NASCAR Sprint Cup Series “Toyota Owners 400”

Carl Edwards nudged race leader, and teammate, Kyle Busch out of the way on the final lap of Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway, driving on to his second straight victory and giving Joe Gibbs Racing a sweep of the first three short-track races of the season. Busch had passed Edwards for what would be his final lead of the day less than 40 laps from the finish, but Edwards remained in dogged pursuit as the checkered flag neared. In the third turn of the final trip around the three- quarter-mile Fairgrounds oval, Edwards closed on Busch and tapped the rear bumper of the #18 Toyota just enough to send it up the track and into second place. The margin of victory was sixty-seven one-hundredths of a second with Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and pole-sitter Kevin Harvick completing the top five. 

The victory carried Edwards to the top of the regular-season standings with one-fourth of the 2016 season now complete. Harvick entered the weekend holding the #1 spot but is now second, seven points behind Edwards heading into the next race next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway .

Tony Stewart made his first start of the season after recovering from back surgery in February. He finished nineteenth in the 40-car field.

Edwards started 4th on Sunday and led a race-high 151 laps in the #19 Toyota, notching his 27th career victory and second at Richmond. His first win there came in September 2013.

Joe Gibbs Racing now has 11 Cup Series victories at Richmond International Raceway, breaking a tie with Hendrick Motorsports for 2nd place on the track’s all-time win list. Richard Petty Motorsports has 15, but none since 1975.

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– story by John Singler
www.mrn.com
Concord, NC