By Amanda Brahler

MADISON, Ill. — Reed Sorenson is running a part-time Busch Series schedule this season, but one race he refused to miss was the stand-alone event at Gateway Int’l Raceway. Having claimed a victory and a fourth-place finish on the track before, Sorenson knew he could turn around what has been a disappointing season so far.
Good call, Reed.
On Saturday, Sorenson qualified second, led 95 laps in the No. 41 Juicy Fruit Dodge and broke a 61-race winless streak after taking the checkers.
“It’s been frustrating but finally winning again – I’m more excited about this one than any other one. It’s been a long couple of years in the Busch Series,” Sorenson said.
With six DNFs through the first half of the season, Chip Ganassi Racing knew something needed to be done. In June, the team announced a crew chief change, moving Brad Parrott from the No. 42 car over to Sorenson’s No. 41.
“Earlier in the week he said, ‘I’ve never finished worse than fourth and you gotta give me a good race car,’ and I told him I would,” Parrott said. “It took him 61 races to get back here, and I promise you it won’t take 61 before he gets back.”

CONGRATS: Reed Sorenson gets a hug from crew chief Brad Parrott. (Erik Perel/HHP Photo)

“Since we hooked up four races ago, we’ve been pretty consistent. We haven’t been a winning car every weekend, but we have been consistently getting better. I feel like we can get our program a lot better by the time we come back here next year,” added Sorenson.
Polesitter Scott Wimmer finished second in the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet. Wimmer led the first 53 laps, but a flat right-side tire forced him to pit under green-flag conditions.
David Reutimann, Jason Leffler and David Ragan closed out the top five.
There were nine caution flags during the 200-lap event.
Landon Cassill, making his series debut in a Hendrick Motorsports entry, was involved in two of the run-ins.
St. Louis native Kenny Wallace climbed behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet for a one-race deal in front of his hometown crowd. An accident at the halfway mark ended his night.
Point-leader Carl Edwards, another fan favorite in the St. Louis area, fared a little better, despite an up-and- down night. Edwards made contact on two separate occasions with both of Chip Ganassi’s cars. But his main obstacle occured on lap 179, when Edwards’s No. 60 Ford broke loose and slapped the wall.
After repairs, he was able to climb back into the sixth position. Edwards’s point lead now stands at 852 over Reutimann.
Sorenson’s teammate, Kevin Hamlin, claimed his first-career top-10 finish, crossing the stripe in seventh. Ron Hornaday, Jr., J.J. Yeley and Todd Bodine closed out the top 10.