Turner Motorsports replace Reed Sorenson, more layoffs expected – NASCAR news
Turner Motorsports rounded off a tumultuous week as they replaced their driver Reed Sorenson with Brian Vickers in their Nationwide Series team with immediate effect.
The announcement comes after store chain Dollar General decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Turner Motorsports. The loss of a major sponsor has forced Turner Motorsports to notify employees of potential layoffs at the end of the season.
Turner Motorsports has a total of seven vehicles running in both the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Its truck driver, James Buescher, is currently second in the standings for the Camping World Truck Series championship.
The team said that this notification was made to comply with the North Carolina’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires employers to give a 60-day notice to employees about possible mass layoffs. They were hoping that layoffs
will not be necessary.
“It is hopeful,” Turner Motorsports said. “The action will become unnecessary as the team continues to work with potential marketing partners for their Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series teams.”
The decision to replace Sorenson from the No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet has come as a surprise to many, as Sorenson is third in the Nationwide Series standings, 49 points behind leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
“I'm pretty confused right now,” Sorenson said. “I really don't know what's going on right now. I'm trying to figure some stuff out and get through this weekend. It's hard on me, it's hard on the guys that work on this car and where we finish in points.
So it's a bad deal.”
Sorenson is replaced by Brian Vickers, who is currently driving for the Red Bull team in the Sprint Cup. With Red Bull shutting down its operations for next season, Vickers needs another team. While this is just a temporary arrangement for both parties,
Vickers will be pleased.
This will be Vicker’s first Nationwide Series race this season and having won the Nationwide Series in 2003, he needs to run in the Nationwide Series to activate his Champion’s Provisional for the 2012 season.
Team owner Steve Turner said that they are evaluating their race programme and that Brian Vickers could provide them with experience and direction.
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