Gladeville, Tenn. – A tire issue put Danny O’Quinn Jr. and the Mac Hill Motorsports team out of contention here on Saturday, but the young driver remains confident about the 56 car’s future this season.
The Federated Auto Parts 300 presented by Dollar General was the third race O’Quinn has driven for Mac Hill this year. The reigning NASCAR Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year, who drives for Roush Fenway Racing, is competing in a limited number of races in the No. 56 Chevy Monte Carlo SS.
O’Quinn qualified the 56 car, sponsored by Knoxville, Tenn.-based Power Equipment Company, 39th at Nashville Superspeedway, and he was making good laps at the beginning of the race.
“We were certainly holding our own,” said team owner Jack McNelly.
Then, about halfway through the race, O’Quinn noticed the car becoming very tight. He thought the left front tire was going down, so he pitted the 56 and the Mac Hill crew changed the left-side tires.
The problem persisted, however, and the culprit became clear: The right front tire was actually the one going flat.
Returning to pit road under green to change right-side tires then sunk Mac Hill’s chances for a top finish.
“All that going on under the green flag just drove a stake through our heart,” McNelly said.
O’Quinn and the team soldiered on, though, and brought the 56 home in 29th place. The driver praised his teammates’ work in the pits under less-than-ideal circumstances.
“The crew worked really hard,” O’Quinn said.
Saturday’s difficulties marked the third time this year that bad luck has reared its head for O’Quinn and Mac Hill. Brake problems hampered the 56 car at Bristol, and motor issues dogged the team at Nashville earlier this year. But O’Quinn said he’s not getting down. He knows that better days are ahead.
“If we could get rid of our gremlins, we’d be all right,” he joked.
Saturday was the third time Power has sponsored the No. 56. The company, which sells, services and rents construction, earthmoving, forestry, crane, material handling and demolition equipment, will also be the 56 car’s primary sponsor at races at Bristol on Aug. 24 and at Memphis on Oct. 27. Its sister company, Brandeis Machinery & Supply Company, will sponsor the 56 at Kentucky Speedway this weekend and at Indianapolis on July 28.
One of Power’s major suppliers, Komatsu, participated in the sponsorship on Saturday, as well. Komatsu holds many of the same values as NASCAR, including recognizing the importance of using state-of-the-art technology and providing unequaled customer service.
“I just can’t thank Power Equipment Company and Komatsu enough for partnering with us,” O’Quinn said. “Their commitment to our team—I mean, they just brought a ton of people to the racetrack—was tremendous, even when we were fighting off bad luck during the race.”
About Power Equipment Company
Power Equipment is the only full-line equipment distributor serving the entire Tennessee market. The company operates branch dealerships in Knoxville, Kingsport, Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville, and in Tupelo, Miss. In addition to a full line of equipment sales and rentals, Power Equipment offers 24/7 service powered by a fleet of service trucks equipped with air compressors, welders, cranes, and specialized tools for on-site diagnostic and repairs service. Power Equipment is a subsidiary of Bramco Inc. along with Brandeis Machinery & Supply Company, which is headquartered in Louisville, Ky. For more information on Power Equipment, please see powerequipco.com.
And for more information on Danny O’Quinn Jr. and Mac Hill Motorsports, please visit dannyoquinn.com and machillmotorsports.com.
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