A.J. Frank Piles On Another Top-Five At Iowa Speedway

Topics:  A.J. Frank, Blue Ox 150

Chris Knight
August 3, 2010

NEWTON, Iowa (August 3, 2010) - - One can only wonder if A.J. Frank ran the full 2010 USARacing Pro Cup Series schedule this year, where he would be sitting in the point standings after Frank delivered another stout performance in the Blue Ox 150 Friday night at Iowa Speedway.

Frank, the Bluffton, South Carolina native is running a limited schedule this season for Mac Hill Motorsports entered Iowa Speedway on the heels of four top-five finishes in five races this year but was itching for a win. After strong top-three results in the practice sessions leading up to qualifying, it was hard not to point to the No. 56 SpeedCo / Lucas Oil /3 Wide Apparel Chevrolet Impala as a pre-race favorite.

Mother Nature though would try and thwart the team’s plans as a steady downpour of rain rolled into the .875-mile short track and drenched the Rusty Wallace designed race track which ultimately forced the field to be set by 2010 car owner points which lined Frank on the outside of row number one beside current points leader Clay Rogers.

Determined to give the Iowa fans a good show, USARacing Series officials opted to wait out the showers before finally starting the event nearly two and a half hours past its original starting time. The action though was fierce from the drop of the green flag with Frank quickly trying to maneuver his machine around Roger’s No. 16 Ford Fusion before tucking in-line behind the USAR veteran.

Showing he had a car capable of staying in-toe with Rogers, Frank would leave it up to his Mac Hill Motorsports pit crew to work their magic on pit road approaching lap 50 when the caution flag waived for an incident involving Joey Gase. A two-tire stop earned the No. 56 team the advantage off pit lane as the leader ahead of J.P. Morgan, Rogers, Chase Elliott and Logan Ruffin.

Back under green at lap 53, Frank continued to parade the field while trying to keep Rogers, who was stalking the No. 56 from behind in his rear-view mirror. The cross-flags were shown at lap 75 with Frank continue to flex his muscle as the man with a plan.

However, as the field eventually stretched out and the laps ticked away, Rogers’s car adapted better to the longer racing conditions and was eventually able to reel in and make the pass on Frank by lap 81. Frank though would quickly tuck in-behind Rogers waiting for a potential slip-up to regain control of the top spot.

As tight racing continued, the visibility around the track quickly diminished as thick fog developed around the race short track forcing the waive of the yellow flag on lap 112. A strong effort by officials to restart the event could never be resuscitated as the Blue Ox 150 was called 29 laps from the conclusion on lap 121.

Frank had to settle for second, his fifth top-five finish of the year in six races.

“You never know what could have happened,” said Frank. “It was a long but fun night. I want to thank the fans for sticking around and of course for Mac Hill Motorsports for the opportunity to drive this car. We were fast, I’m not sure if we would have had anything for Clay at the end but I would have liked to seen the race go back to green, because I would have given him a run for his money. Nonetheless, it was a good night, we were strong all weekend, we led some laps and we were in the hunt. They knew we were here.”

He continued, “I have to thank the people who continue to put me in a car. Speedco’s has been a great asset to my career and I appreciate what they’ve done for me and this team. It’s just a matter of time before we get them a win.”

Frank’s finish on Saturday night capped him his 22nd career top-five and 41st top-10 finish of his career in 73 starts. Frank will return behind the wheel of the No. 56 Mac Hill Motorsports Chevrolet at Concord (N.C.) Speedway on Saturday, August 29th, for the first of five championship races for the USARacing Pro Cup Series tour.

Join A.J. Frank on Facebook by visiting, Facebook.com/ajfmotorsports.

Visit the USARacing Pro Cup Series on the web at, USARProCup.com.

For additional input on SpeedCo Truck Lube & Tire, please click to, Speedco.com.

About SpeedCo Truck Lube & Tire:

SpeedCo Truck Lube &Tire is the only national network to specialize in quick lube and tire service for heavy-duty trucks. We don't preach speed. We live and breathe it. Every second of our time, every inch of our stores is dedicated to one simple goal: getting your trucks back on the road faster than anyone else.

We are SpeedCo. Built for speed. Staffed for Quality. Delivering world class value.

For more information, visit Speedco.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: chris@chrisknightpr.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Ward / USARacing Pro Cup Series

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