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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: No. 43 Is Sponsored
Driver Reed Sorenson confirmed Saturday that Gillett Evernham Motorsports has secured full sponsorship for the No. 43 Dodge that he will drive this season...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted January 10, 2009   Nashville, TN
Driver Reed Sorenson confirmed that Gillett Evernham Motorsports has secured full sponsorship for the No. 43 Dodge that he will drive this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Driver Reed Sorenson confirmed Saturday that Gillett Evernham Motorsports has secured full sponsorship for the No. 43 Dodge that he will drive in 2009. Sorenson said the car will have five rotating primary sponsors, including the U.S. Air Force.

GEM is merging with the former Petty Enterprises and will field three full- and one part-time teams in 2009. Kasey Kahne will drive the No. 9 with Budweiser backing, Elliott Sadler the No. 19 with a rotating group of primary sponsors and Sorenson will be in the No. 43. A fourth car will run a minimum of nine races, with a driver to be named later.

TOM JENSEN BLOG: Nashville Cats

Sorenson, who was in Nashville Saturday for the Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust charity event, said the sponsor deals for the No. 43 were awaiting formal announcement by the team. “I think we’re going to get situated now, but I don’t think I’m supposed to announce the sponsors yet. I think they (GEM) want to do that, but we have a pretty good lineup. They announced the Air Force already, which is a good deal … and we’ve got a total of five sponsors. So, it’s going to be pretty cool.”

PHOTO GALLERY: Petty Enterprises in NASCAR

Although the team has not formally announced Sorenson as the driver of the 43, either, it is a done deal. “As far as the No. 43 goes, I don’t want to make an official statement, but it’s a pretty sure thing.”

Sure enough, anyway, that Sorenson was willing to talk about it.

“It kind of hit me all at once here,” said Sorenson. “It feels pretty awesome. I guess that’s the only thing you can say about it. … I think if you ask anybody who’s grown up racing, or that’s in racing, if they would drive the No. 43 in the Cup Series, I’m sure they’d say yes. I’m excited about it and I think everybody on the team is as well. … It’s an honor, I guess you could say, to represent the No. 43 and what it means. Hopefully, we can get it back in victory lane.”

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

PHOTO GALLERY: Sound and Speed Fan Festival in Nashville

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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