Engine woes earlier in the weekend forced Sorenson and team to change out their primary motor prior to Sunday's run, which meant per NASCAR rules they would have to start in the back to take the initial green flag for the 22nd NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Race of the 2007 season.
Just after 2 p.m. ET the race got underway. A combination of pit strategy, called by crew chief Jimmy Elledge, and on-track maneuvering by Sorenson helped the team advance more than 30 positions in the early running of the 90-lap competition.
The No. 41 red and white Dodge lacked forward bite and major grip on the 2.45-mile road course. Sorenson did his best to maintain position and to stay on course, but just as the 52nd circuit was underway Sorenson spun off the track due to a flat right rear tire.
The spin brought out the fourth yellow of the race on lap 53. At
first the car was hesitant to restart but eventually Sorenson got it to fire up so he could pull the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) Dodge into the pits for fresh tires and fuel. The incident landed the team one lap down and in 41st place, but the good news was the car was clean and was able to quickly rejoin the field.
Yellow and red flags dominated the last quarter of the race. The sixth yellow flag was a welcomed sign for the Target driver and team as they were in position to receive the free pass from NASCAR which meant they were the first car one lap down and now given permission to return to the lead lap. Racing resumed on lap 73 with Sorenson in 39th place.
From there, with just a little more than 15 laps remaining, Sorenson
proceeded to collect a total of 11 positions to finish in 28th place. His
teammates David Stremme and Juan Pablo Montoya finished 21st and
39th respectively.
The Target team is now 27th in the overall NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
owners standings. The team is 173 points out of 20th.
The NEXTEL Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway
next for the 3M Performance 400 on Sunday, August 19. The race is
set to begin at 2 p.m. ET and will broadcast live on ESPN, MRN and
Sirius Satellite Radio channel 128.
