NASCAR Busch Series: Carl Edwards Wins Bristol Slugfest

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

Photo courtesy: Bristol Motor Speedway

BRISTOL, Tenn. - If ever someone asks what racing at Bristol is like, pop in a tape of the NASCAR Busch Series 2007 Sharpie MINI 300.

Carl Edwards survived a slug fest 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 back flip 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.

Sharpie MINI 300 Results:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kyle Busch
4. Ryan Newman
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7. Greg Biffle
8. Kevin Harvick
9. Scott Wimmer
10. Mike Bliss
11. Bobby Labonte
12. Todd Kluever
13. David Ragan
14. Juan Montoya
15. Jay Sauter
16. Reed Sorenson
17. Stanton Barrett
18. Bobby Hamilton Jr.
19. Kasey Kahne
20. Stephen Leicht
21. Danny O'Quinn Jr.
22. 25 1 J.J. Yeley
23. Johnny Sauter
24. Eric McClure
25. Timothy Peters
26. Kevin Conway
27. Ward Burton
28. Marcos Ambrose
29. Mike Wallace
30. Dave Blaney
31. Steve Wallace
32. Aric Almirola
33. David Reutimann
34. Jason Leffler
35. David Gilliland
36. Regan Smith
37. Brent Sherman
38. Shane Huffman
39. Kyle Krisiloff
40. Brad Teague
41. Brad Keselowski
42. Caleb Holman
43. Jon Wood

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