NASCAR: Gaughan set for Daytona with Beard

Brendan Gaughan has told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 driving a car for Mark Beard.

Beard has purchased a Chevrolet from Leavine Family Racing, which Michael McDowell drove to a 15th-place finish in last year's race. Beard has also hired ECR to provide engines and Gaughan, who drives full-time for Richard Childress Racing in the Xfinity Series, will have his pit crew servicing the car.

Should Gaughan qualify for the race, it would be his second start in the Daytona 500. He competed in the 2004 race and finished 19th when he ran his only full season in the Cup Series.

"Jay Robinson, the man I drove for a couple of years ago at Premium Motorsports, called me in the middle of the Christmas break and said a friend of his was trying to do a deal and run the 500," Gaughan told the Review-Journal.

Beard does not own a Charter, which means Gaughan will have to qualify for the race on speed or through a Can-Am Duel race. With an old RCR car and ECR engine, Gaughan is confident he will make the race.

"The best part about it is I'm with a stand-alone team, but technically I have teammates – I told Ty and Austin (Dillon) they better help me make the damn show," he said.

Beard's resume includes two Xfinity Series starts (1982 and 1986) as a driver, but he has spent most his career as a car owner. The Michigan native has fielded cars in the Xfinity Series and as well as the ARCA Racing Series.

In 2014, Beard fielded a Cup car for Clay Rogers, but his team failed to qualify for the three races it entered.

Beard joins Tommy Baldwin Racing, who announced Thursday, he would also be attempting to qualify a non-chartered car in the 59th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 26.