Gaughan drives low-budget car for all it’s worth

MOTOR SPORTS NOTEBOOK

Beard wants Gaughan to drive for him at Talladega. Gaughan has yet to commit. As for the two putting something together for next week’s Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Gaughan said that is a box that won’t get checked.

“NotunlessRichardChildresswants to put me in a car, or Rick Hendrick,” said Gaughan, who reiterated he has no interest in running Cup Series races in noncompetitive equipment. DRIVEN TO TEARS

Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch of Las Vegas said he made only one telephone call after finally winning the Great American Race on his 17th try. It was to his parents, Gaye and Tom.

“My mom answered and was crying. My dad had gone to bed,” the oldest of the racing Busch brothers said at Monday’s Champion’s Breakfast in Daytona Beach.

“For years my mom has had a displeasure for Daytona and Talladega because of (restrictor) plate racing and that you’re a victim of circumstances a lot of time when somebody has an issue and it wipes out a bunch of different cars — and then here the nightmare came true with Kyle getting hurt a couple of years ago.”

But Kurt sensed his mother’s tears were more the happy sort this time.

“She was just so happy that I was safe, and I can’t wait to see her,” Busch said. “My mom and dad have sacrificed so much for Kyle and I to be in this position … they’ve put their time in on the road, but (now) they only drive to the close races around the Charlotte area.” WAKE UP WITH BUSCH

When it was learned one of Kurt Busch’s media stops after winning Daytona would be The Weather Channel, a lot of people thought it