CUP: Sorenson Scores Turn One Racing’s First Last-Place Finish

SOURCE: Rubbin's Racin'

Reed Sorenson picked up the 6th last-place finish of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career in Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at the Martinsville Speedway when his unsponsored #74 Turn One Racing Chevrolet fell out with brake problems after completing 25 of the race’s 515 laps.

The finish was Sorenson’s first of the 2012 season and his first in Sprint Cup competition since the 2010 Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington, when he drove the #32 for the now-defunct Braun Racing team.

Sorenson qualified 35th at a speed of 95.223 mph, ranking him fifth among the eleven “go-or-go-homers” who attempted to qualify for the race. This put Stacy Compton’s Turn One Racing team into its third consecutive race since its debut back at Bristol. After two 42nd-place finishes, this then became the team’s first-ever last-place finish.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*Combined with Rick Crawford’s last-place run in the Truck Series race the previous day, the #74 finished last in both the weekend’s NASCAR events at Martinsville. The last time a number swept a weekend’s last-place finishes was at Watkins Glen in 2010, when Matt Carter (Nationwide) and Scott Speed (Cup) both fell out early in the #82.
*The #74 had not finished last in a Cup Series race since 2006, when all-time LASTCAR leader Derrike Cope scored his record 35th NASCAR last-place finish in the 2006 UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega. Cope fell out after 9 laps with overheating problems.
*The #74 had not finished last in a Cup Series race at Martinsville since September 24, 1972 when Bill Shirey’s 1970 Plymouth fell out of the Old Dominion 500 after 19 laps with overheating problems.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #74-Reed Sorenson / 25 laps / brakes
42) #23-Scott Riggs / 30 laps / brakes
41) #26-Josh Wise / 49 laps / brakes
40) #98-Michael McDowell / 60 laps / brakes
39) #87-Joe Nemechek / 74 laps / brakes

LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Brendan Gaughan, Michael McDowell, David Ragan, Reed Sorenson, Josh Wise, J.J. Yeley (1)

LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #26-Front Row Motorsports, #33-Richard Childress Racing, #34-Front Row Motorsports, #49-Robinson-Blakeney Racing, #74-Turn One Racing, #98-Phil Parsons Racing (1)

LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Ford (3)
2nd) Chevrolet (2)
3rd) Toyota (1)