The No. 32 Dollar General team persevered through a great deal of adversity Saturday afternoon to preserve the team’s second consecutive top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway.  Reed Sorenson spent the better part of the 124-lap event hooked up with Turner Motorsports teammate, Jason Leffler, and led for a total of six laps en route to a ninth-place finish.  The finish also moved Sorenson closer to the championship points lead, holding down the fourth spot, but only nine points back from Leffler. 

Sorenson started 13th for the Aaron’s 312 after the field barely got qualifying in before severe weather affected the speedway and surrounding areas.  During practice on Thursday, Sorenson found he worked well with Leffler.  The two hooked up from the drop of the green flag and began working their way to the front.  By the first caution on lap 22, Sorenson was in the seventh spot.  He reported to crew chief Trent Owens that things were good and Owens called for a four-tire stop and fuel.  He restarted in seventh.  Four-wide racing ensued off the restart and Sorenson’s drafting partner got shuffled back in the pack.  Fortunately, he hooked up with the No. 20 of Joey Logano and by lap 35, Sorenson had taken the lead. After six circuits, Sorenson relinquished the lead and barely missed a spinning Sam Hornish Jr. on lap 44 which brought out the caution flag.  Sorenson came to pit road for two tires and fuel, restarting in fourth on lap 48. 

Sorenson hooked back up with Leffler by lap 74, after the fifth caution of the event, swapping positions back and forth as they raced into the top-10.  By the second red-flag period of the afternoon on lap 88, Sorenson was scored in seventh.  The Dollar General Chevy remained on track and the field was shown the green flag on lap 92, with 25 scheduled laps remaining.  The top-10 cars broke into five, two-car tandems, each swapping positions almost every lap.  The caution was shown to the field on lap 115 for a spinning car which forced Sorenson dangerously close to the inside retaining wall to avoid. 

The first of the green-white-checkered attempts commenced on lap 117 with Sorenson in 15th position.  The field made it almost to the white flag before Turner Motorsports teammates Sorenson, Leffler and James Buescher made contact while trying to push each other to the front.  Sorenson kept the No. 32 Chevy from incurring terminal damage, but he was forced to bring the car down pit road for fresh tires.  The second green-white-checkered attempt came on lap 122 and Sorenson was in 17th.  Fortunately, he found Leffler one final time and the pair began to bulldoze their way toward the leaders.  Unfortunately a multi-car accident impeded their progress but not before the field took the white flag, meaning the race was over.  NASCAR determined that Sorenson was in the ninth spot when the caution was shown.

“I really wish Jason [Leffler] and I could have made it through that last accident there because we were coming to the front with a full head of steam,” said Sorenson.  Things were a little crazy today, but I was really excited about how well we were all working together as teammates.  I just wish the finishes could have reflected that more.  The Dollar General team was solid today on pit road, making quick two and four-tire stops.  I’m thrilled to take this momentum into our big week at Nashville next weekend.”

Next Stop:  The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to Nashville for a Saturday afternoon race on April 23rd.  The Nashville 300 will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN2 and on MRN Radio affiliates. LIVE coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EST

Reed Bags Another Top 10 at Talldega

#32 Dollar General Chevrolet