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NASCAR Nationwide Series
NNS: Edwards Beats Busch At ORP
Carl Edwards staged a furious battle with Kyle Busch Saturday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park...
SPEED Staff  |  Posted July 25, 2009   Speedway, IN
Prior to Saturday night at ORP, Carl Edwards had only led one lap. (Photo: Getty Images)
Kroger 200 Results

Carl Edwards staged a furious battle with Kyle Busch Saturday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park punching past then holding him off over the course of the last 30 laps to win the Nationwide Series Kroger 200.

Edwards and Busch, currently second and first in the Nationwide Series points, were both forced to start in the back of field after missing qualifying when the Sprint Cup qualifying session was delayed across town at Indy.

Because the double duty drivers including Edwards and Busch weren’t able to qualify and forced to start from the back many of the Nationwide Series regulars felt they would have an opportunity to shine.

For the first part of the race it appeared that those Nationwide regulars would indeed have that chance. But typical short track racing caused a flurry of cautions in first part of the event. Taking advantage of that and the new double file restart rule, Edwards, Busch, Matt Kenseth and David Reutimann were able to work their way to the front. Just before the halfway point they found themselves inside the top ten.

Just after halfway the race became a Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards’s dogfight.

Edwards took the lead during a long 70-lap green flag run and held onto it until Justin Allgaier spun to bring out the sixth and final caution.

During the pit stops, Edwards found himself trapped in his pit stall momentarily. Busch was able to come out first with Edwards in second. The field took the green with 30 laps to go and Busch and Edwards slugged it out for several laps before Edwards was able to fight his way past. Shortly after Busch tagged the wall, effectively ending his hopes for the win as Edwards cruised to victory.

The win for Edwards was his first at ORP, the second Nationwide win of the year and the 22nd of his Nationwide career. He was also credited for leading the most laps 72.

Despite his brush with the wall, Busch was able to hold on to second. Matt Kenseth was third , Brad Keselowski fourth and Steve Wallace came home fifth.

Ron Hornaday who won the truck series race Friday night and led some laps Saturday finished sixth, polesitter Trevor Bayne was seventh, Jason Leffler was eighth, Scott Wimmer ninth and Kenny Wallace rounded out the top ten.

Edwards gained 10 points on Busch in the Nationwide championship and is now 192 back as the series heads to Iowa next weekend.



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