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Brendan Gaughan tests positive for COVID-19

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NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan revealed Wednesday that he has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

The Las Vegas native last competed in a Cup race June 22 at Talladega Superspeedway, where he finished 21st. He has not been at a race since and his next scheduled start isn’t until August 29 at Daytona International Speedway.

Gaughan revealed on Wednesday’s SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “On Track” that he tested positive last Friday (July 10).

“So I’m indoors for a couple weeks,” he said on the show. “No wife, no kids for two weeks. I am indoor, quarantined with my puppy and staying isolated on one side of the house and the kids are at a friend’s house, hanging out, playing and swimming.

“My son just texted me this morning, saying ‘I miss you daddy.’”

Gaughan is taking the virus in stride, chuckling and saying: “I’m good, I’m here. I’ve been watching racing. I have lots of time to catch up on many things. Yesterday I was down to the Lone Ranger reruns and Matlock, so I have all sorts of energy to get out today.”

Gaughan then turned serious, describing what led to his getting tested.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I had a head cold with a headache, a stuffy nose and a little post-nasal drip and that’s it. That’s really the most of anything I’ve had, maybe felt tired one of the days or so.”

Gaughan said all his co-workers have been tested and all came back with negative results.

Gaughan is the second Cup driver to announce he’s tested positive for the coronavirus. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson revealed he tested positive on July 3 and was forced to miss the Brickyard 400 that weekend, snapping a consecutive starting streak of 663 races.

Johnson was cleared to return to racing after testing negative twice more than 24 hours apart last week. He competed last Sunday at Kentucky Speedway and finished 18th.

At least three other individuals within the NASCAR community have tested positive for the virus. Two team members from Stewart-Haas Racing tested positive and one other from Team Penske.

Gaughan, who turned 45 on July 10, announced last December that the 2020 season would be his final year of racing in NASCAR.

He is slated to run the four NASCAR Cup oval races at Talladega and Daytona for Beard Racing. He finished seventh in the season-opening Daytona 500 and 21st at Talladega Superspeedway on June 22.

His other two races are scheduled to be at Daytona on August 29 and at Talladega Superspeedway on October 4.

Follow @JerryBonkowski