Busch holds off Edwards for Nationwide win at Phoenix
By Jeff Gluck – Associate Editor
Saturday, April 12, 2008
- TEXT SIZE: Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Reset Text Size
- No Comments. Leave a Comment
- Digg This
- Add to Del.icio.us
- RSS Feeds
David J. Griffin / NASCAR Scene
Latest Headlines
- Select ticket prices at Talladega Superspeedway to drop
- JTG Daugherty Racing to scale back Nationwide teams for '09
- Dodge has a smaller Sprint Cup lineup and budget but has 'high hopes' for 2009
- Roy McCauley returns as crew chief for David Stremme's No. 12 Sprint Cup team
- Robby Gordon third in fifth stage of Dakar Rally
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Kyle Busch has declared in the past that he wants to win 200 NASCAR races among the Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series before he retires.
If he keeps winning races like he has this season, it might not take him very long.
Busch won his second consecutive Nationwide Series race – and fifth NASCAR race of the season – by holding off Carl Edwards in the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 on Friday night at Phoenix International Raceway.
Busch and Edwards put on an entertaining show on a night with a track-record 14 lead changes, combining to lead 171 of the 202 laps and racing side by side while swapping the top position several times.
To win his 26th career NASCAR race, the 22-year-old Busch benefited from several late cautions. His Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was more powerful than Edwards’ Roush Fenway Racing Ford in short sprints, and the four cautions in the last 23 laps – including one that prompted a green-white-checkered finish – played right into his hand.
Though Busch and Edwards had the best two cars, JGR’s Denny Hamlin was also strong en route to a third-place finish.
Kevin Harvick, driving for his own Kevin Harvick Inc. team, secured another top-five but fell short again of the elusive victory he craves for his organization. Edwards teammate David Ragan, who is running the full Nationwide Series schedule, was fifth in his best effort of the year.
Mike Bliss – in his second race for Phoenix Racing – was sixth, followed by another strong effort from Richard Childress Racing’s Stephen Leicht, who has finished 10th, 12th and now seventh in three starts this season.
RCR’s Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip Racing’s David Reutimann and Rusty Wallace Racing’s David Stremme rounded out the top 10.
Bowyer – also running the series on a full-time basis – retained the points lead, by 24 over Edwards. Busch moved up to third in points, but reiterated that he doesn’t plan on running the full Nationwide schedule unless he wins the next six events.
Busch was the class of the field in the first portion of the race, building a multi-second lead during two different stints up front.
Edwards eventually tracked Busch down at lap 74, and Hamlin joined the fray and passed Edwards to spend some time leading the pack.
But Edwards got the lead back and, following a restart at lap 110, held a seven-lap side-by-side battle with Busch that proved to be the most enjoyable racing of the evening.
Though Busch prevailed in that battle, Edwards eventually passed him and drove to a 3-plus second lead until a caution on lap 178 closed the gap.
Busch beat him out of the pits on that late stop, survived the cautions and never was out of the lead again.
The series now turns to Mexico City, where it will compete for the fourth consecutive season.
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Carl Edwards
No Comments
Be the first to comment on "Busch holds off Edwards for Nationwide win at Phoenix". Login or sign up for a free account below to post your comment