With a seventh place finish in the Budweiser Duel, Reed Sorenson and the No. 44 Golden Corral Chevrolet for Team Xtreme Racing have locked in to the Daytona 500.
After a week that included a crashed primary car, countless hours to prepare a backup at the team shop in Mooresville, N.C. and a second journey back to Daytona; the feat of making the Daytona 500 was extra sweet for the team.
“I’m real proud of these guys,” Sorenson said. “Monday morning, we didn’t know if it would be possible to pull it off. But we did. I’m extremely happy for all the guys back in Charlotte that worked on this car and all the work these guys had to do when they got here. They had a lot left and did an awesome job putting it together.”
“It’s a big deal for a team like this to make the Daytona 500,” Sorenson continued. “I’m proud of everyone, and now we can have fun. We have nothing to lose in the race and we’re gonna give it all we’ve got.”
A NASCAR team owner for over six years, John Cohen noted that he has never attended the Daytona 500 before, waiting for the day that his team was a part of the race. “I don’t think I can put into words what this means to me. This team worked so hard to get a back-up car ready – the odds were stacked against us – but we came through when it counted. I’m so grateful and proud to have a team that never gave up and allowed us to make the race.”
Guiding Sorenson through the action in the Duel and on Sunday is veteran spotter Mike Calinoff, a two-time Daytona 500 winner with Matt Kenseth, Calinoff says, “These qualifying races are all about positioning yourself for the end. It was a bit nerve-racking because I’ve never been part of a scenario where we had to race in. But we overcame a lot of adversity and put ourselves solidly in the show. I’m happy for John because I know that being a car owner in NASCAR, especially for the Daytona 500, is very fulfilling. I can’t wait until Sunday.”
In addition to Golden Corral, the team is sponsored by Fastwax.com, a high-performance cleaning wax in an aerosol can. In less than 30 minutes, you can wash and wax an average sized car. One can on Fastwax will wax four average sized cars.
Sorenson will start the 57th running of the Daytona 500 from the 14th position. The green flag drops at 1:30pm ET.
Team Xtreme PR
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