The No. 41 team decided to switch things up for their trip to Milwaukee this weekend. Rather than donning the regular red, white and black Discount Tire Co. colors, they pulled out the blue, white and yellow Home123 design under the lights for the SBC 250 at the Milwaukee Mile on Saturday.
Entering the scheduled 250-mile event driver Reed Sorenson and crew chief Brian Pattie led the team with four straight top-five showings. In all, they also led the series with eight top five finishes.
Last year Reed ran an ASA event on the one-mile track and scored a steady top-15 finish. Ready to improve that effort and tally another top-five onto the growing list, Reed was hoping to give his public relations representative Jenn Powell something other than a birthday to celebrate this week.
He started things off early as the first morning practice session led the way of what was to be a long day as the Busch schedule called for its second straight one-day show.
A busy and hectic day was on tap for the No. 41 gang and other than the different look on the car, the pit crew was also a bit off key.
With the Nextel Cup Series racing in Sonoma, California this weekend the powers that be at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates opted to let the guys take it easy rather than rushing them across country to participate in both events.
Reed was than given a fill-in spotter, tire changer and jackman for the weekend. All three had experience in their respective positions, including the familiar face of his jackman, crew chief Brian Pattie. Reed’s Dad Brad was also in demand and was needed to call Reed into his pitstall since Pattie, who generally handles the task, would be more than a bit preoccupied under stops.
Getting down to business, once qualifying was out of the way, due to the heat in the track and an early draw, Reed quietly grabbed the 23rd starting spot in his Dodge.
Ready to go racing after taking part in driver introductions, Reed walked to his car only to find out the pace truck had backed into the nose of his hotrod as it sat parked on the starting grid. With no serious damage on the car, the dented in light on the truck showed the aftermath.
With crew members Shane Bourgeois, Brandon Stafford and parents Brad and Becky looking on, Reed assessed the damage with a coy smile before strapping in for what was to become a wild 200 miles.
As usual the No. 41 began its climb towards the top 10 shortly after the flag dropped. 20 laps in and Reed had moved up to the 14th position.
The first yellow flag of the night fell on lap 22 after a spin in turn four. Pattie called Sorenson down pitroad for a quick service. Some lead lap cars decided to stay on track cycling Reed back to the 26th spot for the restart.
By lap 100 Sorenson maneuvered his ride up to as high as the fifth spot on track for yet another satisfying outing.
In fact, the 41 Dodge was contently posted in the top 10 from approximately lap 50 through 110, just prior to a pitstop. Unfortunately, an incident on lap 114 ended the showing.
Race leader Johnny Sauter got into the rear of Tony Raines dropping a yellow flag. To the dismay of much of the field, including the 41 crew, they were fresh off of their latest stop, trapping them a lap down. At the time, Sauter was the only car listed on the lead lap.
“I guess he did what he had to do. He was the only one who stayed out. It was pretty obvious what he did," Reed said of the incident.
"Truex spun somebody at Bristol and he got held a lap. They didn’t do anything to Johnny. They sent him to the end of the line. It didn’t matter he was still on his own lap."
As the laps ticked down from then on, Sorenson dug in to make up lost track position due to the untimely yellow. Rain in the area however put an end to the night early, 50 laps from the finish.
Parked on pitroad waiting out the weather, the No. 41 was scored in the 12th position at the conclusion.
Not the top 10 they were looking for due to circumstance out of their hands but Reed however, remained positive about his team’s effort.
“We were pretty good on long runs. We had a stretch there under green and it was pretty good. I passed a lot of cars and got up into the top five. We had a good seventh or eighth place car easily.”
Next up for Reed and the No. 41 gang, a trip back to where the season began, the Daytona International Speedway. In the spring, Reed charged on through the entire race, starting fifth and finishing ninth.
“We had a good car there in the spring. It’s the same car we took to Talladega. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to lie back at the beginning or not. It’s different than Talladega, sometimes that doesn’t work. I’m not a huge fan of restrictor plate racing. I’m kind of looking forward to it and I’m not.”
Reed started 23rd and finished up in 12th. (Speed 51 Photo)
Reed was focused on a top-10 finish. (Speed 51 Photo)
