Sparta, Ky. – A collision on Lap 97 of Saturday’s Meijer 300 presented by Oreo may have ended A.J. Frank’s night, but it sure didn’t sour him on the world of NASCAR Busch Series racing.
Frank, who drives full-time for Mac Hill Motorsports in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, made his first NASCAR Busch Series start for the team at Kentucky Speedway, and qualified the No. 56 Brandeis Machinery & Supply Company Chevy Monte Carlo SS in 28th place.
He was making his first Busch Series start since 2001. He said he was nervous at the beginning of the day but calmed down by the time the green flag waved.
“I was very comfortable by race time,” he said.
The 56 car seemed tight at first, but the right adjustments by the Mac Hill crew improved Frank’s hot rod, and he rose in the field to as high as fifth place.
But soon after a mid-race, green-flag pit stop, which helped Frank to turn his fastest laps of the races, another competitor tried to pass the 56. He didn’t quite clear the Brandeis Chevy on the outside, though, and the contact ended the night for both teams.
“It was unfortunate because I really wanted to get two hundred laps of experience in,” Frank said.
But, he said, all in all the weekend was fulfilling.
“I had a blast,” he said.
He enjoyed representing Brandeis and interacting with company executives and their guests, and he said he was as impressed with the professionalism of the Busch Series circuit as he was with the professionalism of his sponsor.
Mac Hill team owner Jack McNelly said he was sorry Frank’s night ended early because the driver was visibly improving as the race went on.
“He was doing what he had to do to get used to the racetrack,” he said.
But he too said he appreciated the support of Brandeis and was honored to be able to partner with the company, which is based in Louisville, Ky. Brandeis, which sells, services and rents construction and mining equipment, products and services in partnership with suppliers from a base in Kentucky and Indiana, will also sponsor the 56 car at Indianapolis on July 28. Two of Brandeis’ major suppliers, Komatsu and Atlas Copco, participated in the sponsorship on Saturday, as well. Komatsu and Atlas Copco hold many of the same values as NASCAR, including recognizing the importance of using state-of-the-art technology and providing unequaled customer service.
Brandeis’ sister company, Power Equipment Company, was the primary sponsor of the No. 56 car at Nashville on June 9 and will partner with Mac Hill again at Bristol on Aug. 24 and at Memphis on Oct. 27.
About Brandeis Machinery & Supply Company
Brandeis Machinery & Supply Company is a subsidiary of Bramco Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky. Brandeis, together with its sister company, Power Equipment Company, constitutes one of the largest construction and mining equipment distribution networks in the United States. Together they have 15 branches throughout Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Northern Mississippi, and Eastern Arkansas. Brandeis offers the most complete line of mining and construction equipment and services available. Being in business since 1908, and involved in Total Quality Management since 1990, Brandeis recognizes the need to treat each customer on an individual basis. For more information, please see brandeismachinery.com.
And for more information on A.J. Frank and Mac Hill Motorsports, please visit machillmotorsports.com.