Brendan Gaughan, who is the son of Las Vegas hotel and casino magnate Michael Gaughan and the grandson of local gaming pioneer Jackie Gaughan, discovered his passion for racing at a young age. Following in the footsteps of his dad, Brendan started in off-road at the age of 15. Before he was done, Brendan had collected the 1996, '97 & '98 SODA World Championships.

A graduate of Georgetown University with a degree in business management, Brendan has shown that his athletic talents extend beyond the track to the basketball court and the football field.

Brendan earned the Winston West championship in 2000 and again in 2001 before moving to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2002. His first NCTS win came at Texas Motor Speedway in June of 2002. He has since added another Texas win in September and won rookie of the year honors. If the years preceeding the 2003 season were just preparation then the 2003 campaign was Brendan's coming out party. He won six times in 25 starts and finished fourth in the series title race.

In addition to his focus on racing, Brendan is an instructor for the Richard Petty Driving Experience at his home track, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He is also keeping busy learning the many facets of the family’s hotel and casino operations.