DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Reed Sorenson put on an impressive performance in Thursday night’s Can-Am Duel at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, but his shot at making Sunday’s Daytona 500 was wrenched from him 12 laps from the finish.
Bolting his way from his 19th place starting position, Sorenson utilized pit strategy and the draft to wrestle his Premium Motorsports Toyota into the top-10.
As quick as everything appeared to be going his way, contact from behind sent the Peachtree, Ga. native spinning down the frontstretch before making hard contact into the inside wall. Sorenson climbed out injured, but understandably upset.
“I was looking for it and next thing I know, I got turned pretty hard,” Sorenson said. “I have no idea.”
The contact from behind initiated from Corey Lajoie attempting to make his first Daytona 500 for BK Racing.
Lajoie was behind Sorenson as the pack exited the tri-oval and going for an opportunity in the middle, Lajoie’s No. 83 Toyota made contact with Sorenson shoving him across the track and essentially out of the Daytona 500.
“I’m not sure how it got to that point,” a visibly upset Sorenson said. “I feel like he just turned us. Between the two cars that needed to make the race, I think that’s pretty crappy. It’s something he felt like he needed to do. People can get hurt when you do stuff like. That was a pretty hard lick right there. I didn’t appreciate it very much.”
Despite finishing last in his duel, his Jay Robinson Racing-owned team still had an opportunity to make the “Great American Race” if Elliott Sadler beat D.J. Kennington and Timmy Hill in the second Can-Am duel.
It came down to the last few inches of the 60-lap race before the team had their answer. A mere thirty-nine thousands of second kept Sorenson out of his seventh Daytona 500.
Afterwards, Lajoie was somewhat apologetic for the incident, but wasn’t ready to take full responsibility for the crash.
“Every kid dreams of racing in the Daytona 500, and I get to do that on Sunday,” Lajoie said. “I really do feel about Reed. I just tried to fill a hole, but it was getting down to it. I probably did have position on him, I’m trying to get into the Daytona 500. If my mom was in that spot, I would probably wreck her too.”
During Daytona 500 qualifying this past Sunday, Sadler was the second-highest qualifier behind Brendan Gaughan. Because Gaughan elected to fall back on his speed during the first Can-Am Duel, Lajoie locked himself into the race. With Kennington edging Sadler, Sadler also had to fall back on his time trials speed leaving Sorenson and Rick Ware Racing’s Timmy Hill on the sidelines for Sunday’s afternoon Super Bowl race.
“I probably shouldn’t speak to him tonight,” Sorenson quipped before the start of the Can-Am Duel No. 2
Follow Chris Knight o Twitter @Knighter01.
