R. Sorenson No. 41 Commit Dodge Advance for Dover 06.03.06
Media Contact: Angie Copen, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, 704-662-9642, acopen@ganassi.com Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Commit Dodge StonebridgeRacing.com 200 - Dover International Speedway - 06.03.06 To view the 2006 Discount Tire Media Guide, please visit www.discounttiremotorsports.com <http://www.discounttiremotorsports.com/> No. 41 Commit Team Fast Facts: * Team 41 Commit at Dover: This weekend, the No. 41 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix (CGRFS) Busch team will take on the blue and white colors to represent Commit-the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) stop smoking lozenge. The special paint scheme is the second run of a five-race partnership between GSK and the CGRFS Busch team. One of the GSK stop smoking products-Nicorette, NicoDerm CQ and Commit-can be seen on board with Reed Sorenson every weekend as an associate sponsor, but Commit will take center stage on the No. 41 Dodge this Saturday. GSK and CGRFS already teamed up to run the NicoDerm CQ car at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this year, and will continue to work together to get the word out about helping everyone put out their bad smoking habits. Commit will also be highlighted on the No. 41 car when the Busch Series returns to Bristol in August. NicoDerm CQ will then return as the primary sponsor of the 41 Busch team two more times in September-at Dover and then at Kansas. Commit, Nicorette and NicoDerm CQ are the leading branded products to help smokers quit. This past March, Nicorette sponsored the NASCAR Busch Series race at Atlanta, which marked the first NASCAR race to ever be sponsored by a smoking cessation product. Nicorette is also on tap to sponsor the No. 41 Dodge in the NEXTEL Cup race at Richmond in September. This is GSK's second season as a sponsor of CGRFS. To learn more about the pharmaceutical company and its products, go to www.gsk.com <http://www.gsk.com/> . * QUIT CREW: After a successful run with the CGRFS team last season, GSK launched a "QUIT CREW" program earlier this year that involves a smoking cessation initiative to help NASCAR team members quit smoking. In addition to stomping out the cigarettes inside the NASCAR garages, GSK also is on a mission to utilize its involvement with the popular motor sport to help millions of race fans increase their awareness about effective therapy to quit smoking. To see a mix of quitting tools and to learn more about the QUIT CREW program, go to www.quit2win.com <http://www.quit2win.com/> . * Getting it Done at Dover: Sorenson has posted some impressive results at Dover International Speedway in two Busch Series starts at the track known as The Monster Mile. He has an average starting position of 4.5 and an average finish of third. Sorenson's career best finish at the track was runner up in last season's June race. Sorenson has led a total of seven laps at Dover in Busch Series competition. * Ellis Charity Auction Update: Last week, the entire CGRFS organization pulled together to raise money for the family of fellow teammate, Bill Ellis, who passed away in mid-April at the young age of 42. The team hosted a memorial charity auction last Thursday with all proceeds going into a trust fund that is being set up for Ellis' wife and three children. CGRFS held both the live and silent auction at its Concord, N.C. race shop and almost 200 items were auctioned off. The event raised more than $40,000 for the Ellis family. In addition to the auction, the team has placed three other items on eBay that are up for bid until next Friday, June 9, 2006. The items included are: an autographed side panel of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s black No. 8 car that raced in the Aaron's 499 just last month at Talladega Superspeedway; a Jack Ingram Skoal Busch Series fire suit that is autographed by the five-time Busch Series champion; and four VIP box tickets to the Nine Inch Nails concert coming to Charlotte, N.C. on June 10, 2006. Check out all of these items on eBay and don't delay. All proceeds will go to the Bill Ellis Memorial Fund. * How They Rank: Heading into this weekend's race, Sorenson and the No. 41 CGRFS team are 14th in the overall Busch Series driver standings and 16th in the owner standings. They are 85 points out of 10th in the driver standings and 127 points out of 10th in the owner standings. They are 255 points out of fifth in both driver and owner standings. * CGRFS NEXTEL News & Updates: Sorenson and the Target team are 20th in the overall standings after their 10th-place effort in the last event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The team is only 100 points out of 15th and 239 points out of the top 10. * Rookie Ranks: Sorenson currently sits third in the NEXTEL Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings with 105 points. He trails leader Denny Hamlin by 27 points. Sorenson has captured rookie of the race honors in two of the nine races run thus far in '06 (Atlanta - 10th-place finish, Martinsville - 12th). * Chassis: Crew chief Brian Pattie and the No. 41 Commit Dodge team selected chassis #556 to run at Dover this weekend. It ran in a total of five events in 2005, including both NASCAR Busch Series races at Dover. The chassis helped the team score a total of four top-five finishes, including a second-place finish (started sixth) at Dover last June and a fourth-place finish (started third) at The Monster Mile last September. It also helped the CGRFS Busch team cruise to a fourth-place finish in the June race at Kentucky (started eighth) and November race at Texas (started ninth). Sorenson comments on racing at The Monster Mile "Dover was a really good track for us last season in the Busch car, and I'm hoping for some of the same results in both the Busch and Cup cars this weekend. I really like the track and its very fun to race on, especially if your car is handling well. It's extremely fast, so if the car is off a little bit you definitely have your hands full." Reed Sorenson Dover International Speedway NASCAR Busch Series Stats (1-mile oval in Dover, Del.) Date Race Start Finish Laps Completed Total Laps Status Winnings 09.24.05 Dover 200 3 4 200 200 Running $36,390 06.04.05 MBNA RacePoints 200 6 2 200 200 Running $47,490 Total/Average: 2/4.5 2/3 400 400 $83,880 Track Summary: 2 Starts 0 Wins 2 Top 5s 2 Top 10s 0 Poles Reed Sorenson 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Results Date Race Start Finish Winnings Rank/Pts. Date Race Start Finish Winnings Rank/Pts. Feb. 18 Daytona 13 9 $60,900 9th/138 July 8 Chicago Feb. 25 California 35 11 $33,275 8th/130 July 15 Loudon March 5 Mexico 25 36 $44,640 15th/55 July 22 Martinsville March 11 Las Vegas 27 10 $42,708 11th/134 July 29 St. Louis March 18 Atlanta 28 42 $17,505 16th/37 Aug. 5 Indianapolis March 25 Bristol 18 27 $21,850 19th/82 Aug. 12 Watkins Glen April 8 Texas 2 13 $23,750 17th/124 Aug. 19 Michigan April 15 Nashville 4 19 $14,150 17th/111 Aug. 25 Bristol April 21 Phoenix 5 2 $55,900 11th/175 Sept. 2 California April 29 Talladega 13 17 $20,000 12th/112 Sept. 8 Richmond May 5 Richmond 9 36 $14,215 13th/55 Sept. 23 Dover May 12 Darlington 23 23 $14,700 14th/94 Sept. 30 Kansas May 27 Charlotte 22 21 $16,050 14th/100 Oct. 13 Charlotte June 3 Dover Oct. 28 Memphis June 10 Pocono Nov. 4 Texas June 17 Kentucky Nov. 11 Phoenix June 24 Milwaukee Nov. 19 Homestead June 30 Daytona Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Pts. Total Winnings 13 0 1 3 0 1,347 $379,643 Reed Sorenson NASCAR Busch Series Career Totals Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Money 53 2 14 25 2 468 $1,788,565 Reed Sorenson Highlights First Busch Series Start (Indianapolis, Aug. 7, 2004) First Busch Series Win (Nashville, March 26, 2005) First Busch Series Pole (Nashville, March 26, 2005) First NEXTEL Cup Series Start (Atlanta, Oct. 30, 2005) First ARCA win (Michigan, June 2004) 2003 ASA Rookie of the Year 1998-2002 Legends Cars: 84 wins, 152 top fives and 166 top-10 finishes in 183 starts 1997 Quarter Midgets National Champion No. 41 Discount Tire Crew: Name Crew position Hometown Name Crew position Hometown Brian Pattie Crew Chief Zephyrhills, Fla. Tyler Jones Pit Support Royalton, Vt. Tony Glover Team Manager Kingsport, Tenn. Adam Cooke Shock Specialist Zephyrhills, Fla. Lorin Ranier Spotter Prestonburg, Ken. Dan Chivari Swing Mechanic Erie, Pa. Jeremy Crosby Front Tire Changer Hickory, N.C. Bruce Jones Rear Mechanic Lakeland, Fla. Adam Mosher Front Tire Carrier Fort Mill, S.C. Brian Taylor Front Mechanic Cuthbert, Ga. Trevor Lysne Rear Tire Changer Fergus Falls, Minn. Tim O'Brien Engineer Lebanon, Ohio Doug Riepe Rear Tire Carrier Danbury, Conn. Todd Hamm Engine Tuner Kutztown, Pa. Shaun Peet Jack Man Nanaimo, B.C Brandon Stafford Tire Specialist Taylorsville, N.C. Tim Coffey Gas Man/Transport Driver Greenwood, Ind. Scott Denton Pit Support Gastonia, N.C. Ryan Quann Catch Can Man Richmond, Va.