2007 NASCAR Nationwide series Champion Carl Edwards scored his third win of the season by winning the CARFAX 250 at the Michigan International Speedway.
Defying the old racing superstition that peanuts are bad luck at the track, Edwards scored the pole and then wheeled his Planters Peanuts Ford to lead five time for a total of seventy-one of the 125 circuits in the event.
“We ran great today,” Edwards said. “There were a couple of cars that were really fast. Tony Stewart was real fast and Brian Vickers was extremely fast. The changes my crew made were great and they made our car real fast for the final run.”
Edwards coasted to victory after the caution flag flew on the final lap for a spin in turn two. The win was Edwards sixteenth in 131 starts.
Edwards was followed in by fellow Sprint Cup regulars Brian Vickers, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle.
Series point’s leader Clint Bowyer finished tenth allowing Edwards to gain valuable ground in the championship hunt to reclaim the second position in the standings 113 markers behind Bowyer. Brad Keselowski who finished twenty-third drops back to third 132 points out.
The win marked the first victory for Ford in the series since 2001 at Michigan, the home track for American auto makers.
The win garnishes significant bragging rights for the car maker.
Considering Toyota dominance in the series with fifteen wins it provided a much need moral boost for the Ford team.
Much has been made of Toyota’s supremacy and NASCAR’s recent decision to cut the power plants by modifying the tapered spaces on the cars.
Vickers who finished second felt that the rule changes made a difference in the events outcome.
“I think we had a better car,” Vickers said, “but with the new Toyota restrictor plate NASCAR put on us, he definitely had us beat on power. There’s not a lot we can do about that.”
Next week the series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 250.
RACE NOTES
NASCAR pulled several Toyota teams after the event to test engine horsepower. NASCAR announced the entries of Joe Gibbs Racing (20 Tony Stewart), (18 Joey Longano) manipulated the throttle setting on the car to impact the horsepower tests. Penalties forthcoming.
The Michigan race marked the last time Tony Stewart will drive in the series for Joe Gibbs Racing as he is set to leave the organization at the end of the Sprint Cup season. Stewart began racing in the series for JGR in 1996.
CJM Racing Car Chief Steve “Big Guy” Helwig passed away prior to the Michigan race weekend. Team driver Jason Keller took a solo lap prior to the start of Nationwide practice to honor the team member.
Brad Coleman released from Baker/Curb Racing. Coleman, who is replacing JJ Yeally at Hall of Fame Racing, requested the release. David Gilliland drive the team entry at Michigan finishing twentieth.
