Nashville a Welcome Destination for Gaughan and South Point Crew

 - Gaughan drives the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra
 - He is an 8-time winner in the Truck Series
 - He holds two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship Titles
 - Gaughan won in the GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year
 - Gaughan has 6 starts at Nashville and has completed 901 of 902 laps
 - He has two top-5 and four top-10 starts at Nashville

Mooresville, N.C. (April 19, 2011) - The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is entering a stretch of six intermediate race tracks. The stretch kicks off in Nashville on Friday night and Brendan Gaughan couldn’t be happier to hit this comfort zone on the 2011 season schedule. Gaughan has earned eight career wins, all of which were earned on intermediate tracks. Germain Racing, who fields the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra for Gaughan, has 22 Truck Series victories—18 of those have come from tracks within the intermediate category.

“Nashville’s always been a good track for me going back to my earliest days in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I’ve rarely had a bad race at the track. Nashville is the start of us being back to tracks that are good for me and for Germain Racing.  Nashville is a fast track with it’s banking and concrete surface. It suits my driving style. I like rolling the corners and driving into the corners real hard,” explained Gaughan, who ranks  13th in NCWTS standings heading into Friday’s race. “We’re coming into a stretch of tracks where I kind of look at them and see the string of tracks that I feel as a driver that I am better at than other places. And, with the Germain Racing team, these are the tracks where our Toyotas excel. You look at the team’s success on these tracks and it’s one of the reasons I came to Germain Racing.”

With Gaughan and the team so in tune with what it takes to win and be successful on intermediate circuits, Gaughan says he and his team know how they will start off their weekend with the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra.

“We’re going back to Nashville knowing that Todd [Bodine, teammate] won there last year. We’re going to start with Mike Hillman Jr.’s setup in our No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra and go from there,” explained Gaughan, who will unveil a slick, brand new race chassis, GR-017.

Gaughan has earned two top-five finishes and four top-ten finishes at Nashville in six Truck Series races. He has completed all but one lap of competition in the NCWTS and despite these strong numbers he’s not yet led a lap there.

In the weeks between Martinsville and Nashville, Gaughan rejoined some of his friends from his earlier Rolex 24 Hours race victory and headed to California for the Long Beach Grand Prix. He raced in the ALMS event with TRG.

Watch Gaughan’s No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Friday night, April 22nd, at Nashville Superspeedway. The action starts on SPEED with qualifying airing at 5:00 PM ET on Friday and racing at 8:00 PM—all on SPEED. If you’ll be away from a TV, set the DVR and tune your radio dial to your local MRN affiliate.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. He currently ranks 13th in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points standings. 

Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

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Gaughan Survived Martinsville with Ninth-Place Finish

Mooresville, NC (04-03-2011) Brendan Gaughan steered the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra to a ninth-place finish after starting deep in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series field in Saturday afternoon’s Kroger 250. Gaughan qualified 31st, led seven laps and earned his third top-ten finish at the low-banked but high-action Martinsville Speedway. 

“The only time I ever have a good finish is if I start behind 30th-place. All my top-10s at Martinsville have come from 30th or worse in qualifying and it really drives me nuts because Germain Racing is giving me great Toyotas and this Tundra was very good,” said Gaughan, who correctly stated his results – both of his previous top-ten’s at Martinsville came from starting spots in the back of the field.

Gaughan loves to hate the Virginia track because the style of racing is frustrating for a driver who cut his teeth off-road – not on short, tight ovals. He admits that Martinsville got the better of him after qualifying on Saturday morning.

“I was mad in qualifying because I kept saying that the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra was a good race truck and I just feel or I get all flustered here at Martinsville. I don’t feel like I’m good at it, but when the race comes, I’m fine,” explained the Las Vegas native.

After the completion of the 250 lap event, Gaughan and his crew wondered if he passed more vehicles than any one else out there on route to his ninth-place finish. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, Gaughan ranked seventh. He passed 63 trucks under green flag conditions. The racer that passed the most actually overtook 80 race trucks under the green flag.

“Germain Racing gave me good stuff. I think we definitely got the deal for passing the most vehicles today because I know I went back to 25th at least three times,” exclaimed Gaughan, who had no complaints about the tires that many others were questioning. “I like the Goodyear tires. This reminded me of the old school tire where the tires wear out and that’s where I won my race is when you had tires that were old and worn out and sliding.”

All in all, Gaughan enjoyed his 250-lap Martinsville adventure. The ninth-place effort boosted him eight places to 13th in the Truck Series standings.

“Had a great time, had a great Martinsville race and came out of here with a top-10. This is what we needed to get ourselves back on track and I can’t believe I did it at Martinsville,” smiled Gaughan.

The next race for the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra is Nashville on April 22nd.

Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

Gaughan Loves to “Hate” Martinsville

• Gaughan drives the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra
• He is an 8-time winner in the Truck Series
• He holds two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship Titles
• Gaughan won in the GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year
• Gaughan has competed in 10 races, completing 2254 of 2256 laps with two Top-10 finishes

Mooresville, N.C. (March 30, 2011) - Brendan Gaughan gets tapped often to promote races at Martinsville Speedway. The fit isn’t natural. Gaughan graduated from Georgetown University, he hails from Las Vegas, NV, and he didn’t cut his teeth racing on short tracks. Still, the old-school charm of the flat, tight half-mile circuit is not lost on Gaughan, nor is the fervor of the Virginia race fan. But he has this moniker...that he hates the place.

“I didn’t grow up on short tracks. I’m a big track guy, but I do enjoy racing at Martinsville Speedway. It’s one of those hard-nosed tracks. It’s old-fashioned. It’s a mean, tough place to race and it should never come off of the NASCAR schedule,” said Gaughan. “I remember running top five, finishing sixth and looking at my truck and there wasn’t a straight panel on it anywhere! One day, before I quit this great sport I want a “W” there. I’d love to have a Martinsville trophy with a sticker hanging next to it that says ‘I hate Martinsville.’”

Gaughan loves the Martinsville area, and has always enjoyed interacting with the fans and locals during his race weekends and media advances. He knows that though he’s promoted as hating Martinsville, he actually doesn’t really hate the place. What he really hadn’t realized is that he isn’t half bad at the track that befuddles many racing drivers.

“I didn’t realize I’ve actually done OK at Martinsville Speedway. The moniker that I hate the place is a long-standing joke that came about after I’d had a rough day racing at another track. When I was interviewed I said, ‘yeah, had a bad day, and the next thing I get to do is go race at my favorite track, Martinsville.’ Mike Smith from Martinsville called me up, and because of our bantering back and forth, I just continue to say I hate Martinsville with a smile on my face,” beamed Gaughan. “I love going to that area. I love working with Mike and the Martinsville fans are true NASCAR fans. It’s funny because I’ve done so much pre-race media for the track. I love the track, I love the area. But if anyone asks me, I hate Martinsville.”

Gaughan has earned two top-ten finishes and three 11th-place finishes in ten trips to Martinsville. He’s completed 2254 of 2256 laps in the Truck Series. In his Sprint Cup Series debut at Martinsville, he started 11th and finished 17th on the lead lap. These are impressive numbers for a guy who started out racing in off-road and has had to learn the subtle nuances of short-track racing all the while competing against the best in NASCAR.

In the weeks between Darlington and Martinsville, Gaughan participated in two of his favorite past-times. Scuba diving, and, watching the NCAA tournament. With his Hoyas out of the tourney, Gaughan will likely cheer for VCU—the team that defeated Georgetown.

Watch Gaughan’s No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Saturday, April 2nd, at Martinsville Speedway. The action starts on SPEED with practice airing at 2:00 PM ET on Friday. Qualifying is on air at 10:30 AM Saturday followed by racing at 2:00 PM—all on SPEED. If you’ll be away from a TV, set the DVR and tune your radio dial to your local MRN affiliate.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. He currently ranks 21st in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points standings following his 26th-place finish at Daytona.  Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

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Mooresville, N.C. (03-15-2011) – Saturday night, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series took on the track Too Tough to Tame – Darlington Raceway. The South Carolina track is home to high speed racing and a fair share of run-in’s with the retaining walls. Brendan Gaughan hadn’t raced at the track in seven years, but, he says the return was all he expected – just not the result he wanted for the Germain Racing No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra.

“Darlington was everything I wanted. We were fast. We were a top-5 Tundra. I got spun early and drove back from 30^th place all the way up to eighth. The South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra passed everyone to do it. We had a great truck. The 62 team made great pit stop decisions,” said Gaughan, explaining everything that went right before the team’s Darlington luck came to a halt, resulting in a 25^th-place finish. “In the end, on a restart, someone brake-checked the field and me and two other trucks got the damage. It took us out of position with 20 to go and made me a spectator.”

Heading into the Darlington weekend, Gaughan and crew chief Bryan Berry decided to take a different approach to their practice strategy. The new strategy worked and Gaughan looks forward to seeing more improvements as the team fully adjusts to the new strategy.

“In first practice, we were 11^th quick. Our goal was to unload off the trailer and post a qualifying speed in our first run out. It’s a work in progress, but we went faster. We still improved our times as the practice session went on and the tires got older, but, we laid down some stronger lap times earlier in practice,” explained Gaughan.

The change in philosophy is one that Gaughan looks forward to continuing to embrace.

“I need to lay down faster laps early in practice. At Darlington, I didn’t stripe it on lap 2 and we went into practice and did what we needed to do. We had good practices. We aren’t sure why we weren’t better in qualifying, but that’s all part of the learning process in changing our practice strategy,” said Gaughan, who had wanted a much better qualifying position than the 23^rd spot that he earned. “I really thought we were better, but that isn’t what hurt us. We still had a great race in the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra and we have a lot to build on for racing at Martinsville.”

The next race for Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra is April 2^nd at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA. Gaughan will participate in the track’s Grub-N-Rub ticket and hospitality package offered by SPEED. Saturday morning, Gaughan will be part of a breakfast with fans who have purchased the Grub-n-Rub package for the Martinsville race weekend.

Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

 - Gaughan drives the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra

 - He is an 8-time winner in the Truck Series

 - He holds two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship Titles

 - Gaughan won in the GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year

 - Last Raced at Darlington Raceway in Truck Series in 2003

 - Currently 19th in Truck Series points after two races

 - Has one top-five finish in two starts at Darlington

Mooresville, N.C. (March 9, 2011) - Germain Racing driver Brendan Gaughan says that there’s no race track in the world that compares to Darlington Raceway. He loves the track Too Tough to Tame, he’s earned plenty of stripes there and can’t wait to unleash his No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on the track when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competes there on Saturday evening.

“Darlington Raceway, no matter the pavement, the tire, it’s still the same place. You’re always running on the edge, up against the wall, very aggressive, every lap. It’s just a really fun track to race,” explained Gaughan with a smile.

Gaughan and crew chief Bryan Berry agree have a new team strategy for Darlington that goes along with the aggressive style of the South Carolina track. They will unload a brand new race chassis, GR-016, to match their fresh philosophy.

“Bryan Berry and me are trying a new strategy at Darlington. When we unload the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra at Darlington, we’re going to start practice with a qualifying run and work from there,” said Gaughan, who hopes to combat a personal battle with the new strategy and Germain Racing’s wealth of data and experience. “One of the problems I’ve had in my career is I don’t get up to speed fast enough in practice. I need to start being faster earlier in practice instead of testing the truck for three or four laps and wearing the good off the tires. With Germain Racing, the team has such engineering information and experience in the Truck Series, that when we show up at the race track, there’s no question what kind of Tundra you have.  So, we are going to start practice with a qualifying run and build from there. Darlington is a track you have to drive it hard when the tire is good and as it wears out you have to go lap to lap on the tire and drive it accordingly.”

Watch Gaughan in the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Saturday, March 12th, at Darlington Raceway. Watch the excitement on SPEED starting with qualifying at 3:30 PM ET followed by racing at 5 PM. Can’t get to a television? Tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. He currently ranks 19th in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points standings.  Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

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Mooresville, N.C. (02-28-2011) – Heading into the second race of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Brendan Gaughan and his No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino team were excited about the possibilities of racing at Phoenix International Raceway. Gaughan qualified 12^th and raced among the top-15 trucks for much of the 150-lap event.

“When race time came, the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra was very loose getting into the corners. We were able to make some adjustments on the first pit stop that helped Brendan, but we lost some track position and it was hard to make it up on Friday night,” said crew chief Bryan Berry.

Gaughan was in the top-15 for most of the night and in the final 40 laps, he began working his way toward the top-ten before ending the night with a 17^th-place finish.

“I think we had a truck that was a top-ten Tundra, but the brush with the wall on lap 129 took us off the lead lap,” explained Berry.

Brendan Gaughan is currently 19^th in Truck Series points standings. His next Truck Series race is March 12^th, at Darlington Raceway.

Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

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Mooresville, N.C. (February 23, 2011) - After watching a promising season opening performance get crashed in Daytona, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Brendan Gaughan is anxious to put his No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on track in familiar racing territory—Phoenix International Raceway.

“Anytime we go west, I love it. Phoenix, California, Vegas – all that is where I grew up. All that is where I started racing.  I raced an off-road car inside Phoenix International Raceway – I grew up watching Walker Evans race inside Phoenix. I guess I always have a different swagger when I go to the West Coast. It’s a little more intense because you are ‘local’ to the area,” explained Gaughan who holds to NKNPSW titles but has not yet been to the winner’s circle of PIR.

Gaughan and crew chief Bryan Berry agree that the off-season testing the team did at Disney World’s speedway should factor in favorably when the team unloads their Toyota in the desert.

“Turn one is where we learned the most at Disney and a lot of what we learned will apply to turns one and two at Phoenix. Brendan loves the track. The biggest challenge is for us to help him get the truck free enough that he can roll the centers of the corner, but not too free so that it hurts his entry into the corners,” explained Berry.

Gaughan loves his race truck for Phoenix, which will be chassis TRD-026.

“Phoenix is a track that I love as a driver. We’ve already tested the Phoenix South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra twice at Disney World so I feel really good about what we’re taking there,“ said Gaughan. “Our truck at Daytona was one of the best trucks I’ve driven there in years. And it doesn’t come close to how good our truck is for Phoenix. I couldn’t be more excited.”

While heading west is fun and familiar for Gaughan, who grew up in Las Vegas and raced off-road in the area for several years. The westward trip also makes him consider the upcoming talent in the Truck Series field—a few fellow Tundra drivers that are fellow Vegas natives...

“The Truck Series is awesome racing. It always has an interesting blend of young, upcoming talent and wiley veteran racers. This year, Vision Aviation Racing has Justin Johnson and Dusty Davis racing – they are two fellow Vegas guys. Here’s a fun fact. I emceed Dusty Davis’ go-kart banquet when he won the championship when he was eight years-old,” said Gaughan with a pause and grin. “It’s cool to see a couple more Vegas boys coming up in the Toyota ranks, but, it’s sad to say…I feel a bit older because of it!”

Watch Gaughan in the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Friday, February 25th, at Phoenix International Raceway. Watch PIR excitement on SPEED starting with practice at 11:00 AM ET on Friday followed at 5 PM with qualifying and racing action at 8 PM. Or, tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. He currently ranks 21st in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points standings following his 26th-place finish at Daytona.  Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

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 Media Contact: Lori Smith - Germain Racing - prlorismith@gmail.com

Mooresville, N.C. (02-19-2011) In Friday night’s 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway, Brendan Gaughan may have had the biggest smile of all his competitors. The 8-time Truck Series winner was racing at Daytona again, in the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra, with friend Bryan Berry calling the shots from the pits. Gaughan, a native of Las Vegas, understood his odds were good joining Germain Racing over the off-season that he would have fine equipment to race. He knew after two days on track at Daytona that the odds were spot on.

“The South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra was by far the best truck I’ve ever raced at Daytona. We knew when we went into this deal that Germain Racing has an incredible history at Daytona. The Toyota they gave me to run tonight was a really great race truck,” said Gaughan with all the enthusiasm that makes his fans love him.

Gaughan started and ended Friday’s 100-lap race in the 26th position. He said that’s just Daytona and it shouldn’t take the focus off of the real racing that will happen next week in Arizona.

“I wanted to run with my teammate, Todd Bodine, tonight. We were able to do that. We worked together with (Ron) Hornaday and we just got caught up in a wreck from someone having a tire go down. That’s just Daytona. It happens. But, the good news is that I’ve tested my Phoenix race truck twice and I can tell you that as good as my Daytona truck was, the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra we have for Phoenix is even better. I’m looking forward to getting there so we can do some real racing,” said Gaughan.

The South Point Hotel & Casino driver is a two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, so he will be happy to make the westward flight next week.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

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- Bodine is the Reigning Truck Series Champion after earning his 2nd title in 2010

- Bodine is Third Driver in Truck Series History to Win Multiple Titles, and Clinch Early

- Bodine Owns 21 Truck Series wins with Germain Racing and 36 NASCAR career wins

- At Daytona, Bodine has finished 5th or better in each of six NCWTS races

Mooresville, N.C. (February 16, 2010) - Germain Racing has a new look for 2011. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions are kicking off the year with a sponsorship from Tire Kingdom on the No. 30 Tundra and this season will be the first in two years that sees the 30 Tundra have a full-time teammate again. In fact, Bodine will be flanked by three teammates—Max Papis in the No. 9 GEICO Tundra, Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra and Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Tundra. Germain Racing’s three full-time additions to the Truck Series have played into the recipe for what could be the most competitive season in history, according to the reigning champ who is attempting to race in all three events at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

“I’m excited about the truck series and for the series because we’ve got a lot of new teams coming in with really good drivers.  I feel like this is probably going to be the most competitive year in the Truck Series ever,” explained Bodine, who is racing at Daytona International Speedway for Tire Kingdom in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra on Friday night, in the No. 15 Tire Kingdom Camry on Saturday and on Sunday in the No. 60 Tire Kingdom Camry. 

Bodine says the reason 2011 should go down in history as the best season ever is that the Truck Series fields are brimming full of competitive racing teams and drivers and it’s why the fans keep coming back to watch the Trucks.

“When the series first started, they had a lot of good guys, but there was only five or six teams that really could step up anytime and win a race.  If you look at the list of teams we’ve got and drivers, I think this year there’s an honest 12 or 15 teams that could win on any given week.   To have that kind of level of competition is incredible,” said Bodine, noting that in a 36 truck field, nearly half of the competition is regularly competing for the win each week. “I believe that’s one reason that fans are drawn to the Truck Series,” said Bodine. “We’ve got a lot of good teams that are on level playing fields.  We don’t have four or five that are going to run away with the show every week.  When the fans show up to watch, they never know who is going to win.”

Bodine and Germain Racing are part of the deeper talent pool this season. They have recruited three full-time drivers to add to their Truck Series fleet this year. Bodine did his part. They are also part of another big three in Daytona as Bodine and Germain Racing attempt to race in the Truck Series season opener as well as the NNS and NSCS openers all with sponsorship from Tire Kingdom.

“It’s pretty neat.  I don’t know that it’s ever been done where one sponsor sponsored all three series at Daytona -- the same driver, same team.  Tire Kingdom has been in racing -- they do a lot of other things in NHRA and drag racing, and they partnered with Valvoline to come up with this program for Speed Weeks.  We’re really proud to be able to be with them in NASCAR. Hopefully we can grow the program and make it bigger and better down the line,” said Bodine.

Bodine is strapping into racing chassis TRD-058 for Friday’s season opener. It is the only chassis to ever be a No. 30 Tundra at Daytona or Talladega. The truck has four restrictor plate wins in a stretch that began with a pole and win in 2007 at Talladega and continued through a win at Daytona in 2009 in a then unsponsored No. 30 Tundra. No driver had collected four consecutive superspeedway wins when Bodine accomplished this.

Watch Bodine in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra on Friday, February 18th, at Daytona International Speedway on SPEED with race coverage beginning at 7:30 PM Eastern. Or, tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

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Service Central® is the automotive service offering available exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on cars or trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. (http://www.facebook.com/ServiceCentralRacing)

ABOUT TBC RETAIL GROUP:

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB - National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of nearly 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks.  The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states.  TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally.  To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation's largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

Gaughan Racing No. 62 Tundra for South Point and Germain Racing

 - Gaughan is an 8-time winner in the Truck Series

 - He returns to the Trucks behind wheel of No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra

 - Gaughan’s crew chief is Bryan Berry

 - Gaughan won in the GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year

Mooresville, N.C. (February 14, 2010) - The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series fans will be excited to see one of their own return to them when the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra takes to the track for Friday’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 to kick off the 2011 racing season. Behind the wheel will be Las Vegas’ Brendan Gaughan. He holds eight Truck Series wins, three poles and is excited to return in a Toyota Tundra as part of the reigning champions—Germain Racing.

“This will be the best chance I’ve had to win in the Truck Series at Daytona in a long time,” said Gaughan, a ranking member of Truck Series history who is still smiling from his recent win in the Rolex 24 GT Class at Daytona.

Gaughan explains that while he’s now a member of the elite list of Daytona race winners, he’s still very enthusiastic about heading into the 2011 Truck Series season with one of the best restrictor plate teams in the garage.

“We all know that in NASCAR we go into our season with our ‘Super Bowl’ as our first race - Daytona. Going to Daytona with Germain Racing, a team which we all know has collected ‘a few’ wins on restrictor plate tracks—knowing I’ll be racing their equipment, I can’t help but be excited about the possibilities. Everyone wants to win at Daytona. I’ve done it, and I want to do it again.  I’m really excited about getting into the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra at Daytona,” said Gaughan.

Bryan Berry will lead the way for Gaughan and the two will have one of the newest Tundra trucks in Germain’s fleet. He has been crew chief for Gaughan in his last three Truck Series seasons.

“It’s great to be back with Brendan, in the Truck Series. We have worked together at three different teams over the past five years. Germain Racing is a great fit for us and the equipment we are getting to race is exactly what you’d expect from a championship team. The two newest teams have the two brand new trucks heading into the season opener. We like our chances with chassis GR-014 and we’re looking forward to all the support here at Germain,” said Berry, a Homestead, FL, native who now lives in NC.

Germain Racing has two Daytona wins. Gaughan and Berry hope to make it three when the Truck Series season kicks off on Friday night. Watch Gaughan in the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino  Tundra on Friday, February 18th, at Daytona International Speedway. The green flag is set to wave just after 7:30 PM Eastern for 100 laps/250 Miles of Daytona action. Watch live coverage on SPEED—practice is Wednesday at 4:30 PM and at noon on Thursday followed that evening by qualifying at 6:00 PM. Racing is at 7:30 PM. For radio coverage tune in to your local MRN affiliate.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

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