Call it Christmas in January.

That's how Brendan Gaughan viewed his signing this week to drive Circle Bar Racing's No. 10 International MAXX FORCE Diesel Ford in 2008.

And the bonus is that half a dozen crew members from his now-shuttered South Point Racing team, including crew chief Bryan Berry, also found jobs with Tom Mitchell's organization as teammates to Rick Crawford (No. 14 Ford).

As the days before the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series session of NASCAR Preseason Thunder ticked away, Gaughan was losing hope of finding a ride for the 2008 season.

In fact, the Las Vegas native was considering something else altogether.

"I was going to be a ski instructor in Vail, Colo.," he said during a Friday visit to the Daytona International Speedway media center. "I had the job all lined up for me and it was looking really nice. I was kind of excited about it."

Gaughan now will be spending the winter on four wheels instead of two skis - the latter definitely being his second choice.

"It was probably the toughest off-season I've ever had in my life, the toughest couple of months I've ever had in my life," said Gaughan, who has competed full-time in either the NASCAR Craftsman Truck or NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since 2002.

The driver spoke not only of his own future but that of his crew members.

"Rick Crawford is my hero and for about half of the guys in my (old) shop, he's their hero," Gaughan said. "They were out looking for a job in NASCAR at a very difficult time to look for a job and Rick had the positions open."

Gaughan got the job, but he wasn't the only one who applied.

The list of applications reached 65, according to Crawford, who ultimately trimmed the list to five.

"They were and are all respected as far as calling to give resumes for the job," said Crawford, winner of the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 250. "All of them probably deserve that job."

Ultimately, the combination of Gaughan, Berry and associates tipped the scales.

Crawford calls it a merger.

"Not necessarily in business but the merger as far as teamwork is concerned," he said. "I probably have never seen a happier bunch of guys from the hard work."

The Alabama driver is positive he's bringing his best effort yet to Daytona.

"We're gonna come back to win this Daytona 250 and we're gonna race the two best trucks," he said.