By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer
The Underdog duo of Brendan Gaughan and Beard Oil Motorsports were in position to pull off the upset before they were sent skyward in a terrifying crash at Talladega Superspeedway.
As the veteran worked with Brad Keselowski, the No. 62 Beard Oil Distributing / South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 moved to the front of the outside line with six laps to go. Within seconds of taking the lead, the No. 62 machine flipped like a toy car.
As Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. battled for the lead in the inside lines, a mis-timed push from Kurt Busch combined with the aerodynamics sent the younger Busch across the track. The No. 18 M&M’s Hazelnut Toyota Camry hooked Gaughan’s left rear.
The No. 62 spun into the path of Stenhouse, Matt DiBenedetto, and the elder Busch. The simultaneous hits from the trio sent the Chevrolet skyward in the 1000Bulbs.com 500. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series machine did a complete 360 before landing on its’ wheels.
Gaughan brushed off the flip as something common from his off-road racing background.
“I’ve said for a long time, I mean, I’ve flipped probably more cars than most people. That’s what we do in the desert and flipping, it doesn’t hurt. That’s what people have to understand.
“NASCAR does a great job. We’re in their safe, but when you flip, you just slow down. You never hit a wall. I’d rather do that than hit a wall any day of the week, I promise.”
The melee involved 12 cars, including the entire top-10 at the time. It was the third ‘big one’ of the rain delayed race.
Gaughan avoided the two earlier big wrecks in his former Richard Childress Racing car. The Mark Beard and family owned team have consistently contended for top-fives, top-10s, and even wins with the ECR engine and former RCR car.
The former RCR driver credited his love of superspeedway racing with the competitiveness of the team.
“Thank you Brad, for pushing me to lead. I mean, I was having a great time. Our Chevrolet was fast. We were up front, which is, I show up what, four times a year, and people think I’m crazy for loving this racing. But I love racing at Daytona Talladega. I enjoy the crap out of this.
“When I come with the Beard family with that Chevrolet, they give me with the ECR engine that Richard (Childress) gives me the little bit of help, we come to be here for the win. I mean what was there left to go eight, six to go something like that. We had a chance to win. That’s all I can ask for. It is what it is.”
The heavily damaged No. 62 will likely be rebuilt as Gaughan admitted he will be back for the 2020 Daytona 500. Although, he joked that he may have to ask his parents for permission to return for one more race.
“You might have to call Michael Gaughan or Paula Gaughan to ask that question (about the 2020 Daytona 500) because I think right now neither of them are very happy at the moment. In 22 years of NASCAR racing, I flipped a ton in the desert, I’ve never flipped a stock car until now.
“So, my mother and father might be a little upset. I’m 44 but I still have a mommy and a daddy, and I think they’re probably a little hot at the moment, but I’ll cool them down for a couple months.”