Reed Sorenson and the Target team had one of the fastest cars at Texas Motor Speedway, especially towards the end of the long green-flag runs. Although Sorenson’s car was extremely fast, it was constantly on the edge of spinning out. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened when Sorenson was making a move for a race-high fifth position on lap 231. The young driver didn’t make any contact, but he was relegated to 29th with approximately 100 laps remaining. Rather than hang their heads, the entire Target team battled back in the closing laps to finish a respectable 17th.
“The car just got loose on me when I got under the No. 5 car,” said Sorenson. “It was right on the edge of spinning out all night, but because of that we were really fast. The car was awesome tonight and it felt really good to have a competitive car after the kind of month we just had. I feel really bad for everyone on this team because we were way better than a 17th-place finish. We had one of the best cars here tonight and that is definitely a big confidence booster heading into the last two races of the season.”
After starting 19th, Sorenson quickly flexed some muscle, racing
up to 15th before pitting during the second caution of the race
on lap 89. He radioed in that the car was “dancy” (loose)
entering the corners so crew chief Jimmy Elledge elected to
make some air pressure adjustments. After a solid pit stop by
the Target crew, Sorenson returned to the track in 15th.
Racing resumed on lap 94 and before the next caution on lap
135, Sorenson had maneuvered his way up to 12th position.
During the run he commented that the car had become tight
in the center of the corner but was still a bit loose on corner
entry. He pitted for tires, fuel and more air pressure adjustments
and returned to competition in 12th.
As the raced progressed, Sorenson methodically worked his way
towards the front. During longer green- flag runs the Target Dodge didn’t appear to fall off in the handling department like many of the other cars on the track, and Sorenson used this to his advantage. One by one he picked his way through the crowd. As the race neared its end, the Target team emerged as a serious contender for the win. However, the spin on lap 231 placed Sorenson too far back with not enough laps remaining to make it back into contention. Still, it was a strong showing for the Target team as it looks to build momentum heading into the 2007 season.
Sorenson and the Target team maintained 25th in the overall standings and they currently sit just 128 points out of 20th heading into the next event at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 12. Sorenson’s Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates Casey Mears and David Stremme finished seventh and 24th respectively.
