Reed Sorenson’s No. 41 Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge was a little too loose in the early running of the USG Durock 300 on Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway, but crew chief Brad Parrott and the No. 41 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) team managed to tighten up the car just enough for Sorenson to get a better grip on the wheel of his bright yellow Dodge to turn a 32nd-place starting position into a 15th-place finish.
The Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit car lacked rear grip throughout the first half of Saturday’s 200-lap competition at Chicagoland. Even after the team pitted to make air pressure adjustments to try to shake the loose condition, Sorenson was still looking for a more stable ride out of his race car.
The sixth yellow flag of the race waved on lap 166. Running a lap down just inside the top 20, the caution proved to be a sign of relief for the No. 41 CGRFS Busch team as it was the break Sorenson and crew needed. They were the first car one lap down, so NASCAR bestowed the team the lucky dog which meant Sorenson received the free pass to rejoin the lead lap. Racing resumed on lap 170, with the No. 41 Dodge in 17th place.
From there, Sorenson gained two more spots in the closing 30 circuits to finish the day in 15th place. His teammate Juan Pablo Montoya finished 21st.
The No. 41 team took another step up in the NASCAR Busch Series owner ranks, where it now stands 21st. The CGRFS Busch team is just three points away from 20th and 220 out of the 10th spot.
Sorenson and the Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit crew will head to Gateway International Raceway next Saturday, July 21, to run the Gateway 250. The NASCAR Busch Series race will broadcast on ESPN2 (LIVE, 8 p.m. ET).
