This is the start of the LifeLock 400 at Kansas Speedway, where Carl Edwards was still the points leader before being shut out early because of an accident.
IN THE BAG?
A small wait for a big chance
By SPEED Staff / SPEEDtv.com
DAYTONA BEACH, FL. -- It must feel like being in boot camp: “Hurry up and wait.”
For Carl Edwards, it will be at least another week of waiting before he gets an opportunity to once again go for an early clinch of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series driver championship.
Edwards was seemingly en route to his first national series title last Friday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, needing to finish the race with a lead of 780 points or more over the driver ranked second in the point standings after the event.
But an incident on Lap 133 ignited by Jimmie Johnson’s spin collected Edwards and three others and ended his chance to go home with the championship trophy.
Enter a new scenario for next Saturday’s race at Memphis Motorsports Park.
Edwards, who holds a 638-point lead over second-place David Reutimann and a 753-point advantage over third-place Kevin Harvick, can clinch the crown by leaving Memphis with a lead of 585 points or more over the second-place driver in the point standings. He also has a bit of a cushion as he can lose 53 points and still earn the crown.
The season’s second half hasn’t been kind to Edwards. In the first 15 races of the year, he posted four wins, 11 top fives and 13 top 10s.
In the 16 races since, he’s yet to find Victory Lane, has finished 20th or worse eight times and didn’t finish on the lead lap seven times including six of his last eight races.
He’s also been forced to register the first back-to-back DNFs of his series career – which occurred two weeks ago at Kansas Speedway and last week in Charlotte.
Posted October 18, 2007 , 4:42 pm EST Last Updated October 19, 2007 , 2:01 pm EST
