Richmond, Va. – When Dange Hanniford came to Richmond International Raceway with Mac Hill Motorsports in September, it was an exciting time. The young man was living a dream, heading to a Busch Series race at one of NASCAR’s most-celebrated tracks.
At that time, however, Hanniford was traveling as a crew member. He was just helping out while preparing to run the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Championship Series for the team.
So that was nothing compared to when Hanniford returned to RIR on Friday.
That’s because the 26-year-old made his Busch Series debut for Mac Hill in the Circuit City 250 presented by Funai.
“Definitely a lot changed in a few months,” Hanniford said.
Hanniford, who grew up 10 minutes from Darlington Raceway, qualified the No. 56 SMARTBOX/Smith Transport Chevy Monte Carlo SS 34th and was making his way through the field until the Monte Carlo got sideways going into Turn 1 and made contact with the wall. Brakes get used up quickly at the ¾-mile RIR, a lesson that Hanniford unfortunately learned.
“I pretty much used up the brakes trying to be as competitive as possible with all of the veteran drivers,” Hanniford said.
That mid-race incident ended Hanniford’s night. He finished in 38th place, but he gained invaluable racing knowledge.
“It was definitely a good learning experience,” he said.
Mac Hill owner Jack McNelly said he was glad for Hanniford, who drives full-time for the team in the Hooters Pro Cup Series, to gain seat time in a Busch car. And he said he is really grateful for being able to partner with SMARTBOX, a Richmond-based portable self-storage company, and with transportation provider Smith Transport Inc., a major associate sponsor of all of Mac Hill’s cars.
“We hope that it was a good experience for them,” McNelly said.
Hanniford echoed those comments. He said SMARTBOX representatives seemed to have a great time—even after his night came to an end.
“They were still pumped up,” he said.
About SMARTBOX
SMARTBOX is a leader in the portable self-storage industry, offering individuals and businesses affordable and convenient storage and local and long-distance moving solutions. Based in Richmond, Va., SMARTBOX has franchises in Atlanta; Baltimore; Charlotte; Denver; Fredericksburg, Va.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Minneapolis; New Orleans; Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Va.; Raleigh, N.C.; San Antonio; and Williamsburg/Newport News, Va. For more information, visit smartboxusa.com.
About Smith Transport
Incorporated in 1982, Smith Transport provides transportation and logistic services to private- and public-sector customers. The Roaring Spring, Pa.-based company, owned and operated by Barry Smith, is supported by 1,500 employees, 1,000 trucks, 3,000 trailers, and 2 million square feet of warehouse space. For more information, please see www.smithtransport.com.
And for more information on Dange Hanniford and Mac Hill Motorsports, please visit machillmotorsports.com.