Reed Sorenson led his first laps in the Nextel Cup Series at Michigan. Credit: Autostock

Gutsy call lifts Sorenson to career-best Cup finish

Two-tire pit stop bumps 41 Dodge from 11th to lead just before rain

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Reed Sorenson's fifth-place finish in Sunday's 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway came with an assist from Mother Nature.

Before Sunday's race at Michigan, Reed Sorenson's best finish was 10th. Credit: Autostock

3M Performance 400 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Kasey Kahne Dodge 2. Carl Edwards Ford 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 4. Greg Biffle Ford 5. Reed Sorenson Dodge 6. Jimmie Johnson Chevy 7. Casey Mears Dodge 8. Jeff Gordon Chevy 9. Kurt Busch Dodge 10. Kevin Harvick Chevy • Complete results, click here • Driver standings, click here Victory LaneKasey Kahne celebrates his 3M Performance 400 win Top finishersEarnhardt Jr. and Edwards talk about their day Race Rewind - MichiganWatch a condensed version of the 3M Performance 400! 3M 400Watch all the highlights from Michigan Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

With rain rapidly approaching from the southwest, Sorenson and crew chief Jimmy Elledge gambled on track position when the No. 41 Dodge made its final stop on Lap 113, taking on only right-side tires as the rest of the competition went for fresh rubber all around.

"I think right before we did that two-tire stop at the end, we were running 11th," Sorenson said. "Obviously you take two tires at the end, hoping that the rain would come and take a chance on getting a top-five and it worked out pretty good for us."

Sorenson came out of the pits with the lead, and even though he couldn't hold off Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle, it turned a top-10 day into a top-five when the rains came for good on Lap 129.

"When we took the two tires and went out, we didn't really plan on winning it," Sorenson said. "We planned on running at least 10 laps there holding them off what we could.

"We've had a 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th this year and I haven't gotten that top-five yet so it's a good run for us. It's nice to get our points and get the car up front. We had a good car today. That was the main thing."

For Elledge, the decision to gamble on the weather was pre-determined. He was getting tired of playing things close to the vest.

"I told myself coming in here that I hadn't been doing a very good job of calling these races as far as being aggressive enough," Elledge said. "I made my mind up before I got here that I was going to do what I had to do to be aggressive and get our car up to the front.

"I just tried to do that and stay focused on the weather and when it was coming."

Elledge's decision nearly landed Sorenson a victory. Had it begun to pour following the final round of pit stops instead of after several laps of green-flag racing, it would have been a Victory Lane celebration instead of high-fives over a top-five.

LAP-BY-LAP: MICHIGAN Despite the rain that slowed the race and cut it short, there was plenty of action at Michigan International Speedway.  •   Lap-by-Lap, click here

"Dang, I just wish we'd have caught that rain about maybe five, six or seven minutes sooner, we maybe would have won the race," Elledge said. "But still, a top-five is awesome. That's really what we need to start getting some momentum and get rolling."

Starting 25th after two unimpressive practice sessions on Saturday, the team was willing to try a few new things. It worked, as the car was better than it had been all weekend.

"We didn't really have a good car in practice but made a lot of changes on it [Saturday] night," Elledge said. "We had a good car [Sunday].

"It wasn't like we finished fifth by default. I think we still had a top-10 car today."