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Carl Edwards won the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, after a restart with three laps to go beating Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman.
Only the cause of that restart, a caution when Clint Bowyer spun, sent tongues wagging at the three-quarter mile oval and on Twitter.
The race, which sets up the final field of 26 for the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, was a relatively tame affair with Ryan Newman leading Edwards with a few laps remaining.
Then Bowyer spun and drivers dived into the pits for final service. Edwards came out second and Paul Menard first. Newman had a slow stop. According to Edwards, Menard had a problem.
“I knew he was going to be at a big advantage with grip -- big disadvantage with grip. He took off. I waited until he went to go,” Edwards said. “As we were going, his car actually touched my door. I think it surprised him a little bit or something. He turned a little bit. I heard his engine speed up. He spun the tires.”
Edwards grabbed the lead and went on to his second victory of the year.
“That's my pit crew that won this race for us, just awesome job by them,” said Edwards in Victory Lane. He added “we're going to win the championship. That's our mission.”
Bowyer's spin helped Martin Truex Jr. into a wild card berth in the NASCAR's playoff called the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
And Bowyer denied spinning on purpose, but, Dale Earnhardt Jr. who in a following car smiled sheepishly when asked what he saw and said "he just spun out. It was the craziest thing I ever saw."
Kurt Busch did the improbable, taking the single-car Furniture Row Racing into the Chase. “It's been a great ride of trying to persevere and going up against the odds when certain things are against you that are out of your control...” he said.
Jimmie Johnson, the five-time champion, who had led the points for most of the year prior to Richmond, had the fourth bad finish in the last four races. This time, due to a tire problem, he finished 40th. In the past four weeks his best finish was 28th.
Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Champion, led a race high 142 laps but fell back in the field for the caution brought out by Johnson's tire problem and ended up 17th (16th in the points) with no victories. Therefore he doesn't make the Chase and a chance to defend his title.
The last defending Champ who failed to make the Chase was Tony Stewart in 2006.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase standings*
1. Matt Kenseth, 2,015
2. Jimmie Johnson, 2,012
3. Kyle Busch, 2,012
4. Kevin Harvick, 2,006
5. Carl Edwards, 2,006
6. Joey Logano, 2,003
7. Greg Biffle, 2,003
8. Clint Bowyer, 2,000
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2,000
10. Kurt Busch, 2,000
11. Kasey Kahne, 2,000
12. Martin Truex Jr. 2,000
*Every driver received 2000 points and every driver who finished in the top-ten received three bonus points for victories.
Only the cause of that restart, a caution when Clint Bowyer spun, sent tongues wagging at the three-quarter mile oval and on Twitter.
The race, which sets up the final field of 26 for the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, was a relatively tame affair with Ryan Newman leading Edwards with a few laps remaining.
Then Bowyer spun and drivers dived into the pits for final service. Edwards came out second and Paul Menard first. Newman had a slow stop. According to Edwards, Menard had a problem.
“I knew he was going to be at a big advantage with grip -- big disadvantage with grip. He took off. I waited until he went to go,” Edwards said. “As we were going, his car actually touched my door. I think it surprised him a little bit or something. He turned a little bit. I heard his engine speed up. He spun the tires.”
Edwards grabbed the lead and went on to his second victory of the year.
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| Photo: Roush Fenway Racing |
“That's my pit crew that won this race for us, just awesome job by them,” said Edwards in Victory Lane. He added “we're going to win the championship. That's our mission.”
Bowyer's spin helped Martin Truex Jr. into a wild card berth in the NASCAR's playoff called the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
And Bowyer denied spinning on purpose, but, Dale Earnhardt Jr. who in a following car smiled sheepishly when asked what he saw and said "he just spun out. It was the craziest thing I ever saw."
Kurt Busch did the improbable, taking the single-car Furniture Row Racing into the Chase. “It's been a great ride of trying to persevere and going up against the odds when certain things are against you that are out of your control...” he said.
Jimmie Johnson, the five-time champion, who had led the points for most of the year prior to Richmond, had the fourth bad finish in the last four races. This time, due to a tire problem, he finished 40th. In the past four weeks his best finish was 28th.
Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Champion, led a race high 142 laps but fell back in the field for the caution brought out by Johnson's tire problem and ended up 17th (16th in the points) with no victories. Therefore he doesn't make the Chase and a chance to defend his title.
The last defending Champ who failed to make the Chase was Tony Stewart in 2006.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase standings*
1. Matt Kenseth, 2,015
2. Jimmie Johnson, 2,012
3. Kyle Busch, 2,012
4. Kevin Harvick, 2,006
5. Carl Edwards, 2,006
6. Joey Logano, 2,003
7. Greg Biffle, 2,003
8. Clint Bowyer, 2,000
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2,000
10. Kurt Busch, 2,000
11. Kasey Kahne, 2,000
12. Martin Truex Jr. 2,000
*Every driver received 2000 points and every driver who finished in the top-ten received three bonus points for victories.