Edwards makes Nashville a bore-fest
Now, with the Gibson Guitar trophy given to all Nashville race winners, he can make sweet music all night, as well.
Two weeks after winning at the high-banked concrete surface of Bristol, Edwards dominated once again on the concrete surface of Nashville. It was his sixth top five of the season.
The victory was Edwards’ first career back-to-back Busch Series win, and he accomplished the feat with relative ease.
His margin of victory, 4.673 seconds, was the largest of the season and his 74 laps led were the most of any driver during the race. With the win, he remains the NASCAR Busch Series points leader.
Edwards took the lead for good on lap 200, passing Jason Leffler on the inside in Turn 1.
Twenty-five laps later, cue the back flip – Edwards’ signature celebration.
Leffler took the lead on lap 182 after a quick pit stop that put him ahead of both Todd Kluever and Edwards – who led the field onto pit road.
On the restart, Leffler took a huge lead, but couldn’t hold off the charging No. 60 Dish Network Ford of Edwards.
Prior to the pit stop – which was under caution for debris – Edwards had amassed a huge lead of just under five seconds. It seemed as if he was out for a Saturday afternoon drive in the brisk Nashville cold.
But the race didn’t start off that brilliantly for Edwards. Starting eighth, he bided his time before marching to the front of the field.
David Stremme, who started from the pole, took a huge lead at the start of the race, but was eventually passed by David Reutimann, who took a sizable lead himself.
Edwards didn’t take his first lead until lap 119. Only Scott Wimmer had a green flag pass of Edwards after that (on lap 129).
Reutimann, Dave Blaney, Leffler and Regan Smith rounded out the top five.