Edwards captures series-best third win

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — As his interim crew chief headed toward inspection, Carl Edwards offered to lend him cash to bribe NASCAR’s officials.

Of course, Edwards was joking. But in making light of the severe penalties his team drew when its race-winning car failed inspection last month, Edwards showed his Roush Fenway Racing team has bounced back from the Las Vegas disaster.

Edwards raced to his series-best third win of the season in the Samsung 500 yesterday, holding off Jimmie Johnson on a two-lap overtime sprint to the finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

It backed Edwards’ declaration four weeks ago that his team would survive the 100-point deduction and six-race suspension to crew chief Bob Osborne that stemmed from a missing lid on the oil tank after victory in Las Vegas.

“It doesn’t matter if we get penalized. We might get a 100-point penalty for something today,” Edwards said. “It’s not going to change what I do. I’m just going to do the best I can, and our cars are really good. It does feel good to look in there and see the oil tank cover on the car, that’s good.

“But this is what we do. We got out and try to win. The other stuff doesn’t matter.”

That was evident as Edwards dominated yesterday, leading a race-high 123 laps while continuing to be the driver to beat at NASCAR’s intermediate tracks. He won at California and Las Vegas and might have won in Atlanta if his motor didn’t fail while he was leading.

“He probably could have led however many laps there were today,” third-place finisher Kyle Busch said. “He just didn’t show his full hand. We knew he was pretty good.”

Edwards didn’t dispute it, either. He nearly won the pole, settling for second when Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s late attempt nudged him to the second starting position, then paced both of Saturday’s final practice sessions to cement himself as the driver to beat.

Then he toyed with the competition, building a lead of more than seven seconds before a pair of late cautions gave Johnson and Busch two final chances to catch him. They never came close as Edwards pulled away on the restarts and never looked back.

“That’s the truth,” he said of Busch’s assertion. “I could go a lot faster today if I wanted to.”

It wasn’t necessary as the No. 99 team won for the first time since the Las Vegas scandal that stripped Edwards of valuable points — the 100-point deduction knocked him out of the points lead, and NASCAR also seized the 10 bonus points he earned for the victory. In addition to his suspension, Osborne was fined $100,000.

As Edwards crossed the finish line yesterday, he dedicated the victory to Osborne, who was watching on TV back in North Carolina.

“This is for Bob Osborne sitting at home,” Edwards radioed his crew. “Good job guys.”

From victory lane, he defended his Vegas win and again insisted the oil tank infraction played no part in his performance that day.

“The reason we won at Vegas is because of all the hard work that the guys at the shop and the engine department. It’s not because of that oil tank lid,” he said. “That’s what it’s about. We’re driving. It’s fun. It’s fun when you get out of the car and your hands hurt from gripping the steering wheel. That’s good.”

Johnson was second as Hendrick Motorsports remained winless through the first seven races of the season.

“I didn’t have anything at the end for Carl,” Johnson said.