to go."

ON BEING BEHIND MIKE SKINNER BY 57 POINTS GOING TO PHOENIX: "Is that all? That is good. I see the way they are playing games right now, Bill Davis had another truck in there and it seemed like all he wanted to do is block all day. We know how to play it now, we are going to have fun."

What happened when you and Skinner were running side-by-side there in the end? "It was NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing at its finest. We were racing and I didn't know the eight truck was coming up there to make it three wide and I knew Mike was going to get a good run on me cause he laid back. I thought I got a good enough start, but when you lay back you are going to get a good run and that's part of racing. Two trucks slow each other down and the eight truck got a run under us as and we got three-wide in there and I don't know if Mike's truck sucked me around or the eight or whatever, but I got wrecked. I got to hand it to Rick Ren and the guys what an awesome call to get us out front and the gas and go there in the end. We had to have another yellow to be able to do that.

"The guys did a great job on the Camping World Chevrolet Silverado. I don't know how far we got behind but it doesn't really matter because we've got two more races to go and we see how they are playing games now with whoever is driving the twenty-seven. We ran him down on a lap and he blocked me for a long time and they said I had to earn it, so I know how to earn it now."

Any hard feelings with what the eight truck did up there because he was going for the win? "Yeah, I mean he is going for the win, but we sit there in the driver's meeting and NASCAR keeps asking everybody to quit laying back, and laying back and I have gotten black-flagged too many times so if I was smart enough I should have jammed the brakes so he gets in the back of me since he's laying back so far, but its my prerogative since I'm the one starting the race and you know he slowed it up and slowed it up. But that is part of it, it doesn't matter, its Texas. We run good here, we just don't finish good here."

Can you make up the points difference? "Oh yeah, I think we are only fifty-seven or something like that. Mike's out front again, and he could still have problems. We're just taking our lickings now. We got our front in smashed in like that and got the truck back out on the track. I just have a lot of faith in my guys on the Camping World Chevrolet. It wasn't our night again. Its Texas and I don't know if I've gotta come here early and rub somebody's head or do something, but I've gotta get some good luck here because I run good here and have fun at this race track."

Kyle Busch, No. 51 Flanders Beef Patties Silverado, Qualified 5th, Finished 29th:
Kyle you had a great run going here. What finally happened? "We blew up. Not sure what happened but its just a shame for all these guys, we had another win going you know and we just blew up and had something spectacular happen like this and have it taken away from you. We were just really, really fast. At the beginning of a run (the other trucks) could hang with us and in the middle Travis (Kvapil) could catch us a little bit, but after about fifteen (laps) we would just start pulling away. I mean the thing was awesome and it was great. I feel bad for Flander's Beef Patties, I don't know if it's them or what but its sad to say that but we just can't do it with them."

OTHER SILVERADO QUALIFIERS:
Regan Smith, No. 47 Ginn Resorts Silverado, Qualified 10th, Finished 30th
J.R. Norris, No. 15 McKinney Pipe & Steele Silverado, Qualified 12th, Finished 20th
Willie Allen, No. 13 National Pork Board/Nashville Music City Silverado, Qualified 18th, Finished 13th
Matt Crafton, No. 88 Menards/Moen Silverado, Qualified 20th, Finished 7th
Clay Rogers, No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Silverado, Qualified 22nd, Finished 33rd
Chad Chaffin, No. 40 Westerman Companies Silverado, Qualified 26th, Finished 26th
Tim Sauter, No. 07 Lester Building Silverado, Qualified 31st, Finished 10th
Kevin Lepage, No. 86 888KARPORT.com/Red Line Oil Silverado, Qualified 33rd, finished 35th
Peyton Sellers, No. 76 Automotive Fabrication Silverado, Qualified 34th, Finished 31st
Travis Kittleson, No. 08 Bob Steele Chevrolet Silverado, Qualified 35th, Finished 36th