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Edwards Wins NASCAR Busch Series Race At Nashville

LEBANON, Tenn. (June 9, 2007)?A simple concrete mix includes one part cement, two parts sand and three parts gravel. And don?t forget a healthy dose of Carl Edwards.

Edwards remained perfect on concrete tracks in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2007, winning his fourth race of the season?and his fourth on concrete?in convincing fashion Saturday night at Nashville Superspeedway.

Edwards passed Clint Bowyer with 33 laps to go and went on to win the Federated Auto Parts 300 for his third consecutive NASCAR Busch Series victory at the track. Edwards also won?and led the most laps?at concrete tracks Bristol Motor Speedway in March, Nashville in April and Dover International Speedway last weekend.

Bowyer ended up second, with Jason Leffler third, Scott Wimmer fourth and Regan Smith fifth. Jason Keller, David Ragan, Todd Kluever, David Reutimann and Aric Almirola rounded out the top 10.

Kertus Davis and Kyle Krisiloff tangled on the first lap to bring out a caution. Davis slipped off Turn 4 and slid into Krisiloff as the two spun on the frontstretch.

The race stayed green for the next 60 laps as Wimmer rallied from his ninth starting spot to take the lead from Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer.

The second yellow flag waved on Lap 65 when rookie Bobby Santos spun his Toyota while trying to slow for a pit stop. That caution came at the start of a cycle of green flag pit stops, catching a few drivers a lap down?notably Smith, who was running in the top five. Bowyer took the lead after the caution, but Wimmer ran him down and took the top spot on Lap 106.

After another caution?on Lap 110 for Marcos Ambrose?s spectacular engine failure?Bowyer got the lead again. But Wimmer chased him down again, taking the lead on Lap 122.

Wimmer held the top spot during the next caution when he stayed on the track. But he and other leaders stopped for service on the next yellow, giving Stephen Leicht the lead on the restart with 68 laps to go. But Leicht blew an engine on Lap 165, and Bowyer passed Dave Blaney for the lead two laps later.

Edwards, who restarted 11th, sliced through the field and closed on Bowyer. On Lap 192, Edwards slipped past Bowyer heading into Turn 3 to take the lead.

All nine double-duty drivers made it in time for qualifying at Nashville?they flew in from Pocono, Pa., site of Sunday?s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race?although Edwards cut it very close. A helicopter carrying Edwards and Roush Fenway Racing teammate Ragan landed in the Nashville infield as Edwards was supposed to qualify.

He sprinted from the copter to the NASCAR Busch Series hauler to sign in and then ran from the garage to his car, making it with four minutes to spare. With no laps in the car all weekend?weather grounded planes Friday in Pennsylvania?Edwards qualified seventh.

Steve Wallace, the 19-year-old son of Rusty Wallace, captured his second pole of the season and the second of his career. Wallace finished 12th, his best finish of the season.

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