Sorenson and America’s Tire Team Advance Points Standing out West

“The car was great through the corners, but it felt like the rear end was doing all of the work out there today,” Sorenson said. “The front just didn’t want to turn, but the America’s Tire Dodge was pretty decent on the longer runs which was a good thing for us because there weren’t a lot of yellow flags. The longer we ran, the better the car handled. I just wish we could’ve held on for a top 10, but 11th isn’t anything to scoff at and it looks like we took a step up in the standings, so we’re moving in the right direction. That’s what matters most.”

It was a pretty packed schedule for the NASCAR Busch Series teams Saturday as they made their qualifying runs in the early afternoon and went racing just a little later. The cars were impounded after the qualifying runs, which meant the teams were not allowed to work on the cars after their time-trial laps

and would not be able to work on them until after the green flag waved later that same day, so crew chief Brian Pattie and the America’s Tire team chose to set up their car to go racing.

Sorenson was the 19th driver to make his two laps around the 2-mile track. He told his team the car was a little too loose but he was still able to keep the car clean and as the qualifying session came to a close, the America’s Tire team lined up 35th for the start of the second Busch Series race of the 2006 season.

“We didn’t qualify as well as we had hoped, but I know Brian and the guys were banking on the track tightening up as the race got underway and it did,” Sorenson said.

The green flag waved to start the Stater Brothers 300 just a little before 4 p.m. PT and by lap 15 Sorenson had wheeled his way up to 21st place. The America’s Tire driver told his team the car needed a little more grip, but was running pretty decent as the run came to a close during the second caution of the race on lap 18.

To tighten up the car just a bit, the America’s Tire team pitted on lap 20 to make an air pressure adjustment and to take four tires and fuel. Racing returned to green on lap 23 with the No. 41 in 17th place, and as the field came around to complete the next circuit the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) Dodge was 14th.

It was a day of scarce cautions during the Stater Brothers 300 at California Speedway and that is always a good thing for race teams, but it was especially good for Reed Sorenson and the America’s Tire team as their No. 41 Dodge Charger favored the long green-flag runs and helped them sustain a top-10 position the majority of the race. The team eventually finished 11th and took another step forward in the NASCAR Busch standings. Now, it is positioned eighth overall and just 34 points out of first.

Lorin Ranier, the America’s Tire team spotter, said the car was looking good and Sorenson was making some really smart moves on the track.

Pattie followed up to tell his young driver to pace himself, “One at a time, pal, one at a time.”

By lap 36, Sorenson was in the 10th position and continued to make impressive laps. He told his crew the car still seemed to be lacking grip on the front end and it felt like the rear was doing all of the work, but he still managed to keep up his momentum to hold on to the top-10 run.

The entire field went on to cycle through two green-flag pit stops with the CGRFS team coming down pit road once under green on lap 67 and another time on lap 116. After both stops, without hesitation Sorenson and team returned to their top-10 stance.

Then, the fourth yellow flag of the race waved on lap 133. Sorenson was sixth and told his team the car really needed more front grip and Pattie knew half the field had fresh tires and half didn’t, so he summoned his driver to pit road on lap 135 under the final yellow-flag condition of the 150-lap event. The team made another slight air pressure adjustment, took four more tires and topped off with fuel. Racing resumed on lap 139 with the No. 41 Dodge in 11th place.

Sorenson moved up to 10th on lap 141 and worked to hold on to the top 10, but was narrowly passed by another car on lap 150 as the checkered flag waved. Sorenson finished 11th with his part-time Busch Series teammate Casey Mears finishing 40th.

The No. 41 team and driver now stand eighth overall in the NASCAR Busch standings as they prepare to head to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to run in the Telcel MOTOROLA Mexico 200 on Sunday, March 5. The race is scheduled to start at 2:05 p.m. EST with live broadcasts beginning at 2 p.m. EST on FOX TV, MRN Radio and XM Radio Channel 144.