NASCAR Cup
Pocono II: Reed Sorenson preview
Target Team Fast Facts: It's All Coming Together: Reed Sorenson and the Target team are showing major signs that they are beginning to gel as a team, recording one-top five and two top-10 finishes in the last five events. In addition, Sorenson ...
Published: Jul 19, 2006, 7:35 PM
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Target Team Fast Facts:
It's All Coming Together: Reed Sorenson and the Target team are showing major signs that they are beginning to gel as a team, recording one-top five and two top-10 finishes in the last five events. In addition, Sorenson just turned in his career-best qualifying effort (ninth) in last weekend's event at New Hampshire International Speedway. Sorenson and team led their first laps of the season in the same race they captured their first top five (Michigan -- 6/18) and since have gone on to lead one lap in each of the last three consecutive races and in four of the last five races. Sorenson led once for a total of 31 laps at New Hampshire. He was headed for a third-place finish in the event before a caution with two laps remaining forced him to pit for fuel prior to a green-white-checkered flag finish.
Right On Target Pit Stops: The Target over-the-wall crew has averaged 13 sec. pit stops in 13 of 19 races run thus far in '06, including nine consecutives weeks with a 13 sec. average. The season-best average to date was 13.32 sec., which came in last weekend's race at New Hampshire. The team's single best stop of the year-to-date was 12.54 sec. at Texas (4/9).
Fastest at Indy Test: Reed Sorenson and the No. 41 Target team turned in the fastest lap during the second day of testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 12. Forty-two drivers and teams were on hand and 65 cars turned laps around the famed 2.5-mile oval dubbed "The Brickyard". Sorenson's lap of 49.480 sec./181.892 mph was also the fastest overall of the two-day test session in preparation for the 13th annual Brickyard 400 on Aug. 6. Sorenson's Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates David Stremme and Casey Mears turned the 13th and 26th fastest laps respectively.
Two Races, Two Different Places: Sorenson will be racing in two different places this weekend, first competing in the Busch race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday and then the NEXTEL Cup event at Pocono on Sunday. He will miss Busch qualifying on Saturday to participate in Cup practice, so Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates development driver Kevin Hamlin will step in for time trials in addition to practicing the No. 41 Discount Tire Dodge.
Chassis: Crew Chief Jimmy Elledge and the Target Team have selected chassis #606 for this weekend's NEXTEL Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. This car was new heading into the season and it has competed in three points awarded events; Texas (13th-place finish), Lowe's (10th) and Michigan (fifth).
NEXTEL Cup Points Report: Sorenson and the Target team fell one position in the overall standings to 22nd after their 24th-place finish in the last event at New Hampshire. The team is 66 points out of 20th and 194 out of the top 15.
Rookie Round Up: Sorenson is currently third in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings with 165 points. He trails leader Denny Hamlin by 43 points. Sorenson has captured rookie of the race honors in four of the 19 races run thus far in '06 (Atlanta -- 10th-place finish, Martinsville -- 12th, Michigan -- fifth, Chicagoland -- seventh).
Busch Series Update: Sorenson is 16th in the overall Busch Series driver standings and he is only 37 points out of 15th place.
Reed Sorenson on Pocono...
"We didn't have the best go of it at Pocono in June, but I'm anxious to get back up there and race for the second time. I had never seen the track prior to the last race, so I spent most of the practice sessions just getting familiar with how to get around the place. Now I've got a 500-mile race under my belt and I'll be more comfortable when we get on track Friday.
We're taking a car that I really like and it's been one of our better performers so far this season.
"The Target team has really come to life the last few weeks. We've been running in the top 10, leading laps and getting some finishes we deserve. Last week was probably one of our best runs of the season, but we had to pit for gas before the green-white-checker and sacrifice at least a third-place finish. That kind of stuff is out our hands, but the team is doing a great job of capitalizing on the things we can control. I'm very excited about the progress we are making and if we keep performing like we have been, a win is definitely attainable."
-cgr
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