Reed Sorenson has gone through a few surprises in his first Nextel Cup Series season. Credit: Autostock

Conversation: Sorenson

Cup rookie talks about ups and downs of racing with the big boys

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Reed Sorenson's rookie season in the Nextel Cup Series hasn't been bad. He has had some success here (three top-10s) and some failure (five finishes of 29th or worse).

Sorenson, 20, is taking it in stride. Like a lot of twenty-something drivers in the Nextel Cup Series, Sorenson experienced the ups and downs of racing at a young age. At the same time, he is growing restless for that initial Nextel Cup win, especially after Denny Hamlin broke through at Pocono last month.

	Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Reed Sorenson in the 2006 Nextel Cup Series Starts 17 Wins 0 Top-5s 1 Top-10s 3 Poles 0 Laps run 5,245 Laps led 4 Avg. start 27.1 Avg. finish 23.6 Lead-lap finishes 9

Q: Reed, what was the hardest track in the first half?

Sorenson: For our team, it was Phoenix. We didn't have a very good car at Phoenix at all. That was probably the toughest track and we ended up getting into a wreck. It kind of put us out of our misery early.

Q: I mean, which was toughest as far as being difficult to drive?

Sorenson: Some of them are easier in a Cup car than I had planned. I would say that the short tracks in general. We ran pretty good at Martinsville, finished 12th, but the flat short tracks we have had a tough time getting our cars to handle. They have been tough to drive.

Q: Why all the Busch Series struggles for you this year?

Sorenson: Well, we started the year off on the wrong foot when we blew two motors at Mexico City. Then we blew a motor at Atlanta. We blew three straight motors, and that was not good for us at all. We have had horrible luck.

We wrecked in qualifying at Charlotte and we really had a good car there. Had a really good car at Kentucky and wrecked there. We have just had a really tough year. We are going to use Daytona as a turning point and forget the first part of the season.

Q: You're from Atlanta. What is the fastest you've ever gone on I-285?

Sorenson: Probably about 90.

Q: And cars were still passing you?

Sorenson: If you go the right time, you can get passed there going 90. Easily.

Q: Your father is a roofer, right?

Sorenson: Yes.

Q: Did he ever make you work for him as a roofer?

Sorenson: No. I think he tried to keep me as far away from it as he could. When he first started his company, he was out there doing it and he doesn't like it.

Q: He was probably scared you'd roll off a roof!

Sorenson: Well, no. He was scared I'd end up doing the same thing and he didn't want me to do it. He tried to keep me away from it.

Q: Are you going to do the Busch-Cup double next year?

Sorenson: I am not going to do the full season next year, I don't think. Me and Chip have not talked about it, but we are trying to finish the season the best way we can in a Cup car and concentrate on that. We are working on some stuff for next year and I want to run at least 16 [Busch} races.

Q: Casey Mears threatened to win two or three races last year in the No. 41. Did you see that and think, "I can win right away?"

Sorenson: Well, that definitely made me feel pretty good. I think it made the whole 41 team -- and the whole shop -- feel pretty good. I think a lot of teams have gotten a lot better over the winter too. It is pretty competitive.

Casey has had some good runs this year and I have had some good runs this year. Hopefully we will get to the end of the season and do some of the things they did last year.

Q: Which track has the best-looking women?

Sorenson: I am not supposed to be looking, but I'd have to say Texas. Maybe.

Q: Is that an obvious answer?

Sorenson: No! I just think it's a good one! There seems to be good-looking women everywhere.