Some NASCAR Busch Series teams may be a little bit more superstitious after their run at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS) this past Friday the 13th, as 12 yellow flags waved to throw caution to multiple mishaps that collected almost half of the field by the end of the night. Unfortunately, Reed Sorenson and the No. 41 Discount Tire team were not excluded from the melee. Their right-front gave out on them and sent Sorenson slamming against the outside wall on lap 95. The incident brought out the fifth yellow of the night and concluded the team’s run, exactly where they had started it—in 38th place.
“We had a really fast race car,” Sorenson said after being released from the LMS Infield Care Center. “We really made up some ground from where our qualifying effort landed us and I know we could have come out of here with at least a top five. The car was that good. It just goes to show the kind of luck we’ve had this year. It’s just been that kind of typical deal all season.”
After the No. 41 Dodge got a bit too loose during the team’s qualifying effort earlier in the day, the Discount Tire team and driver lined up in the 38th position to take the green flag under the lights Friday night at LMS.
Just 30 laps into the 203-lap show, Sorenson had wheeled his way up to 20th and continued to only move forward from there. He pitted for right-side tires and fuel, along
with a wedge adjustment to try to loosen up his car, on lap 37. Sorenson pitted in 16th place, but when the over-the-wall Discount Tire crew members were done with their work in the pits Sorenson was taking the green in 12th place on lap 40.
The No. 41 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) team then broke inside the top 10 on lap 65. By lap 90, Sorenson was a top-five contender. A long green-flag run had forced teams to start pitting under green and Sorenson was getting ready to do the same. Then, Sorenson’s night came to a screeching halt on lap 95 when the right-front of the No. 41 Dodge let go and the car went slamming against the outside wall. The car was damaged beyond repair and thus the Discount Tire driver and team had to reluctantly call it a night in 38th place. Sorenson’s teammate Casey Mears finished 26th.
The CGRFS Busch team managed to maintain its ninth-place position in the NASCAR Busch Series owner standings, while Sorenson dropped to 10th in the Busch Series driver ranks. There are now four more races remaining in the 2006 season.
The NASCAR Busch Series will take next weekend off while the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, October 22. The next Busch Series race will be at the Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park Saturday, October 28. The race is scheduled to start at 2:10 p.m. ET and will broadcast live on NBC (TV) and MRN (Radio).
