Edwards Wins Race But Johnson Still In Championship Lead

It seems that there is little hope now that anyone will be able to catch Jimmie Johnson in the run for the Sprint Cup Championship. Even though Carl Edwards won Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he’s still so far behind Johnson that is seems doubtful that he’ll ever catch up.

For a while during the race things were looking up for Edwards. Johnson started from pole but ended up 30th on the grid at one point after he was flagged for speeding on the pit road. After some tenacious racing, Jimmie Johnson slowly managed to climb his way back up the grid but as the laps began to wind down he was still stuck outside the Top Ten. It seemed as though he’d never make it past that point, which would have meant a significant drop in points for him and possibly given other contenders for the Sprint Cup a chance. Meanwhile Edwards had been working hard to make his way to first place and to stay there. The Pep Boys Auto 500 victory trophy was clearly in his sights and, knowing that Johnson had suffered such a major setback earlier on in the race, he thought his chances at catching up to Johnson in the Sprint Cup Championship were carved in stone.

The magic started to happen with just 13 laps to go when debris on the track brought out a caution. Crew Chief Chad Knaus made the decision to bring Johnson in for a quick four-tire stop, causing him to restart the race in 11th place. There were just eight laps left and it seemed impossible for Johnson to finish in the top five. But surely enough, Johnson picked his way up the grid, one car at a time, until he finally made it over the finish line in second place. The dramatic finish widened Johnson’s points lead to 183. With just three races left in the championship, it is almost certain now that Johnson will be winning the Sprint Cup Championship for the third time in a row. Edwards has improved his chances in the overall standings with his victory on Sunday helping him to jump forward to second place. The last few racing events in the series will no doubt be real nail-biters.

Carl Edwards Wins Carfax 250

During an exciting race on Saturday, Carl Edwards pulled out ahead of the pack to collect his third Nationwide Series victory so far this season. In doing so he took his Planter’s Peanut sponsored car, complete with Mr. Peanut logo, passed 42 race teams and fought off the likes of other top drivers Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers until he at last came out on top.

When Carl Edwards lined up on the starting grid in pole position for Saturday’s race at the Michigan International Speedway, more than a few spectators likely guessed that he’d win the race. But appearances can be deceiving and Edwards lost his lead about mid-way through the race. But it seems a determined Edwards would not settle for second best. He pushed his little Planter’s Peanut car until he at last reclaimed first place from Tony Stewart on the 90th lap of the 125-lap event. The win also marked Edwards’ first victory in Brooklyn, Michigan. Speaking about the race and his single-race sponsored car, Edwards remarked: “The Planter’s Peanut car was awesome all day. There were a couple of cars that were real fast. Tony was real fast, and Brian Vickers was extremely fast. My pit crew just did a great job there at the end.” He went on to remark that the change made by crew chief Drew Blickensderfer made the car fast for the final run and he congratulated his crew on doing a “great job.”

The race was certainly not decided from the outset and fans had to keep an eye on the proceedings to keep up with who was at the head of the pack. Carl Edwards managed to lead for a total of 71 laps while Vickers, who came second, led for a total of 36 laps. It seems that Stewart ran into some difficulties in the final stage of the race and this enabled Edwards to pass him in the pit lane. Despite holding the lead for 36 laps, he only finished third. Mike Bliss, who finished in sixth place, also led the pack for just one lap. The Carfax 250 was exciting and kept fans on their toes and now Edwards enjoys a good point-jump in the series standings as he competes for the overall victory with driver’s like Stewart who already has five wins and eight top-ten finishes in nine races.

Carl Edwards Takes Winners Trophy at Gateway

Gateway International Raceway was abuzz with excitement this weekend as it hosted the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series on Saturday night. The contenders for the winner’s trophy were fierce, but in the end it was Carl Edwards who managed to cross the finish line first.

Carl Edwards arrived at the race-track by bicycle and no doubt the clean air and healthy exercise did him some good since there was no stopping him after he got behind the wheel of his No. 60 Ford on the day of the race. The competition was tough, but it seemed that Edwards was destined to claim his second home win at the Gateway International Raceway right from the start. The doors started to open for Edwards after a pileup on Lap 116 wiped out a bunch of really strong contenders. The mess stopped the race for almost 25 minutes and saw Scott Wimmer spin into the wall at Turn 2 after getting a tap from Cassill. The result was that Reed Sorenson, Mike Bliss and Steve Wallace were eliminated from the race. From there he managed to climb his way up until he was third in a restart on Lap 146 and that was where it really started to get exciting. He chased Leffler and James Buescher for a while until he made a quick stop for some new tires. After that he quickly managed to pass the two cars before coming up on the 18-year-old Joey Logano racing phenomenon. The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota was tough competition but in the end Edwards managed to take the checkered flag just 6.877 seconds ahead of his young rival.

After the race Edwards commented that his win at the 200-lap event was “unbelievable”. This is the 15th win of his career and he has already gained a large group of supporters who were in the grandstands to cheer him on. He didn’t forget his fans, but instead thanked them with the words: “Thank you everybody up in the grandstands. Thanks a lot.” Edwards also commented that racing with the No. 20 Toyota Camry was “a challenge, but a fun one.” The No. 20 Camry has already claimed nine victories this season with four different drivers behind the wheel. Jason Keller managed to scoop up third place, followed by Jason Leffler, Brad Keselowski and Landon Cassil respectively.