Championship-Minded Edwards Wins Homestead Cup Pole

Photo Credit: Nigel Kinrade Autostock

The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season started at Florida's Daytona International Speedway where a surprise winner Trevor Bayne took a Wood Brothers Ford to Daytona 500 victory circle. Returning to the state where the top stock car racing tour kicked off what was an overall unpredictable year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title will be won by the first driver other than Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson for the first time since 2005.

The winner of that 2005 Cup championship, Tony Stewart, readies for the 2011 series finale at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway just 3 points behind the Chase points leader. Indiana state's Stewart target for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford 400 is the #99 car driven by a Columbus, Missouri native. A driver equally as skilled inside the car as he is charismatic outside of a race vehicle, Carl Edwards used plain consistency in 9 of the 10 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup races to take the point lead going into the Ford 400 on Sunday. Despite not winning an event so far in this 2011 NASCAR Chase, Edwards and the #99 Ford Fusion fielded by Roush Fenway Racing are in position to gain owner Jack Roush his third Cup Series championship. 

With no track activity on Friday due to rain drenching the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval, practice and qualifying for the Ford 400 took place Saturday. Immediately, Carl Edwards and the #99 team rocketed to the top of the time sheets in the two practice sessions. Parlaying the speed in practice, Edward's #99 Ford took pole in qualifying Saturday afternoon lapping the 1.5-mile Florida oval in 30.775 seconds. Equating to a 175.467 mile per hour average speed, Carl Edwards commented following his pole run success content with the importance of Sunday's Ford 400 race. "It is great to be on the pole. It is just one lap and tomorrow we have 267 laps and we have some serious competition out there. We are just going to go put this Ford Fusion up there and get a good pit stall and race hard all day Sunday.” said Edwards ahead of the 400-mile event.

On a mission Sunday, Carl Edwards starts from the front row while Chase contender Tony Stewart will launch from a 15th position in the #14 Chevrolet. With the fight for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship the tightest during Ford Championship Weekend at the race track, Tony Stewart only needs to improve a few spots over Carl Edwards to steal his third driver's title. Historically at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Edwards and Stewart each hold a pair of victories in the 400-mile event.

Collecting a little over one-tenth of a second slower than Edwards to start on the front row of the Ford 400 is Martin Truex Jr in the #56 Toyota. Recent Pheonix race winner Kasey Kahne is positioned 3rd in what will by his final event in the #4 Toyota for Team Red Bull. Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski claims the 4th and 5th spots in qualifying for Penske Racing. Part of the 12 drivers eligible in the 2011 Chase, both Kurt Busch and Keselowski enter with opportunities to gain positions to finish out the season. Drivers rounding out the top-10 for the start of the Ford 400 are in order of Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin.

Fastest in the first practice, the Hendrick Motorsports-backed #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr will start 11th after qualifying for Sunday's race. In 11 race starts, Earnhardt Jr has yet to record a top-10 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway track in Sprint Cup Series competition. Other notable starters for the Ford 400 includes Regan Smith in 16th place driving the #78 Furniture Row car, the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Kyle Busch in 19th position, one-time 2011 Chase contender Kevin Harvick in 21st and 2003 Homestead-Miami race winner Bobby Labonte will start 35th. Also, Mark Martin will be racing his final race for Hendrick Motorsports in the #5 Chevy starting from the 25th position. Martin had announced weeks ago going to Michael Watrip Racing in 2012.

Concluding the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Ford 400 starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern time.

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup

Ford 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Starting Line-up

1. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
2. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
3. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
4. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
5. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
6. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
7. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet
8. 16 Greg Biffle 3M/Novec Ford
9. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
10. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
11. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet
12. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
13. 6 David Ragan UPS My Choice Ford
14. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
15. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
16. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
17. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
18. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
19. 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota
20. 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
21. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
22. 51 Landon Cassill Security Benefit/ThnkATchr Today Chevrolet
23. 27 Paul Menard Duracell/Menards Chevrolet
24. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
25. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
26. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
27. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
28. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
29. 84 Cole Whitt Kangaroo Express Toyota
30. 55 J J Yeley Ingersoll Rand Ford
31. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
32. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
33. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing LLC Toyota
34. 35 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet
35. 47 Bobby Labonte Reese Towpower Toyota
36. 30 David Stremme Inception Racing Chevrolet
37. 87 Joe Nemechek AM/FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota
38. 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford
39. 13 Casey Mears Hard Rock Vodka Toyota
40. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
41. 32 T J Bell GreenSmoke.com Ford
42. 36 Geoffrey Bodine Luke & Associates Chevrolet
43. 71 Mike Bliss School Media Ford

Edwards holds off Kyle Busch for 35th Nationwide win

Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

HAMPTON, Ga.—Polesitter Carl Edwards held off Kyle Busch during a frantic final 10 laps of Saturday night’s Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and, despite a pit-road penalty early in the race, notched his sixth Nationwide Series victory of the year and the 35th of his career.

Busch, who chased Edwards to the checkered flag after passing Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for second place on Lap 186 of 195, was the runner-up, .697 seconds behind Edwards. Stenhouse, the series points leader, came home third, followed by Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne.

After regaining the lead from Harvick following a Lap 177 restart, Edwards stayed there and held a comfortable advantage until Busch cleared Stenhouse for second.

“That was the hardest we could race out there,” Edwards said. “Kyle and I, Kevin, I raced Kasey—it was a lot of fun. This track is as good as it gets. This was a blast.”

Edwards’ crew was fastest during pit stops under caution on Lap 165, and he led the field to a restart on Lap 169. Harvick, however, grabbed the top spot before the lap was over and stayed there until contact from Justin Allgaier sent Turner Motorsports teammate Reed Sorenson’s Chevrolet into the Ford of Trevor Bayne in Turn 2.

“I will tell you one thing: I’ll find him after the race, and it’ll be between me and him—I promise you,” said Sorenson, who took a huge hit in the Nationwide standings.

Allgaier, who finished sixth, said after the race he wanted to find Sorenson, too—to apologize. Sorenson finished 32nd and now trails Stenhouse by 40 points.

Edwards led from the outset, pacing the first 41 laps before Eric McClure smacked the Turn 2 wall to cause the first caution. During pit stops on Lap 43, Edwards dragged an air gun beyond the boundary of his stall and had to return to pit road to serve a penalty.

Busch led the field to a restart on Lap 47, with Harvick beside him and Edwards in 17th place, the last car on the lead lap thanks to the infraction. As Harvick battled Busch and Stenhouse for the top spot, Edwards began a methodical climb through the field, working his way to the sixth position within 15 laps.

Harvick swapped the lead with Stenhouse three times, and Harvick on his team radio acknowledged the broader implications of that battle. Harvick owns the No. 2 Chevrolet driven by Elliott Sadler, and entering Saturday’s event, Sadler trailed Stenhouse by five points in the race for the Nationwide championship.

“I’ll get rougher with him (Stenhouse) the later it goes, if I have to,” Harvick promised as the cars slowed under caution for Joe Nemechek’s spin in Turn 2 on Lap 68. “I feel like I’m racing for the 2’s life up here.”

Sadler finished 10th. He remains second in the standings but is now 13 points behind Stenhouse.

That caution and one that followed on Lap 76 for Michael Annett’s spin through the infield grass bunched the field and gave Edwards the opportunity he needed to regain the lead. After trading the top spot with Busch following a restart on Lap 82, Edwards moved to the front decisively on Lap 102 and began to pull away.

By Lap 110, he had a lead of 1.394 seconds over Busch.

Hamlin Breaks Through With Win At Michigan

Photo Credit: Gregg Forwerck/Getty Images for NASCAR

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(June 19, 2011)

BROOKLYN, Mich. — For the first time this season—at a track where he was expected to contend—Denny Hamlin finally dodged the pitfalls that have plagued him in previous races and closed the deal.

First out of the pits after a stop under caution on Lap 192 of 200, Hamlin held off Matt Kenseth after a restart with five laps left and claimed his first victory of the season in Sunday’s Heluva Good 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Hamlin, who won his 17th Sprint Cup race, crossed the finish line .281 seconds ahead of Kenseth. Unlike previous races at his best tracks, such as Martinsville, Richmond and Pocono—where Hamlin was strong early but succumbed to a variety late-race problems—Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota was at its best in the closing laps of Sunday’s race.

“We finished—that’s the thing,” Hamlin said in victory lane. “We got it done. Everyone knows that we’ve been strong. Today we didn’t look as strong as what we normally do here, but we got it working there at the end.

“We made a magic adjustment, and the car took off. This is the point of the season where we really need to start hitting our stride, and hopefully we’ve got another good 10 weeks before the Chase starts.”

Kyle Busch, Hamlin’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, finished third for the second week in a row. Paul Menard came home fourth for his best result of the season, and Carl Edwards finished fifth and expanded his lead in the series standings to 20 points over second-place Kevin Harvick (14th Sunday).

Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin and Brian Vickers completed the top 10.

Kenseth spun his tires on the final restart but got a push from Edwards, his Roush Fenway Racing teammate, and closed on Hamlin over the final five laps—but ran out of time.

“I got a bad restart, and Carl pushed me back to clean air, which was real nice of him, and I got back to Denny, but I couldn’t get around him,” Kenseth said. “We were kind of slow for about 10 laps on most runs, and then it seemed like we were the best car from 10 (laps) until we needed fuel.

“I just didn’t have enough time to get around him. I tried everything I could, and I just couldn’t figure out how to do it.”

The victory and third-place finish for the Gibbs cars were a welcome change from the start of the weekend. On Friday, NASCAR ordered all three JGR teams to replace oil pans that had not been submitted for approval. (JGR’s third driver, Joey Logano, finished 18th.) NASCAR is pondering sanctions for the unapproved parts, with an announcement expected early in the week.

Hamlin cracked the top 10 in the Cup standings for the first time since the third week of the season at Las Vegas. The runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in last year’s Chase, Hamlin is ninth, 77 points behind Edwards with 11 races left before the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is set.

Hamlin got the opportunity he needed when a caution on Lap 158—the result of an accident involving Juan Pablo Montoya and Andy Lally in Turn 4—interrupted a cycle of green-flag pit stops and scrambled the running order for a restart on Lap 164.

Edwards passed Kenseth and Busch for the lead on the restart lap, with Hamlin in pursuit. With the top-10 drivers in fuel-saving mode, Edwards continued to pace the field, pulling away from Hamlin by a second and a half, before contact from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin sent Dale Earnhardt Jr. into the Turn 1 wall to bring out the final caution.

On Lap 192, when the lead-lap cars came to the pits—most for two tires and fuel—Hamlin’s crew executed its best stop when it counted most.

Johnson continued to have problems with Michigan, one of four active Cup tracks where the five-time defending champion hasn’t won a race. Johnson spun off Turn 2 just eight laps into the race, flattened three of his four tires and broke the sway bar on the No. 48 Chevrolet.

Ultimately, Johnson lost two laps as his crew repaired the car. He salvaged a 27th-place finish but lost most of the ground in the standings he had gained on Edwards last week at Pocono. Johnson fell from second, six points back, to fifth, 29 points in arrears.

Edwards Storms Ahead of Busch to Win Texas Nationwide Race

Photo Credit: John Harrelson/ Getty Images for NASCAR

By Reid Spencer


Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service



FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 6, 2010) — Carl Edwards knew he had to get everything he could on a restart with two laps left in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch, who finished second to Edwards, was convinced the race winner got too much.



Nevertheless, after a green-white-checkered-flag finish, it was Edwards who celebrated his third win of the season and the 28th of his career, after thwarting Busch’s attempt to win his record sixth straight NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the 1.5-mile track.



Edwards, however, couldn’t prevent third-place finisher Brad Keselowski from clinching the Nationwide drivers championship, the first NASCAR title for team owner Roger Penske. With two races left, Keselowski leads second-place Edwards by an insurmountable 465 points.



Edwards held the lead when caution flew for the fifth time on Lap 198 of a scheduled 200, when smoke billowed from Clint Bowyer’s Chevrolet as it sped through the tri-oval. That gave Busch, who led a race-high 107 laps, a final chance to battle Edwards for the lead, but the fight failed to materialize.



Why? Busch contended Edwards hit the gas before the restart zone delineated by red stripes on the outer walls.



“Carl Edwards jumped the restart by about three lengths before the double red marks,” Busch said after the race. “Does it freakin’ matter? The race is over. The guy’s in Victory Lane. It doesn’t matter.”



Edwards was unapologetic.



“I had to do everything I could,” Edwards said. “Kyle and those guys have a spectacular car, and he does a really good job on restarts. So I just got the best restart I could, and it ended up winning us the race. He’s tough. He raced me really well on the one before that (Lap 191), but I knew if I gave him an inch, he’d beat us.”



Understandably, Keselowski was elated at clinching the championship.



“I’m so very fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity with (crew chief) Paul Wolfe and Roger and everybody back at the shop,” Keselowski said. “The guys that are there miss their kids’ Little League games working hard on my car,



“We almost had a win here today. I wanted to win this one, too, but it didn’t work out.”



Edwards made sure of that. He passed Busch on Lap 155 and held the top spot until Parker Kligerman spun off Turn 2 on Lap 185 to cause the fourth caution of the race. Edwards retained the lead after a wild restart on Lap 191 and pulled away from Busch before a caution on Lap 198 slowed the field and sent the race to overtime.



Joey Logano finished fourth, followed by Martin Truex Jr.



Notes: With the victory, Edwards won $75,000 in Nationwide’s Dash4Cash program. Thirteenth-place finisher Justin Allgaier won the $75,000 Dash4Cash season-ending bonus as the eligible driver who scored the most points in the four Dash4Cash races. … Edwards’ victory was his 50th combined in NASCAR’s top three series. … Busch posted his 11th top-10 finish in 12 races at Texas.

Edwards King of Road America Nationwide Race

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

A perfect day greeted the NASCAR Nationwide Series in Elkhart Like, Wisconsin as the stock car racing tour visits a new track added on the 2010 schedule. Consisting of 4.048 miles, the fast 14-turn road course of Road America greets the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the first time. The Bucyrus 200 at Road America is a gain after losing a historically significant race at the Milwaukee Mile oval due to financial issues.

Starting what would be one of three road course stops for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide season, the unique stock car racing action brought some rare appearances for some drivers. Classically referred to as road ringers, the Bucyrus 200 introduced drivers Ron Fellows and Jacques Villeneuve back to the series. Having little to no experience in the NASCAR feeder series, Owen Kelly, Tony Ave and Patrick Long adds themselves as road race professionals eager to compete against Nationwide series regulars on their turf.

Taking pole in the late morning qualifying session, Carl Edwards lead from the start of the event through the first 12 circuits. Former formula 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve making the most of a front row start. Fastest in Friday practice, Villeneuve and his Braun Racing #32 Toyota would be a dominant figurehead for the road racers through the Road America Nationwide race. Racing Road America, the track is one Jacques Villeneuve enjoyed a positive past winning his very first IndyCar race on the 4-mile circuit in 1994 and repeated in 1995.

Right off the bat, some of the Nationwide series regular encountered difficulty including the 3rd place runner for the drivers points. The #12 Dodge of Justin Allgaier came to a stop on track during the initial laps for what turned out to be a broken track bar. Accepting a 35nd place result after rejoining the field losing 20 laps, the Penske Racing driver stays in 3rd in points but lost significant points to 1st and 2nd position sending Allgaier well-back in the 2010 championship.

Though Braun Racing's #38 Toyota of Jason Leffler took the lead for three laps after gaining the position through pit stop strategy, Edwards stormed past to retake the top position on lap 15 for another 13 laps (translating to more than 52 miles). As caution flew on lap 28 condensing the cars concluding after a long green period the stock car pack was repositioned to take advantage of gaining track places. As the race restarted on lap 30 the predator instincts of competitors reigned setting up the largest incident of the day occurring between 6 cars on lap 31. Involving Jason Leffler, the #34 of Tony Raines, the #31 of Stanton Barrett and the #16 Ford of Colin Braun were among were involved in the turn 6 pile-up which also resulted in over 30 minute red flag period falling on the Road America road course.



Photo Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Once race was sent in motion following the clean-up in turn 6, the #18 Toyota Camry of Brad Coleman assumed the lead once Carl Edwards pitted with several other drivers including Paul Menard and Jacques Villeneuve. Back to green on lap 34, Coleman held off the Brendan Gaughan's #62 Toyota and Ron Fellows driving the #88 AER Engineering Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.

As the field were engaged with each other for position under 12 laps left in the Bucyrus 200, three cautions would insure at least three golden opportunities to vie for a top finishing position. On lap 38, the #33 Chevrolet of Ron Hornaday and the #21 Richard Childress-Owned Chevrolet being driven by Tim George Jr collided in turn 3. With Coleman still leading through this fifth caution period, the restart would see the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 car under heavy attack as Brendan Gaughan placed a hard charge on Coleman on the restart. Jacques Villeneuve, who had received fender damage through minor contact within the last caution, displayed some of the aggressiveness which made him the most exciting driver to watch in Formula 1. Passing several cars on newer tires Villeneuve diced up to the top 3 entering perfect striking position to the #18 and #62. Into lap 39, Coleman and Gaughan entered turn 3 as Villeneuve made a daring move making the situation 3-wide as he late-braked his #32 Toyota on the inside. Smoking his left ftonr tire in what at that time appeared as tire lockup, Villeneuve's out-braking maneuver paid off passing both Coleman and Gaughan. Within the Canada corner of turn 12, caution flew again as the #23 of Alex Kennedy and the #40 Mike Bliss car get together. It was under this caution it was revealed Villeneuve's tire smoke was a result of the damage in the earlier caution incident.

As Jacques Villeneuve rallied back to the front, so did the strong Roush-Fenway Racing Ford of Carl Edwards. Edward's #60 moved all the way up to 2nd place when the lap 42 restart presented him the perfect chance to reclaim the position is launched from at the start of the Bucyrus 200. Coming down the frontstretch in taking the green, Carl Edwards broke out of the double-file formation immediately merging behind Villeneuve for a quick draft down the remaining straight. Edwards would duck out and swing around Villeneuve's #32 Toyota to take a firm lead. Falling to second, Villeneuve and his Braun Racing team were still content to be running considering some rather heavy tire rubbing.

In a final caution for the #35 car of Stanton Barrett being trapped in the turn 6 sand trap, Villeneuve had one chance to perform regain the lead for a possible NASCAR victory when with the left front tire threatening. However, it would be a mechanical failure which would drop the Braun Racing car out of the running. Edwards blitzed to victory at Road America for his second straight road race win in the NASCAR Nationwide series after winning Montreal in 2009. With Villeneuve's retirement promoting JR Motorsport's Ron Fellows to 2nd, it still proved a terrific day for Canadian NASCAR fans. Brendan Gaughan, Brad Keselowski and rookie Owen Kelly rounded out the top-five for what proved to be an exciting change for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide series.


2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series
Bucyrus 200 at Road America
Top 10 Race Results

Pos| Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make

1 60 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford
2 88 Ron Fellows AER Manufacturing Chevrolet
3 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota
4 22 Brad Keselowski Discount Tire Dodge 
5 27 Owen Kelly K1 Speed Ford 
6 18 Brad Coleman SafeWay Driving Centers Toyota
7 7 J R Fitzpatrick Schick Hydro Chevrolet
8 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota
9 66 Steve Wallace 5-hour Energy Toyota
10 99 Trevor Bayne OutPetCare.com Toyota

Kurt Busch is Peachy After Winning Sprint Cup Race in Atlanta

Photo Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Image

Referred to as Hot-lanta for the region's intense summer heat, NASCAR has always scheduled a race before spring on the 1.54 mile speedway has classically allowed Atlanta Motor Speedway to host an early race to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour. On the first week of March, some past events would see the grounds of Atlanta Motor Speedway blanketed with snow. However, for the running of the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500, a 60 degree Fahrenheit day brightened the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars paint schemes with constant late winter sunlight.


Photo Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/WHP -Pool/Getty Image for NASCAR

Taking a popular pole position after a Friday night qualifying session, Dale Earnhardt Jr led the 43-car NASCAR Sprint Cup series field to the green flag with the Amp Energy #88 Chevrolet. Earnhardt's prime starting position would not even net the Hendrick-owned Sprint Cup car a single recorded lap in the lead. Asserting some muscle on the outside front row, the #18 M&M Toyota piloted by Kyle Busch flew around Earnhardt for the race lead on lap 1 holding the top spot for 13 circuit. Kyle Busch's stint in the Atlanta lead would be broken by the fast #9 Ford of Kasey Kahne. Coming off a 9th place finish in Las Vegas after starting the 2010 year with two disastrous start, Kahne and the Richard Petty Motorsports team is eager to reverse their racing fortunes. Atlanta Motor Speedway would in fact result a memorable turning point for the 4-car Ford effort.


Photo Credit: Geoff Burke Getty Image for NASCAR

Busch recaptured the lead of the Kobalt Tools 500 just before a caution for debris forced the field to slow. With the field bunched on the restart, the jockeying for position figured heavily on the very brief green flag period which ended 2 laps later. Out of turn 1 of lap 43, an aggressive #12 Dodge driven by Brad Keselowski nosed into the rear of Carl Edwards driving a "retro-themed" #99 Ford (Edward's paint scheme and Scotts Lawn Care sponsor was a throwback to his maiden 2005 Cup victory. Five years being classified as retro is quite a stretch). As Edward's Ford swung up the track, he collide with the Toyota of Joey Logano damaging both machines as they grind the outer wall. While Logano and Edwards would require time-consuming repairs, Keselowski faired better even being a firm front-runner as the race endured.

After the lap 43 restart, a new contender for the day emerged in Atlanta as Penske Racing's lead driver Kurt Busch added some intensity to the Kobalt Tools 500. Starting 11th, Busch advanced his #2 Miller Lite Dodge skillfully, taking the race lead for the first time on lap 82 thanks to a well-executed pit stop as the majority of lead lap cars rushed for crew service. Between Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne, the two drivers dominance kept the front of the race familiar leading 273 laps on the day. Coupled with the #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin's #11 Toyota and Juan Pablo Montoya driving the #42 Chevrolet, the top-5 was secured between the same five cars following the first 300 miles.

Another car many hoped would be a top-5 contender through the day was, of course, the pole-sitting driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Showing the ability to hold onto the top-10 in the Kobalt Tools 500's initial stage, the #88 fell to misfortune as Earnhardt began reporting a suspected loose rear wheel. Making it to the pits for unscheduled service, the #88 Chevrolet continued but was well down the race's running order. The problem compounded when a caution was thrown just a few laps later when Hendrick teammate Mark Martin spun when his #5 blew a tire. Interesting enough, almost every Hendrick-supported team (including the Stewart-Haas Racing cars) suffered some kind of tire problem. Mired around 31st position through the mid stages of the Atlanta race, Dale Earnhardt Jr and the #88 AMP Energy Chevrolet never returned to winning contention. However, he was able to use late race fitration to the competition as well as a wave-around opportunity to cycle back into the lead lap.

As closed on its final 2 laps, the effects of an earlier race incident weighed on Carl Edwards. At lap 323, the #12 car of Keselowski came into sight of the Roush-Fenway #99 Ford walking wounded with fresh memories of the lap 43 accident. As the two cars shot out of turn 4, Edwards might have viewed this as a window of opportunity open for paying back Brad Keselowski. Heading down the Atlanta Motor Speedway frontstretch, the #99 Ford purposefully swiped the left rear corner of the #12 Dodge as speeds reached over 170 miles per hour. As the #12 of Brad Keselowski was sent sideways towards the infield grass, air caught the underside lifting Keselowski's Dodge precariously airborne. Off the ground, the Dodge slammed into the outer retaining wall impacting the driver's side A-pillar section of the Dodge's roof. As the car rested upright, the fate of the driver was an immediate concern. Thankfully as the window nest dropped, it came as a relief (even to Carl Edwards) that Brad Keselowski was conscious as he hopped to the ambulance. Based on the evidence the Edwards intended to turn Keselowski, NASCAR ruled to park Carl Edwards for the remaining laps. There also exists the possibility that NASCAR may penalize Edwards farther as they are continuing to review the incident.

As the wreckage of the #12 Dodge had to be removed, the race was to be settled by a green-white-checker restart. With many of the leaders pitting, #33 Chevrolet of Clint Bowyer and #98 Ford of Paul Menard elected to stay out gambling on track position. Restarting the 339th lap (5 laps passed the race's scheduled distance), the Menard and Bowyer were quickly passed by Kurt Busch. As the #2 Penske Racing Dodge prepared to roll to victory, a 7-car wreck in the middle of turn 3 and 4 was sparked when Jamie McMurray's #1 Chevrolet took a low entry into the 3rd corner sliding out of control. Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr were among the drivers collected in the late race crash.

Because of timing of the wreck, the race was thrown under caution just before Busch took the white flag. Disappointed but determined to win the Kobalt Tools 500, Kurt Busch's Dodge launched on the second attempt of a green-white-checker restart leading the final 2 laps to win at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Peforming his celebration at driving in reverse, Busch, the #2 Penske Racing pit crew, and the car owner Roger Penske were present in victory lane shortly after Kurt Busch finished.
.
In second place of the Kobalt Tools 500, Matt Kenseth provided Roush-Fenway Racing team with the strongest run of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Behind Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya ran an outstanding Atlanta race where the Colombian driver was even eyed for victory. Kasey Kahne finished fourth while strategy helped Paul Menard claim an admirable top-5 position. Not only did Kahne and Menard register their best finishes for the new season, these cars share Richard Petty Motorsport affiliation. Just behind the pair the Richard Petty Motorsport Ford team became a trio as AJ Allmendinger brought the #43 car home in 6th place.

Other cars claiming notable runs include Kevin Harvick who emerged from 35th to 9th, Scott Speed in 10th outcoming a 32rd place qualifying effort, Marcos Ambrose in 11th and Regan Smith who brought his #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet in 14th place. Also worth mentioning is the effort of Dale Earnhardt Jr and #88 Hendrick Motorsport team. Through the race's latter stage, the AMP Energy car rose to 15th place recovering from two laps down.

Elevating himself up 9 spots in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup points after 4 races, Kurt Busch sits 10th overall 142 points behind Kevin Harvick who continues leading the standings for the 3rd week in a row. Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer currently follows Harvick, all within 86 points. The NASCAR Sprint Cup series has an off-weekend this coming week but will return on the 21st of March to run the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Kobalt Tools 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make

1) 2 Kurt Busch       Miller Lite Dodge
2) 17 Matt Kenseth     Valvoline Ford
3) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 
4) 9 Kasey Kahne       Budweiser Ford 
5) 98 Paul Menard      CertainTeed/Menards Ford
6) 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy/Insignia Ford 
7) 83 Brian Vickers    Red Bull Toyota 
8) 16 Greg Biffle      U.S. Census Ford 
9) 29 Kevin Harvick     Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet 
10) 82 Scott Speed      Red Bull Toyota 
11) 47 Marcos Ambrose    Lance/Tom's Toyota 
12) 48 Jimmie Johnson         Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
13) 14 Tony Stewart     Office Depot Chevrolet 
14) 78 Regan Smith      Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 
15) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet 
16) 21 Bill Elliott       Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 
17) 39 Ryan Newman      Tornados Chevrolet 
18) 24 Jeff Gordon       DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet
19) 19 Elliott Sadler         Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford 
20) 31 Jeff Burton      Caterpillar Chevrolet 
21) 11 Denny Hamlin     FedEx Office Toyota 
22) 71 Bobby Labonte    TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet Chevrolet
23) 33 Clint Bowyer     BB&T Chevrolet 
24) 36 Mike Bliss        Wave Energy Drink Chevrolet 
25) 18 Kyle Busch       M&M's Toyota 
26) 38 David Gilliland  Charter Air Transport/Taco Bell Ford 
27)     56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota 
28) 77 Sam Hornish Jr.   Mobil 1 Dodge 
29)     1 Jamie McMurray         Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet 
30) 34 Travis Kvapil     Long John Silver's Ford 
31) 37 Kevin Conway      Extenze Ford 
32) 26 Boris Said       Sacred Power/Southern Pride Trucking Ford 
33) 5 Mark Martin      Hendrickcars.com/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 
34) 13 Max Papis        GEICO Toyota 
35) 20 Joey Logano      Home Depot Toyota 
36) 12 Brad Keselowski         Mopar/FLO TV Dodge Dodge 
37) 6 David Ragan      UPS Ford 
38) 87 Joe Nemechek      FrontRowJoe.com Toyota 
39) 99 Carl Edwards     Scotts Ford
40) 00 David Reutimann         Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 
41) 66 Dave Blaney      PRISM Motorsports Toyota 
42) 55 Michael McDowell PRISM Motorsports Toyota
43) 7 Robby Gordon     Warner Music Nashville/Blake Shelton Toyota

NASCAR Law and Order: Edwards Vs Keselowski in Atlanta

Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR


To the delight of fans, NASCAR stock car racing is a motorized contact sport. With some NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers able to conquer their 800-plus horsepower stock cars, the are so many chances to see one or more competitors sent out of control for various reasons. Due to the resilience of stock cars, these drivers wounded in competition are often presented with an opportunity to reunite on the racetrack. With single car incidents leaving the driver with no other competitor to blame, multi-car wrecks breeds the twisting of personalities where the rule of allowing bygones being bygones is thrown out the between the window netting.

In the twilight of NASCAR Sprint Cup's Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the payback which drivers threaten and some NASCAR fans crave materialized as Carl Edwards refused to dismiss an early race altercation. Reacting to a lap 41 incident where Brad Keselowski's #12 Dodge made contact with the #99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards, Edwards waited until only 3 laps to go at Atlanta to deliver what is probably one of the most dramatic moves in auto racing vigilantism. Turning into the #12 Dodge of Keselowski through the frontstretch, Edwards delivered a message of dissatisfaction. From the local short-tracks to the big league of stock car racing, payback incidents are a cornerstone for racing justice.

Between Edwards and Keselowki, this collision at Atlanta was the third such accident in less than a year involving the two drivers. Up until Keselowski always delivering the shots. Starting with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Aarons 499 at Talladega when Edwards' #99 Ford was sent flying along the frontstretch, a Nationwide series race at Memphis Motorsports Park also involved a run-in between Edwards and Keselowski. Brad Keselowski went on to win both races. As Carl Edwards came out on the losing end of this contact, Keselowski went on to victory on both of these occasions.

In the immediate aftermath of the frightening Keselowski crash, NASCAR Sprint Cup officials parked the #99 Ford through the two green-white-checkered periods that ended the race. Running in 39th place at the time he was reprimanded, Edwards' black flag cost him 3 additional points from the idled car Joe Nemechek.

As the race ended, NASCAR fans wasted no time in conversing about the event. Following the incident, social networks lit up with pretty of Carl Edwards fans rallying behind in embattled driver through his Facebook page. Fans of Edwards', particularly those who followed the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series, need little persuading to believe the driver of the #12 Dodge got his just desserts. On the other side of the electronic social board, Brad Keselowski fans provided their support as the Edwards' move was viewed as a cheap shot after a racing incident.

While NASCAR fans deliberated on the Edwards/Keselowski wreck, NASCAR president Mike Helton passed out an ultimate judgment on Tuesday (March 9th) placing Edwards on a 3-race probation period. Perhaps a tame penalty for those wanting NASCAR to send a more poignant message, Edwards' probation will be served on the three high-intensity short tracks of Bristol, Martinsville, and Phoenix. Having to maintain a better than good behaviour on race day, the effects this will have on the #99 Roush-Fenway Racing team is an additional variable.

After receiving his additional reprimand from NASCAR, Carl Edwards commented on his Facebook account saying "I respect NASCAR's penalty and look forwards to our meeting in Bristol. I'm ready to put this behind us and get on with some racing". The driver on the receiving end of this late race contact also offered a reaction to the penalty drawn on Edwards. Brad Keselowski commented on his Facebook account "I support NASCAR in the decision they communicated today." Performing as a team player along the Penske Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup squad, Keselowski message expressed some disappointment on how the incident "overshadowed" the victory of his teammate Kurt Busch.

Stewart Survives to Win Daytona Nationwide Series Race

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR


Driving for 3 different car owners, Tony Stewart has won the season opening race for the NASCAR Nationwide Series 4 of the past 5 times prior to the 2010 running of the 300 mile Saturday afternoon event.

As Friday rain showers prevented the NASCAR Nationwide Series teams to run qualifying, the field was settled on 2009 car owner points placing 2009 series champion Kyle Busch out front in the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota. The #60 Ford of Carl Edwards, the #88 Chevrolet being driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr, the #33 of Kevin Harvick, and the Richard Childress-owned #21 Chevrolet of John Wes Townley rounded out the top 5 starting positions.

Because of the multitude of series changes with some teams closing and others expanding, the formulation of this 2010 race's grid led to some jockeying for position even before the green dropped. Paul Menard, campaigning a #98 Ford Fusion, gained the final starting spot in the field through some of Daytona's infamous backdoor deals. Because the #98 team had in sufficient car owner points, the team made deals where they allegedly paid 5 other teams to withdraw from the event so Menard could start the race in the 43th and final grid spot.

Under a bright sky, the 43 NASCAR Nationwide series cars accelerated only to be brought to a crawl on lap 2 after the Chevrolets of Brad Teague and Chrissy Wallace ended their days with an accident on the frontstretch. When the race recommenced on lap 5, another accident slowed in the field just 3 laps later. This time, a turn 2 wreck involved 8 Nationwide cars. While some drivers were able to continue with minor damage like Brian Keselowski and Paul Menard, the finish concluded for youngster Trevor Bayne as well as Mike Bliss.

On the lap 11 restart, the RACE4COPD 300 underwent its longest green flag run through the 2010 event. Kevin Harvick, having taken the lead from Busch early, paced the field for much of the 41 lap distance which was interrupted by green flag pit stops. Through the event, the Race4COPD 300 was led by 12 different drivers which included Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, and Steven Wallace as the race progressed.

Having officially announced her intentions for running the NASCAR Nationwide Series Daytona 300 mile race just this Tuesday, Danica Patrick entered her first NASCAR stock car race confident after a strong 6th place finish in the ARCA race. Under the media microscope, Patrick #7 Godaddy.com Chevrolet was a focus periodically through the ESPN broadcast since her start in 13th place. By the midway point, Patrick's run in the more competitive NASCAR Nationwide series proved more challenging along with her ill-handling Chevrolet stock car combining to a mid 30th place run through the first stage of the race. Through pitstops, she fell a lap down briefly but regained a lap during a caution on Daytona's 52nd circuit.

Provided with an opportunity to have some much-needed adjustments done to her #7 car, Danica Patrick began to prove herself competitive against stock car veterans breaking out of her early race slump. However, as Patrick day appeared to be reshaping for the better, a lap 68 incident put an end to the #7 Chevrolet's run along with 11 other race vehicles. Started when the Roush-Fenway Ford of Colin Braun got into Josh Wise going through the frontstretch. Wise's car was shot into another car which then created a major chain reaction. With a wall of sliding stock cars in front of her, Danica Patrick could see an opening on the lower part of the track. That gap closed just enough to catch the #7 car as Patrick clipped another car and flew into the outside wall.


Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images


With the lap 68 accident thought to be the big wreck of the 2010 race, a lap 93 caution would be thrown for a much scarier incident. On the superspeedway's backstretch, the #60 of Carl Edwards and #22 of Brad Keselowski brushed. Keselowski's Dodge slid into Dale Earnhardt Jr Hellman's #88 sending the JR Motorsports Chevrolet sideways towards the outside wall and airborne. Landing on its roof, the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch and #27 car of Greg Biffle were unable to avoid Earnhardt's car. Eventually ending up back on its wheels in the backstretch's infield, Earnhardt emerged uninjured from the badly mangled Chevrolet. Overall, 10 cars were involved in this final wreck which required a 11 minute red flag to clean up the 2.5 mile racetrack. Early race leader Kevin Harvick was also collected but was able to remain competitive. Also, the main culprits of the 6th caution, Keselowski and Edwards both continued to race suffering only minimal damage.

As the rush for position set in, Kyle Busch lost control of his #18 car through the turn 3 and 4 complex. During the cool down lap, Busch pinned blame on the #12 Dodge following him believing contact was made (replays showed no contact was made). Brad Keselowski has already established a rivalry between himself and Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.

Through the final 20 lap distance, Tony Stewart driving a #4 Oreo/Ritz-sponsored Kevin Harvick Incorporated Chevrolet held off the challenge of the remaining contenders. Stewart's car owner came home 3rd just behind the #60 Ford of Carl Edwards and ahead of the 4th place Justin Allgaier. James Buescher, who is competed in the ARCA race during Daytona Speedweeks, posted 8th place as the highest-finishing rookie.


Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR


2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race: Race4COPD 300 Daytona International Speedway Top 10 Finishers

1) 4 Tony Stewart     Ritz Crackers Chevrolet 

2) 60 Carl Edwards     Fastenal Ford 

3) 33 Kevin Harvick     Jimmy John's Chevrolet 

4) 12 Justin Allgaier     Verizon Wireless Dodge 

5) 32 Brian Vickers     Dollar General Toyota 

6) 98 Paul Menard     Menards Ford  

7) 20 Joey Logano     GameStop Toyota 

8) 1 James Buescher      Phoenix Racing Chevrolet

9) 38 Kasey Kahne     Great Clips Toyota 

10) 66 Steve Wallace     5 Hour Energy Toyota

Other Notables

13) 22 Brad Keselowski     Discount Tire Dodge

18) 18 Kyle Busch     Interstate Batteries Toyota

29) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Hellmann's Chevrolet

35) 7 Danica Patrick     Go Daddy Chevrolet