NATIONWIDE: Edwards Scores First Win in 2008

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NASCAR - NATIONWIDE: Edwards Scores First Win in 2008 - SPEEDtv.com

Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
06/21/2008 - 11:27 PM
West Allis, Wis.

All it took to end Carl Edwards' year-long winless streak was to change crew chiefs.

The defending series champion had gone 36 races without a victory, and team owner Jack Roush decided that was enough. So Roush Fenway Racing swapped crew chiefs earlier this week, with Drew Blickensderfer taking over for Pierre Kuettel on Edwards' No. 60 team.

And what did Edwards do? He won Saturday's Camping World RV Rental 250 Nationwide Series race at The Milwaukee Mile.

Edwards' last victory was at Nashville in June 2007, and though he won the Busch Series title last year, Edwards didn't win the second half of the year. He ran well this year, but again failed to visit victory lane.

Saturday, Edwards bumped past Clint Bowyer to take the lead with 38 laps to go and held off a challenge from rookie Joey Logano to score his 14th career win in the series.

“It just feels good to win a race … for our team, for everybody at the shop and all the guys who have been working hard and sticking with this program even though we haven't won a race in a long time,” Edwards said. “It means a lot to have all that support. This win is a huge relief.”

Logano ended up second in Joe GibbsRacing's Toyota, with Bowyer hanging on for third in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. David Ragan (Roush Fenway) was fourth, with David Reutimann (Michael Waltrip Racing) fifth.

Sixth through 10th were Scott Wimmer (RCR), Mike Bliss (Phoenix Racing), Brad Keselowski (JR Motorsports), Jason Keller (CJM Racing) and Jason Leffler (Braun Racing.)

Keselowski won the pole and had the dominant car for more than half the race. But after leading 145 of the first 171 laps, Keselowski was challenged for the lead in Turn 3 by Logano.

Logano slipped in the corner and bounced into Keselowski, sending the No. 88 Chevrolet up the race track. Logano's Toyota took the lead and soon pulled away. Logano was bidding to become the fourth driver to win two races in his first three starts – joining Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and Ron Fellows – but he was beaten off pit road on lap 206 by three other cars.

Edwards snaps 36-race drought, wins at The Milwaukee Mile - Nationwide Series | SceneDaily.com - NASCAR News

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