DANNY O’QUINN, JR. IS TOP FINISHING ROOKIE AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Danny O’Quinn, Jr. and the No. 50 World Financial Group Ford Fusion with Associate Sponsor Barr-Nunn Transportation

BROOKLYN, MI. -- After struggling during practice sessions on Friday afternoon Danny O’Quinn, Jr. qualified the No. 50 World Financial Group & Barr-Nunn Associate Sponsored Ford Fusion 28th with a lap time of 40.040 seconds.

Overcast skies and periodic showers throughout the afternoon had all eyes on the sky when race time rolled around. Once the green flag dropped O’Quinn, Jr. quickly moved up a few positions before radioing to his team that the car was extremely loose on the gas and in the center of the turns.

The first caution came out on lap 10 and on lap 12 the No. 50 Ford came down pit road for fresh tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.

When the second caution came out on lap 19, crew chief, Drew Blickensderfer, radioed O’Quinn, Jr. for an update on the car’s handling. He told Blickensderfer that the car was still loose in traffic and that he was really starting to make up some ground by running on the bottom of the track.

Blickensderfer decided to come down pit road for a quick stop: fuel and a track bar adjustment only. O’Quinn, Jr. entered pit road in 34th position and exited in 18th gaining a total of 16 spots in the pits.

By lap 45 O’Quinn, Jr. radioed his team and told them, “I can really get on the gas now! This is the best the car has been on the gas all day. It is actually a little snug, but I can really drive it down in the corner like that.”

On lap 79 the No. 50 team was forced to make a green flag pit stop which took them from 24th to 35th position putting them a lap down. However, within twenty laps O’Quinn, Jr. was back on the lead lap and running in 21st position.

With about 10 laps to go the No. 50 tightened up in the nose making it nearly impossible for O’Quinn, Jr. to manage. The team made their final pit stop of the day for air pressure adjustments and sent their car back out on track for one final attempt to gain some ground.

After a wild battle between the leaders O’Quinn, Jr. finished out the Carfax 250 in 20th place as the highest finishing Busch Series Rookie.

Danny O’Quinn, Jr. and the No. 50 team will compete next on August 25th at Danny’s home track of Bristol Motor Speedway.

To find out more about the racing program at Barr-Nunn Transportation or to become part of the Barr-Nunn team call: 1-888-999-7576.