After three races, Reed Sorenson is fifth in the Busch Series standings. Credit: Autostock

Conversation: Reed Sorenson

FONTANA, Calif. -- Reed Sorenson is sitting on a bench in his team's transporter, one eye on his laptop computer, the other half-paying attention to a rerun of the previous week's Hershey's 300 at Daytona.

Suddenly, his focus shifts solely to the television. He watches, amazed, as Tony Stewart screams through the infield grass and back onto the 31-degree racing surface without ever cracking the throttle.

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Sorenson shakes his head a bit, acknowledging the graceful absurdity of Stewart's car control -- not to mention the fact that Stewart actually rebounded from potential disaster to win the race.

Sorenson finished third. Not bad for a 19-year-old in the first speedway race of his NASCAR career. And judging by his success to date, the kid's future is limitless.

Last week at California Speedway, Sorenson sat down with NASCAR.COM's Marty Smith to discuss his ultraviolet potential, being groomed for Nextel Cup greatness and his resemblance to a Grammy-winning singer.

Q: Alright, Reed, you had a helluva run in the Daytona race. What was going through your head there at the end, when you were actually in contention to win it?

Reed Sorenson: Well, we were running third -- don't know how many laps there were to go ...

It's actually on TV right now, man.

	Sorenson soars Reed Sorenson's career Busch Series stats Race Start Finish Kroger 200 3 13 Sam's Town 250 15 10 Aaron's 312 6 29 Bi-Lo 200 36 9 Ford 300 7 4 Hershey's 300 3 9 Stater Bros. 300 4 5 Telcel Motorola 200 19 14

Yeah, it is. Right now... Anyway, I think we had a car that maybe could've gone on the outside and made a move, but my crew chief wanted me to stay on the bottom because our goal was to get a top-10 and we were running third.

They had that caution there near the end, when all those guys got that big run on the outside. But there's two things we were scared of. One, that we'd go on the outside and nobody would go with us and we'd go all the way to wherever.

And we felt like the bottom was the faster way, anyway, so we didn't know, even if somebody did go with us on the outside, if it'd be faster."

Q: Dale Jr. is a (restrictor) plate king these days, and he had some really nice things about you in the media. Did he say anything to you, personally?

Yeah, he came up to me and told me I did a good job keeping everything in one piece and that I drove a smart race. That's what you've got to do there, especially just learning like I am. You've got to take it one step at a time because one wrong mistake can cause a 20-car pileup. We were just trying to get a solid run.

Q: Do you know who Billy Joe Armstrong is?

Do I know who, what?

Q: Do you know who Billy Joe Armstrong is?

Um. No.

Q: He's the lead singer for Green Day. Do you know who he is?

I know Green Day. I know some of their songs. I can sing some of their songs, but I don't know their names (laughing).

Q: Has anyone ever told you that you look like Billy Joe Armstrong?

Nobody's ever told me that. Ever.

That would mean that I'm the first. You look like Billy Joe Armstrong.

Yes. You are the first to tell me. Is he good-looking?

Q: He looks like you. Do you think you're good-looking?

Ummmm. I'm not sure. I try to be (laughing heartily).

Q: Do the ladies think you're good-looking? Can you go out in public?

Oh, of course. Nobody even knows me out there -- yet. Maybe they will if I win some races and stuff. We'll see...

Q: You have a lot of resources and knowledge to go to, with McMurray and Mears and Marlin. How much do you pick their brains at this point?

I use them as much as I can. Whenever I see them, really. But they usually don't come over and offer a lot of information, but it's good for me to go over there with questions.

Like, if I have specific questions they'll answer them pretty easily. I usually go to Casey. He helps me out a lot. He's been on the radio with me in a couple races, helping me out with things he went through when he was starting out, and telling me some of the stuff he learned when he was getting started.

That way I don't have to go through it. He can tell me what he learned. Some of the stuff you've just got to learn yourself, just have a feel for it out there. But they help me out a lot.

Mears is a lunatic. That boy's not right.

Ganassi Racing publicist: Don't tell stories now!

Okay. I won't tell any stories.

Yes I do. A couple of them.

Q: Are they for public knowledge?

	Credit: Autostock
	REED SORENSON •   Driver Page •   2005 Stats •   Sorenson builds respect with strong Daytona run •   Sorenson leading pack of newest 'young guns'

No, they're not. He's a good guy. I'd trust him to do anything. He's a good guy and good racecar driver, and he's helped me out a lot. Hopefully we'll be teammates for a while.

Q: Even though it's your first full season, a lot of people are looking at the 41 team to be a contender at the end. Do you anticipate you guys can have that type of year?

I think so. We've got a really strong team, and I'm going to do the best job I can. But there's a lot of competition in the Busch Series this year. I think there's a couple teams people are really paying attention to that are going to be really fast this year ...

Q: Such as?

Well, I think Carl Edwards is going to be really good, and as far as rookies go, Denny Hamlin is going to be really good and then there's (J.J.) Yeley, Clint Bowyer. That's the young people. Then there's veterans like David Green.

And there's Martin (Truex, Jr.), of course. It's going to be a really strong field this year. It'll probably come right down to the end, the way I see it. If we're in there, I'll be really happy.

Q: Are you being groomed for the No. 40 (Nextel Cup) car?

I'm just being groomed to be a racecar driver, to be a champion. That's what I was told -- our goal is to be a Nextel Cup champion and that's what I'm doing right now. I'm concentrating on driving the No. 41 Discount Tire Dodge.

Nice sponsor plug. They'll be elated.

Yeah! It's actually American Tire, here in California. But everywhere else it's Discount Tire.

I don't think your public relations representative is very happy about the fact that I just asked if you were being groomed for the 40 car.

Well, she's a little touchy when it comes to talking about the 40 car (laughing).

Q: You're a good suck up Reed. Very good. So what's in your CD player?

I have burnt CDs. They're all burnt.

Q: Do you download them legally?

People download them for me, then burn them for me, then give them to me as presents.

Oh, I see. Your rich friends download CDs for you and give them to you.

Some of them are poor (laughing). I ask them to make me mixes and stuff, that way you get a little bit of everything.

Q: What's your favorite song?

Right now? "Disco Inferno".

Turn back the clock a little bit.

Turn back the clock? You don't know what "Disco Inferno" I'm talking about.

Q: No, I don't. Who sings it?

50 Cent.

Ohhhhhh. 50 Cent. G-Unit.

Yep.

I see. I'm read about these gentlemen. Actually, I'm not that old. I know their music.

Do you know what G-Unit stands for?

Q: What does G-Unit stand for, Reed?

I'm not real sure, but I think it's Guerilla Unit. Like guerilla warfare.

Now your public relations representative is soon to have a coronary heart attack.

I'll take her out to dinner later. She'll be happy.