REED SORENSON HOLDS ONTO THE NATIONWIDE SERIES DRIVER POINTS LEAD AFTER THE SAM’S TOWN 300 AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Reed Sorenson made his debut in the No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet this weekend in the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The Georgia-native ran inside the top-five for most of the day before being trapped outside the top-10 as the fuel mileage game played out. The No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet was credited with an 11th-place finish after starting eighth. Sorenson remains the leader of the Nationwide Series driver points standings, two points ahead of second place and five points ahead of his Turner Motorsports teammate, Jason Leffler, in third. 

After two long days of practice, Sorenson rolled off the grid in the eighth spot to start the afternoon’s 200-lap event. By lap two, he had already made his way into the top-five and, when the first caution flag was displayed to the field on lap five, he was solidly inside the top-10.  Sorenson quickly reported to crew chief Stewart Cooper, that the Rexall Chevy was loose on the top of the race track and needed more side bite. Cooper assured his driver that the Rexall crew would address the car’s handling when they made their first pit stop of the day. Sorenson finally got the chance to come to pit road, under green-flag conditions, on lap 49. The Rexall crew quickly changed four tires, added fuel and made a track bar adjustment, sending Sorenson back on the track in the sixth position.

The day’s second caution flag was displayed to the field on lap 66 and Cooper again called his driver to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. The No. 30 restarted the race in the eighth position.  Sorenson easily worked his way back inside the top-five, but still reported a very loose condition. When the caution flag was again displayed on lap 101, Cooper called his driver to the pits to tighten up the Rexall Chevrolet.

After a fast stop by the Rexall crew, Sorenson returned to the race track in the fifth position with four fresh tires and an Impala packed with fuel. Racing hard for position inside the top-five, Sorenson weathered three more caution periods, narrowly missing two accidents on the track. By lap 144, he was battling for the second position. On lap 177, Cooper informed his driver that, because they were on a different pit sequence than some of the leaders, they were short on fuel and would have to pit for fuel in 10 laps.  Forced to relinquish his position on the track, Sorenson came in for a splash of fuel on lap 187.  Unfortunately, a fuel mileage gamble paid off for a number of his competitors, and Sorenson took the checkered flag in the 11th position after spending his afternoon racing inside the top-10. Sorenson remains the leader of the driver point standings.

“I am disappointed in our finish today because it doesn’t reflect the car or race we had,” Sorenson said after the race. “This Rexall Chevy was better than an 11th-place car and I think we showed that with the way we ran most of the day. I enjoyed working with Stewart [Cooper, crew chief] and the 30 guys and I am excited to get back with them in a few weeks at Auto Club Speedway. I really want to congratulate Trent Owens and the guys on the 32 Dollar General team.  They had an awesome day today! I am really proud to say I am part of the team that got the win, and it was a great day for everyone at Turner Motorsports!”

Next Stop:  The NASCAR Nationwide Series teams will enjoy a weekend off next weekend, before heading to Bristol Motor Speedway on March 19th for the Scotts EZ Speed 300. The Saturday afternoon race will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN and on PRN Radio affiliates. LIVE coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. EST with the green flag scheduled to drop at 2:00 p.m.

Reed Holds Onto Nationwide Series Point Lead

With 11th at Las Vegas

#30 Rexall Chevrolet