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Sorenson Survives Battle with The Monster Mile, Finishes 19th at Dover

During the caution he brought the Target Dodge onto pit road for significant changes including four tires, fuel, air pressure and wedge adjustments and returned to the track in 31st.

Racing resumed on lap 41 and when the scoring pylon registered the 100th lap of the race, Sorenson had methodically driven up to 21st.  He maintained the position until pitting during the second caution on lap 114 for tires, fuel and a minor air pressure adjustment.  Just prior to stopping he stated that the car was much better and only slightly tight in the corners.

The next segment of the race the cars handling seemed to fall off as Sorenson wrestled his 3400 lb. machine around the 1-mile concrete track.  No one was quite sure why the car reacted so drastically after a small air pressure adjustment, but nevertheless Elledge opted to reverse the changes during the next pit stop, which came under green on lap 206.  Because there was such a long run prior to the stop, Sorenson cycled out in 17th, but only one car in front of the leader.  He eventually went a lap down on the 215th circuit.

Sorenson continued to circle the track one lap down to the leader, however, after another round of pit stops under caution he began to run fairly competitive laps.  With each passing lap and caution period, the Target team inched closer to putting themselves in place to regain position on the lead lap.  After remaining on track through four caution periods, Sorenson eventually placed himself in front of the leader and back on the lead lap when the eighth caution flag flew on lap 318.  He pitted the car for what would be his next to last stop and pulled his belts tight for the final 80-lap shootout to the finish.  He fought a hard battle and took the checkered flag in 19th. 

“Based on how we were in practice yesterday, today was a pretty good run for us,” Sorenson said at the completion of the event.  “The car wasn’t good at all, but we made some pretty big changes over night and they seemed to help.  We were very loose at the beginning, but Jimmy (Elledge) made some good adjustment calls and the car was pretty good there during the second run of the race.  The car was very reactive to small changes, but we were able to overcome that and a post a solid finish.”

Sorenson and the Target team currently sit 21st in the overall standings heading into the next event at Pocono Raceway on June 11.  The team is only nine points out of 20th and 128 out of 15th.  Sorenson now sits third in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings with 112 points and he is 31 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.  Sorenson’s Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates Casey Mears and David Stremme finished 21st and 41st respectively.

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