Thanks to a lightning-fast pit stop and Mother Nature’s timely intervention, Carl Edwards clinched a spot in the championship round of NASCAR’s playoffs by winning Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Texas 2016 results: Carl Edwards wins AAA Texas 500
In a must-win, Carl Edwards comes through to lock himself into the Chase championship round.
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A fast pit stop jumped Edwards ahead of leader Martin Truex Jr. off pit road. That proved to be the difference, as rain began falling shortly afterwards, leaving NASCAR with little recourse but to declare the race official 44 laps shy of its scheduled distance.
The victory automatically advances Edwards to the final bracket of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He, Jimmie Johnson, and two other drivers will compete for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in two weeks. The other two positions will be decided amongst the remaining six title-eligibles next weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.
Joey Logano, who led 178 of the first 188 laps, finished second, followed by Truex Jr., rookie Chase Elliott, and defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch.
Logano and Busch hold the final two Chase transfer positions, both one point ahead of Matt Kenseth and two points ahead of Denny Hamlin. Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch are 18 and 34 points behind, respectively.
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