Brendan Gaughan backs crew chief, talks with former Georgetown coach
SPARTA, Ky. – Brendan Gaughan has talked to his former basketball coach at Georgetown University to make sure he knew what was said and what happened after his accident with 19-year-old African-American driver Marc Davis last week.
Gaughan said he talked with John Thompson about his statement that people must get a better education at Georgetown than Howard University, whose radio station sponsored Davis’ car. Howard is a historically black university.
“I spoke to [Thompson] quite a bit this week – I was nervous [that] what I said was embarrassing a little bit, and Coach Thompson reassured me that he felt no embarrassment by it and he understood the context,” Gaughan said. “I felt bad because in many context that could be construed as something that wasn’t polite.
“Coach Thompson reminded me that I would say the same thing about Syracuse University.”
After the race, Gaughan had talked with Davis, whom he had collided with on pit road as Gaughan darted into his pit and Davis, on the outside, turned into him to enter the garage.
“We’re battling our tails off for points, so it was a rough deal,” said Gaughan, who will start sixth in the Meijer 300 tonight at Kentucky Speedway. “Once Marc and I talked, it was all fine.”
At the time of that conversation, Gaughan said he was unaware that there was an allegation that his crew chief, Bryan Berry, had used a racial slur while approaching Davis’ car. Berry was indefinitely suspended for allegedly making the comment, which NASCAR officials told team owner Rusty Wallace was heard by people outside the car.
“In the end, once it’s all said and done, Bryan Berry is a great man and Bryan is going to be back at the race track with us hopefully very soon once these things get settled down,” Gaughan said. “All this extracurricular stuff has been a very ugly distraction. We all believe in Bryan Berry and people that know Bryan very well know that some of the ugly things being said are not him.
“He’ll go on and do what NASCAR says needs to be done to get back in the sport, and we’ll see him in the garage soon.”
Gaughan said he believed Berry when he said he did not utter the slur.
“Bryan has been with me for a very long time,” Gaughan said. “I’m not concerned that he said it or not. Should a crew chief go to the window net of another driver? No. … The crew members need to make sure they stay away from [the other car].
“Shame on him for putting himself there. Shame on me for losing my temper about things.”
With Berry out, car chief Shane Huffman is acting as crew chief and Wes Ward, who was working in the shop, is coming to the track.
“We’re going to be just fine,” Gaughan said.
