Edwards wins Busch race

If ever someone asks what racing at Bristol is like, pop in a tape of the NASCAR Busch Series 2007 Sharpie Mini 300. Edwards does his customary back flip after winning. Photo by CIA Stock Photo

Carl Edwards survived a slugfest to capture his first victory of the season and his 10th career NASCAR Busch Series victory.

Edwards, in the No. 60 Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix Ford, ran up front all day while his counterparts tried to avoid the perils that come with racing at Bristol.

Edwards came into the race as the Busch Series points leader and 300 laps and one backflip later, he left in that same spot.

This was Edwards’ first win at Bristol, and he did it in dominating fashion. He led a race-high 147 laps – almost half the race – and held the lead for the final 60 laps after passing Ryan Newman on the inside during lap 240.

With the laps quickly clicking away toward the end of the race – it took the leaders about 16 second to complete the .533-mile track – Edwards’ Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth threatened to take the lead, but Edwards was too quick and too resilient.

The hard-luck Kyle Busch also made a play for the lead. Busch, who led 85 laps (second-most on the day), was the victim of “one of those racing deals" with 69 laps to go. With Newman leading and Busch running second, the leaders got caught up in lapped-car traffic which forced Edwards – then running third – into the back of Busch.

Busch spun out and lost his top five running spot. After a pit stop which gave him fresh tires, Busch passed car after car and eventually finished in an impressive third place.

With Edwards, Kenseth and Busch placing 1-2-3, Newman and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five.

The menacing Bristol racing left many marquee drivers with DNFs: David Gilliland, Dave Blaney, Jason Leffler and Jon Wood, to name a few.

Results

FIN CAR DRIVER MAKE LAPS STATUS
1 60 Carl Edwards Ford 300 Running
2 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 300 Running
3 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet 300 Running
4 12 Ryan Newman Dodge 300 Running
5 2 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 300 Running
6 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 300 Running
7 37 Greg Biffle Ford 300 Running
8 33 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 300 Running
9 29 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet 300 Running
10 22 Mike Bliss Dodge 300 Running
11 77 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet 300 Running
12 16 Todd Kluever Ford 300 Running
13 6 David Ragan * Ford 300 Running
14 42 Juan Montoya * Dodge 300 Running
15 34 Jay Sauter Chevrolet 300 Running
16 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge 298 Running
17 230 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet 298 Running
18 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. Ford 298 Running
19 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge 298 Running
20 90 Stephen Leicht Ford 298 Running
21 156 Danny O'Quinn Jr. Chevrolet 298 Running
22 1 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 296 Running
23 28 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 295 Running
24 0 Eric McClure Chevrolet 294 Running
25 21 Timothy Peters Chevrolet 292 Running
26 18 Kevin Conway Chevrolet 292 Running
27 27 Ward Burton Ford 281 Running
28 59 Marcos Ambrose * Ford 271 Running
29 7 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 267 Off Track
30 10 Dave Blaney Toyota 267 Out of Race
31 66 Steve Wallace Dodge 261 Running
32 20 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 258 Off Track
33 99 David Reutimann Toyota 237 Running
34 38 Jason Leffler Toyota 194 Out of Race
35 25 David Gilliland Ford 177 Out of Race
36 4 Regan Smith Chevrolet 157 Out of Race
37 36 Brent Sherman Chevrolet 134 Running
38 88 Shane Huffman Chevrolet 131 Out of Race
39 14 Kyle Krisiloff * Ford 77 Out of Race
40 252 Brad Teague Ford 53 Out of Race
41 23 Brad Keselowski * Chevrolet 36 Out of Race
42 175 Caleb Holman Chevrolet 35 Out of Race
43 47 Jon Wood Ford 6 Out of Race