LOUDON, N.H. -- Reed Sorenson was just 19 years old when he made his first Cup Series start, a precursor to a precipitous task. Despite starting a respectable 22nd for Chip Ganassi Racing on that October day in 2005 at Atlanta, Sorenson crashed out before the halfway mark and finished 41st.

Still, Sorenson's future was in place. As a development driver for Ganassi, his rapid ascent would land him in the team's No. 41 Cup car full time in 2006, following his first full season in the Nationwide Series in which he won twice and finished fourth in points. But after three seasons and just 13 top-10s, Sorenson left Ganassi and took control of Richard Petty's No. 43 car in '09. That led to even less success.

“

Things happen every year and people move around and weird things happen during the season. It's been able to give me an opportunity to go out there and run some more Cup races with a great team.

”

-- REED SORENSON

So in 2010, at the still young-for-most age of 24, Sorenson was back in the Nationwide Series trying to reinvigorate his career. Splitting time in Braun Racing's two cars -- primarily in the No. 32 Toyota -- Sorenson has four top-fives and eight top-10s in 10 starts. He's even made three Cup starts for Braun, which does not have a full-time Cup program.

But Red Bull Racing does, and that is where Sorenson finds himself this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He's the latest to fill the void left by Brian Vickers in the No. 83 Toyota, following a short stint from former Ganassi teammate Casey Mears and the Swedish road racer Mattias Ekström last week at Sonoma.

"Hopefully I make the most of it," Sorenson said. "It's a three-race deal and I'm looking forward to starting it off with a good run this weekend."

Despite not having a full-time ride anywhere in 2010, Sorenson has been making the most of limited opportunities. He knows this is just another chance to make good.

"This is something that I've been looking forward to happening this year," Sorenson said. "I took a step back running the Nationwide car with Braun Racing. That's been really good this year. That was the right move to make. We've been really good over there and I think that's helped my confidence and I think that will be the biggest help more than anything.

"Things happen every year and people move around and weird things happen during the season. It's been able to give me an opportunity to go out there and run some more Cup races with a great team."

If Sorenson couldn't have envisioned his career taking the detour it has, he certainly couldn't have imagined the circumstances that led him to the No. 83 car. Vickers came into 2010 looking to build upon his first Chase season. But a season of struggles came to a premature end when blood clots took him out of the car for the rest of the year.

That led Red Bull to Mears, who started the season trying to qualify cars for Keyed-Up Motorsports and Tommy Baldwin Racing after an unproductive year at Richard Childress Racing followed two mostly disappointing seasons at Hendrick Motorsports. But four races and a run-in with Red Bull teammate Scott Speed at Michigan prompted a need for change at New Hampshire. (Continued)