Auto Racing | Edwards powers past Kahne
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Carl Edwards dominated Saturday night's Sharpie 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Edwards passed pole-sitter Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw for the lead with 130 laps to go and wasn't seriously challenged the rest of the way as he drove to his second victory of the season. He beat Kasey Kahne to the line by 1.405 seconds and did his trademark backflip on the finish line to celebrate.
The top 12 drivers in the standings will compete for the Nextel Cup title, and Edwards clinched his spot with the win.
"We're back," said Edwards, who was third in the 2005 Chase but failed to make the field last year.
Kasey Kahne led 305 of the 500 laps on the newly resurfaced 0.533-mile track. He led the series with six wins last year, but is 23rd in the points race this year.
"To go into a season and think you are going to run well, and then you don't ... this feels good," said Kasey Kahne, who won Friday night's Food City 250 NASCAR Busch Series race at the track. "We haven't had a top five since last year."
Clint Bowyer finished third to move closer to his first berth in the Chase. Tony Stewart was fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fifth.
Vancouver, Wash., native Greg Biffle finished 10th and remained 15th in the standings.
Biffle is 317 points behind 12th-place Kurt Busch with two races to go before the field is set for the 10-race Chase.
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