Monday, October 17th 'What If' Question

Reed Sorenson's bid for a Nationwide Series championship ended earlier and differently than he had expected. Sitting third in points behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Elliott Sadler, Sorenson was released from his ride, the No. 32 Dollar General Toyota for Turner Motorsports, before the Kansas weekend.

No exact reason was given by either team owner Steve Turner or Sorenson. The dismissal shocked many in the NNS garage as it appeared out of nowhere and with no immediate reason. Sorenson has won a race this year and was only 49 points behind in the championship with five races left before the end of the season. At Kansas and Charlotte Sorenson drove for MacDonald Motorsports.

Had the release come at the end of the season the backlash might not have been as severe. Many have expressed displeasure with Turner for releasing the championship driver without warning or explanation. And when he's in the middle of the championship fight and the highest running Turner car, it seemed some were wondering why a different driver wasn't released. But, it's also no secret that sponsor Dollar General isn't returning to Tuner next season and many more layoffs at the company are expected.

Perhaps the Sorenson would have been released anyway. The timing though just knocked everyone for a loop as Turner looks towards getting ahead for next season and Sorenson looks for a decent ride for the future.

But ...

What if Turner Motorsports had waited til end of 2011 to release Reed Sorenson, would you have agreed w/ it or felt better about it? #NASCAR

@betseybydesign i think i would have felt a little better about it!!

@antsgirl97 I Know what i want..I want to know why reed was let go like that.

@RobBlount Had Turner announced he was being let go at the end of the year it would have made sense because Dollar General is leaving his team. But firing him with 6 races left just didn't make sense and it left many people confused.

@rcracer20 Reed would have drove for free if he could finish out the year.only looks bad for Tuner .need more drivers like reed,

@hotdog388 would of have agreed with it more if it had happened after the season especially if he didn't have any sponsor lined up for next season or if Reed had finished way down in the points, it was not right to let Reed go this late in the season especially when he was the highest in the points of all the Turner cars

@chuckallen2 They volunteered to give up a possible drivers title. Lots of prestige there. Must've been a bad situation for both.

@denver2u I would have still questioned Turner motorsports for their decision to release a 3rd pl guy... but would have not thought him as much as ass as I think Turner is now... but I guess business is business ...

Nick Brincks (via Facebook) Definitely

Dave Zimmerman (via Facebook) Absolutley