So far during the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Reed Sorenson has one win, seven top fives and 18 top tens in 29 races. With just five races left in the year, Sorenson is third in points, just 49 markers behind Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
Despite all of this, Turner Motorsports announced on Tuesday that Sorenson was fired from the team effective immediately. He will be replaced in the car for the next two weeks by Red Bull Racing's Brian Vickers.
"I'm not really sure what's going on," Sorenson, who has four career Nationwide Series wins, said. "It's not good, though."
No reason was given by Turner Motorsports on why Sorenson was released.
"We are continuing to evaluate our racing program as we look to the 2012 season," owner Steve Turner said in a statement on Tuesday. "Brian Vickers is a proven winner at NASCAR's highest level in addition to being a (part-time) driver at Turner Motorsports over the last four seasons."
The statement goes on to say "we are confident Brian can help assess where we are, as a company currently, and the direction we are going as we build our programs for 2012 and beyond."
Turner Motorsports also told employees that possible layoffs were coming. In accordance with the North Carolina Worker Adjustment and Restraining Notification, or WARN, Act, the team has to notify employees of layoffs 60 days in advance. Turner is among several Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series' teams that have done so.
Sorenson drove 28 Nationwide Series races last year for Braun Racing, which was later bought by Turner Motorsports, in 2010, collecting nine top fives and 21 top 10s. Despite missing seven races, Sorenson still managed to finish 12th in the standings.
Sorenson's teammate Jason Leffler is also looking for a ride in 2012. His sponsor GreatClips will be leaving Turner at the end of this season, and Leffler was already told he would not be returning to the No. 38 car. Leffler has finished in the top ten in Nationwide Series points for the past five years.
UPDATE: It was confirmed on Friday, October 7 that Reed Sorenson would replace Scott Wimmer behind the wheel of the No. 82 Dodge for MacDonald Motorsports for the Kanss 300. He will also pilot the No. 7 SPEED Energy Dodge for Robby Gordon Motorsports.
Sorenson said at Kansas Speedway on Friday that he couldn't comment on his release from Turner Motorsports, and while he doesn't have anything 100% worked out yet, he does hope to find another Nationwide ride.
Thanks to Racing Reference, USA Today, NASCAR.com, Yahoo! Sports, Jayski and NASCAR Scene for the quotes, statistics and information used in this piece. Photo credit to Yahoo!
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