NASCAR driver Gaughan swims with the sharks at Newport Aquarium to teach kids about teamwork

By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor

NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Brendan Gaughan dove with the sharks at the Newport Aquarium Tuesday.

NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Brendan Gaughan waves to fifth graders from McCormick Elementary at Newport Aquarium Tuesday (photos by Mark Hansel).

The two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series driver was on hand to teach some fifth graders about teamwork and to promote the upcoming VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

The students from McCormick Elementary in Milford were wide-eyed as Gaughan, driver of the No. 62 South Point Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and a certified SCUBA divemaster, jumped right into the shark-filled tank.

A communication system with a full face mask allowed Gaughan to talk with the students and see their reactions as sharks, a large sea turtle named Denver and other sea creatures swirled around him.

“I can kind of tell when something big is coming by the looks on your faces,” Gaughan said. “If you think something is going to try to come and get me I need you guys to start screaming, ‘Oh no, look out.’”

Of course, Gaughan was never in any real danger and two assistants kept a watchful eye whenever the sharks came nearby. Still, he ducked several times to avoid contact with the sharks, the largest of which was more than 10 feet long, during the presentation.

Gaughan talked to the students about McCormick’s Eagle Expectations program, which focuses on students being responsible, respectful and safe, the irony of which was not lost on the driver.

“You have a race car driver in a shark tank, trying to talk to fifth graders about being safe,” Gaughan said.

Gaughan pointed out that just as his team keeps him safe in his NASCAR XFINITY car, the team with him inside the tank kept him out of harms way.

Students from McCormick Elementary in Milford respond to a question from NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Brendan Gaughan Tuesday.

“Being safe doesn’t have to mean being boring,” Gaughan said. “You can learn how to be responsible, how to be respectful and what the difference between being safe, and not safe, is.”

Gaughan stopped several times during the presentation to admire the large sharks circling around him. He also answered a wide range of questions from the students, including whether he had ever crashed, what is the fastest he has ever driven and his favorite type of shark.

Gaughan, who is from Las Vegas, took up diving eight years ago, and is now a divemaster for Lake Norman SCUBA in Mooresville, North Carolina. He has made over 500 logged dives and has spent almost 1,000 hours underwater.

Gaughan also dove with the sharks at Newport Aquarium in 2013. He said he enjoys being able to communicate with the crowd while looking through the theater window and seeing their reactions.

He said talking to fifth graders this year was even more enjoyable because they asked such a wide range of questions and it provided a unique experience for them.

McCormick Elementary students listen intently as NASCAR XFINITY driver Brendan Gaughan talks about the schools Eagle Expectations goals.

“We were all fifth graders once. We all sat in class the day that they brought in the guy to speak to us and, no offense, some days the speakers were a little boring,” Gaughan said. “I don’t think they get bored with this, coming to Newport Aquarium and talking to race car driver in a shark tank, with sharks circling around. The kids had great questions.”

Gaughan also talked about the importance of the upcoming VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 24.

NASCAR has extended its popular Chase format to the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series’ this year. The 12 drivers who qualify for the Chase will compete for the XFINITY Series Championship. Gaughan, who is currently fifth in points, is locked in to the competition.

The first race for the XFINITY drivers in the Chase grid this year is the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Gaughan, who won an XFINITY Series race at Kentucky Speedway in 2014 and traditionally performs well there, sees an opportunity to get off to a fast start in the Chase.

“This is the inaugural XFINITY Chase, so (Kentucky Speedway) being statistically the best track of my career, we’re really looking forward to it,” Gaughan said. “You win this thing, you’re guaranteed into the second round. It really sets the pace for what is going to happen.”

The ARCA Racing Series Crosley Brands 150 also takes place at Kentucky Speedway on Friday, Sept. 23, the day before the XFINITY VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300.