This year's Silly Season continues to roll onward and has included many big names and sponsors.  With the big names like Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex and sponsors like UPS, Office Depot looking to move, this is arguably the biggest Silly Season in recent years.  One driver that hasn't received much mention has been Reed Sorenson.   Despite not having the stats of the other free agent drivers, Sorenson deserves a good ride in Cup and doesn’t deserve to be fired.

For a season started with such promise at Daytona, the future is unknown for Sorenson.  This is his last year of his contract with Ganassi .  Supposedly, Ganassi has offered Sorenson a contract and he is mulling the offer.

Reading comments from people, there seems to be two main views about Sorenson.  One is that he is underrated and being held back by CGR’s equipment.  The other is that Sorenson doesn’t have what it takes to do well in Cup.  I do find it interesting that in one breath people are quick to point out Ganassi’s struggles in NASCAR, but in the next breath say Sorenson doesn’t have what it takes.

Good drivers in average or subpar teams do have strong results at least every once in a while, and he has shown he has the talent to be successful.  In Cup, Sorenson has had 5 top five finishes, 13 top tens, and 1 pole in 2.5 full seasons.   His best Cup finish came in the Fall Atlanta 07 race, where he finished 3rd.  His first Cup top-10 came in his 6th start, and his first Busch win came in his 6th start. Many say that he was brought up to Cup too early which is a valid point, but I also think you have to consider the situation he was put in.  He only ran one season in the Busch Series in 2005 and was brought into the Target Cup ride at only 20 years old.

It was that rookie season in Busch where Sorenson really began to show people around the country what he could do.  Prior to that season, he was highly successful in other series.  Sorenson’s rookie and only full time season in Busch resulted in a 4th place overall in points.  He won 2 races, 2 poles, and had 19 top-10s in 35 races, all at 19 years old.  He spent a good portion of the season ahead of Truex, Bowyer, and Hamlin.  Although Truex and Bowyer would finish ahead of Sorenson at the season’s end, along with Carl Edwards, he would still finish ahead of Denny Hamlin.  All of which had better resources, in my opinion.

Sorenson can drive- if he has cars that will let him.  The 2005 season was the last big year for Ganassi in NASCAR.  It was the year Sorenson finished 4th in the Busch Series and Jamie McMurray finished 12th in the Cup standings.  Since then, Casey Mears’s 2006 season has been the biggest positive, when he finished 14th in points.  Now in 2008, Ganassi’s NASCAR teams are arguably at their lowest.  Juan Pablo Montoya finished 20th in his rookie season, and is currently 21st this year.  Sorenson has yet to have a NASCAR veteran as a teammate, and having all of Ganassi’s NASCAR drivers be inexperienced in these cars cannot be a help to any of them.

This season should not affect Sorenson’s options for the future.  He should not be fired for the shortcomings of an organization that is struggling across the board in NASCAR.  Supposedly, Felix Sabates has stated that they have offered Sorenson a contract and he is mulling it.  Now whether or not he resigns with Ganassi or goes elsewhere, people should take notice of him.  He deserves to at least be considered for other rides such as the #33 of Childress, #12 of Penske, and at DEI. 

Personally, what team Sorenson drives for is not a really big issue to me, as long as it’s one that can give him cars and be successful, whether it’s at Ganassi or elsewhere.   Judging by past history though, Ganassi doesn’t seem to be the best option in that regard.  They don’t appear to have the resources other possible options have, and spreading your resources across NASCAR, IndyCar, and the Rolex Series has to take its toll.

Whether or not Sorenson leaves on his own doing is one thing, but he doesn’t deserve to be fired.  He does, however, deserve to have cars that can show his ability.