Texas Motor Speedway pre-race notes

Brendan Gaughan Seeks Record-Setting Victory
Chex Makes Texas Motor Speedway Sponsorship Debut

FORT WORTH, Texas (June 7, 2005) - Brendan Gaughan is a driver with split personalities, the "new" Gaughan and the "old" Gaughan. Should the two meet in Friday night's Chex 400k NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, it could mark a record-setting performance for the Las Vegas native.

Gaughan will be aiming for a fifth "consecutive" NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory at "The Great American Speedway," having swept the 2002 and 2003 Truck seasons with four wins before spending 2004 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

The "new" Brendan Gaughan features an altered hairstyle, a rejuvenated spirit and a new crew chief in Tony "Rambo" Liberati for his Jasper Engines and Transmissions Dodge. The "old" Brendan Gaughan dominated Texas for two seasons.

Gaughan debuted a new corn-row hairstyle recently after a visit to Georgetown University where he played pick-up basketball with some of his former college teammates. The addition of Liberati, who has served as a NEXTEL Cup crew chief, has lifted Gaughan's spirits following a disappointing start to the season.

"I feel like our Dodges are capable of winning," Gaughan said. "We've been working on things, and have new bodies on our race trucks. The engine department is up to snuff. The bodies are up to snuff. I'm pumped.

"One of the big things is that Rambo is infectious. He's a guy who comes in like me. He's always up on the muscle. He's always aggressive. He doesn't yell at the guys, which is what you would expect. He knows how to get the guys to work hard for him."

CHEX AND BALANCES

The Chex 400k marks the initial race sponsorship at Texas Motor Speedway for Chex cereal and a fan favorite for years as a homemade snack, Chex Party Mix.

"We are really excited to be part of what is sure to be a great weekend at Texas Motor Speedway," said Sean Foster, Marketing Manager of Chex Cereal. "We have a wonderful, rich history with NASCAR and the Petty Racing team (No. 43 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series), and we are thrilled to extend that sponsorship into the Craftsman Truck Series."

Defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton welcomes Chex' participation at Texas.

"When a brand like Chex comes into our sport, it makes me feel good not just as a driver but also as an owner to know we draw that much excitement," Hamilton said. "From an owner's standpoint, a corporate sponsor like Chex coming into our series is big. It shows what we have accomplished as a series. Like Richard Petty told me, whatever is good for business is good for all of us - and a top name like Chex coming in is definitely good for our series business."

CHEX 400K THE FRONT END OF TEXAS TWINBILL FOR JIMMY KITE

Jimmy Kite is one of the most versatile race drivers in the country. He will get the opportunity to display his talents not once - but twice - during the Chex 400k NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night and the Bombardier Learjet 500k IRL IndyCar Series event Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kite will become the first driver to compete in Craftsman Truck Series and IRL IndyCar Series races on the same weekend. Kite will pilot the No. 06 Royal Purple MRD Silverado in the Chex 400k and the No. 91 Ethanol-Remy-Life Fitness Dallara/Toyota in the Bombardier Learjet 500k.

Fate nearly saw Kite sitting in his Georgia home for the weekend. Truck owner Dave Malcolmson added the Texas round to his team's part-time Craftsman Truck Series schedule in May. Kite was selected by IndyCar owner Ron Hemelgarn to substitute for the injured Paul Dana in the Indianapolis 500. Kite will compete at Texas, again filling in for Dana.

ALL FORMER WINNERS EXPECTED FOR USRA NGK SPARK PLUGS 100

Stock-car racing will also be part of Saturday's Bombardier Learjet 500k activities with the return of the United States Racing Association Super Late Model Series, formerly the ROMCO Super Late Model Series, in the NGK Spark Plugs 100. The NGK Spark Plugs 100 will get the green flag at 3:30 p.m. CT.

All four previous series winners at Texas Motor Speedway, the father- son duo of Greg and Chris Davidson along with Robert Richardson and Michael Crofford, are expected to be in the starting lineup along with USRA Super Late Model point leader Tommy Grimes. The USRA competes at asphalt short tracks throughout Texas with the NGK Spark Plugs 100 being the organization's premier event.

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LAST LAP...Brendan Gaughan (4) and Dennis Setzer (2) are the only repeat winners in the 14 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Texas Motor Speedway since 1997. Setzer is the defending champion of the Chex 400k..Twelve former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers now compete fulltime in the Craftsman Truck Series: points leader Ted Musgrave, Ricky Craven, defending series champion Bobby Hamilton, Ron Hornaday Jr., Jimmy Spencer, Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine, Jack Sprague, Mike Skinner, Steve Park, Robert Pressley and Gaughan.Kelly Sutton will start her 32nd NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas, tying the all-time series start record for a female held by Tammy Jo Kirk..Musgrave is the only driver this season to complete every lap of the first eight races - 1,535..Rick Crawford and Terry Cook are the only NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers to start all 14 races at Texas. Crawford finished second at Texas in 2001 while Cook's best performance is sixth in 1999.

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