Edwards Bumps Busch, Wins Sixth at Bristol

75 percent? That number works just fine for Carl Edwards.

Banging the Sprint Cup point leader out of the way for a win? Well, that works too.

For the third time in four races, Edwards has chopped into the bonus point lead held by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch via a race win in the Sprint Cup Series. Saturday night that win -- his sixth of 2008 -- came in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Edwards led 84 laps, but took the lead for the final time from Busch on lap 469 of the 500 lap race by giving the No. 18 a bump heading into turn one.

Busch finished second was hot after the race, slamming Edwards in the side after the checkered flag. Edwards responded by spinning out Busch before driving to the start/finish line to complete his trademark flip. Denny Hamlin finished third, Kevin Harvick fourth, and Jeff Gordon fifth.

"He hit me getting in to turn one. You know whatever. Carl will say he's sorry and he didn't want to race that way -- you know Mr. Ed like. We'll race him that way in the Chase if that's the way he wants to race," said Busch.

Instead, Edwards wasn't apologetic in victory lane.

"It was one of those deals where I couldn't get by him and couldn't get by him. And then I had to ask myself, would he do that to me? And the answer was yes, and he's done it to me before," said Edwards. "In the back of my mind I was still thinking about a Nationwide race at Richmond when he was driving through the field and he pile-drove me."

And he certainly didn't need to.

Edwards' move didn't take Busch out of the race and he had plenty time after the contact to get back to Edwards to make a winning pass, but the No. 18 could not come near Edwards as he pulled away from the field to take the checkers.

Simply, it was a well-timed move by Edwards at a short-track that did nothing but move a car out of the way.

Thank you, Carl Edwards, for a great finish and an appropriate response to Busch's late-race antics by not apologizing for what happened on track.

Dare we say it? NASCAR has a new rivalry -- just in time for the Chase to the Championship.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

8-24-2008 @ 12:06AM

Maveness said...

That was pure awesome. And honestly, the bump and run has been employed by Kyle so many times...and now he's going to whine because it was dished out to him?

It's a sign when the announcers (who love a bandwagon and have been on the Kyle Busch bandwagon this year) turn on you in two seconds flat. And they did. I don't like Carl, but dang if that wasn't awesome and funny.

8-24-2008 @ 12:13AM

Annette said...

My, my the ending of that race was awesome!!! I am so happy that Kyle didn't win! Kyle should stop his crying!!! He is a poor loser... come on hitting Edwards after the race, and then calling him Mr.Ed??? That was just low.

I am a 100% fan of Jr., but way to go Carl! Kyle you can go cry in the corner!!!

8-24-2008 @ 7:46AM

Mike said...

Wow, I wish I had left the TV on to watch that after the checkered flag. Carl had the better car, what was he supposed to do? The best two drivers of the season finished 1 and 2. No suprise as the season gets near the end that is how it works.
For the second week in a row, Tony Stewart loses control of his car and slams into Jeff Gordon. If that is the best he can do, maybe he should just park his car. Jeff needs to stop being Mr Nice Guy on the track and start using the bump and run move more often himself. There was a time in his career when he could use it well but for the last few years he seems to think he is above it. It was nice to see Jeff doing well in this one. Unlike the other races this year when he was doing well, someone always came out of nowhere to wreck him out of the race. Tony tried but was not able to do it this time.
Oh well, congratulations to Carl for a hard fought win. I hope he had "fun" this week.
MBL

8-24-2008 @ 5:43PM

bob said...

Kyle Busch doesn't employ the 'bump and run' to pass; he runs over or wrecks the guy in front of him if he can't pass. Nothing wrong with nudging someone out of the way on a short track if you're faster than the guy you're nudging. Wrong to run over or wreck the guy you're trying to pass (a la K.B.'s style). I think it's fair to say that if that had been Kyle Busch behind Edwards and Busch was trying to get around, he would have wrecked Edwards (and maybe himself, too) to move Edwards out of the way.

Bump & Run = OK
Wreck & Run = No No

And, no, I am not a Carl Edwards fan. I don't particularly like the guy, but what he did was racing, not wrecking.

8-24-2008 @ 10:31PM

busch is god said...

All you Nascar die hards need to find another driver to hate. Kyle Busch is the reald deal and is the creme of the crop. Stop hating him because he wins and finishes in the top 5 every week. Hendrick should have distributed his chasis and engine packages evenly, this way everybody would have loved him last year. Quit whining about Kyle and the Toyota Teams. Youy make me sick. This is a competition and now that the best driver and team are winning all you can do is cry. So go ahead, boo Kyle. He is the best and here to stay. Thank god because Jr. can not drive and lives off his daddy's name. It is just funny how the NASCAR faithful hate Kyle when he was screwed over by Hendrick Motorsports, the very team that invented cheating in the modern day era of racing. Whether you like him or not people watch more now this year because of Kyle, Love him or hate him the guy can just plain drive.

8-24-2008 @ 9:03PM

anna seitter said...

WELL, IT WAS NICE TO SEE JG buying STEVE LETARGY a
few more weeks as a crew chief and staying in to the CHASE
WINDOW without slipping even further.
CANNOT SAY THE SAME ABOUT TONY FURY; 10 races now 1
top 10 for DEJ. T.EURY DAYS as a dej crew chief are now numbered. It's never too late yet for junior to resurge again.
Lets hope he wakes up.
About TONYSTEW & JG : if that's the case than JG should parked his car long time ago.I remember him runnuing in to others too.
Casey smears ,that a lost cause all season, no sense making it
worse here.
EDWARDS has gotten the better end verses KYLE BUSH, BUT
KYLE has been constant every week, all season and has a lot more to show. This week he blew by JPM in 1 lap when everybody else could not pass MONTOYA even after a bunch of laps.
CARL EDWARDS HAS JUST HAVING ANOTHER TEMPORARY FLASH. I seen them before.

8-24-2008 @ 9:28PM

MIke said...

Rubbins Racin

8-24-2008 @ 11:06PM

Mike LeVan said...

Hey Anna, I knew you would like my post. Maybe it is a new "car chief" Jeff needs, not a new crew chief. Who knows? I would not expect any changes untill after the season is over if they come at all. It is not the fact that Tony has run into Jeff that I was commenting on, it is the fact that he is out of control of his car.
Tony Eury Jr had nothing to do with Dale Jr's problem at the start of the race this time. Jr was trying to cheat and got caught.
I know you don't like Carl but he handed Baby Busch a dose of his own medicine from earlier in the season. Busch would have come across as more professional had he just said. "he got me this week, next week is another matter."
There is little question that Baby Busch has been the best so far this year. He needs to not let his temper detract from what he has accomplished. There is a difference between nudging a slower car out of your way and just wrecking someone because you are having a temper tantrum. Grow up Kyle, you might gain more fans.
MBL

8-25-2008 @ 12:43AM

MIKE, I know that tony eury did not have anything to do this week for junior poor finish. I was just trying to stir the waters a little.However, this week finish will be added against tony e. by many anyway.Nobody is going to say junior had 1top 10in last 10races but a BRISTOL was not TE. FAULT. They are not going to say junior had 8 poor race end, blamed to TE and 1 not blamed on TE and 1 top 10. TE has been under scrutiny
and evrything will fall on him. KYLE BUSH : well let me just say that he is still 23 yr. old , not much older than few weeks ago,
so his attitude and reactions are not going to change that fast,
but he will. They all did. Yourself said that JG has even forgot
how to bump and run.Man, that's too much of a change........
i think. Maybe if carl hatewards leaves grouch/finnfish, i might reconsider my posture about him, we'll see.

8-25-2008 @ 12:46AM

OH, and i'm LMAO at some posters names on here lately.
can't stand emerson- the other side of reason- dirt roads-busch is god- bryan france sucks-(while ago') etc. etc.
Umbelievable. LOL.

8-25-2008 @ 1:15AM

Julie said...

Um, i really do no think dale jr. was trying to "cheat" i think it was probably an honest mistake. and i doubt he is that stupid to cheat that blatently at the start of a race. who wants to put themselves in that kind of a hole for the entire race.

8-25-2008 @ 8:15AM

Sorry, Julie. I was just jumping on the "cheater label" bandwagon. It seems that any time a team does anything that causes a penalty they are called a "cheater". But Jr made this mistake all on his own.
It is funny that many Jr fans did not like the fact that Dale brought Tony with him to Hendrick. Non of them complained for the first 12 or 14 races of the season. After all, how do you complain when your driver ishigher in points in mid season than he has ever been before? He may not have the wins, but he would have been number 1 in points were it not for the fantastic year Baby Busch is having. Yes, the team has stumbled the past 10 weeks and looks more like the real Dale Jr but he did tell all his fans that the reason for the early success is due to the fact that those races were at tracks he is good at and these next 12 races were going to be just as good as his earlier performance.
So, if you are a fan of his, you should be in for a treat for the rest of the season starting today. However, I am afraid neither he nor anyone else is going to have anything for Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. Maybe if Kyle is stupid enough to wreck both of them in the chase and finish 42 and 43 someone else can squeeze in and take it away.
MBL

8-25-2008 @ 10:01AM

CJ said...

Even though i HATE both Edwards and Busch, i love this rivalry. It could end up like politics is going. It was almost a certain lock that the democrats would be running away with this election, but when Hillary and Obama went to blows, it hurt them both and in the end, they both will lose, and the same could happent ot Busch and Edwards. Im just waiting for the race in the chase or even maybe a couple where they take each other and in the end Dale Jr, Jimmie Johnson, or Jeff Burton could be holding that Championship trophy next year and Kyle and Carl will still be at each other throats. But it is like Jack said, Roush vs. Toyota!

8-25-2008 @ 10:30AM

Tiffany said...

PLEASE...we do not hate kyle busch because he wins, he is a great driver! He's just an a**hole, he's arrogant, rude and a very poor loser! If he would get over himself maybe he'd have more fans!!!

8-25-2008 @ 1:16PM

Bernie said...

It is a very good rivalry. I think it's great for Kyle Busch he needs to feel the pressure. That's when he runs well. I'm glad if anyone, it's Carl Edwards doing to pushing. They are my two drivers, 1) Kyle 2) Edwards and that's the way it's going to end.

8-25-2008 @ 3:40PM

TheOtherSideofReason said...

Well, Well, Well.

Can anybody argue with the recent success of Roush/Fenway Teams?

Lets see...only 15 cars finished on the lead lap. ALL 5 RFR Fords finished with a 12th or better. (Here comes the cry of cheaters...I can almost hear it now).

Well........Congratulations to Carl Edwards and all 5 drivers on a job well done. Jack Roush must be in 7th heaven right about now!!!!!!!

As for Kyle B., what a little baby!! I'm glad Carl spun him out after that stupid stunt, and so did the fans in the stands. The roar was deafening.

Kyle deserves a rather harsh penalty from NASCAR for that stupid trick. This is the moment right here that will tells us all whether or not NASCAR has been playing favorites with KB and JGR!!

8-25-2008 @ 6:44PM

Some people can't have enough conspiracy theory stories. I say leave on the track what happens on the track. It's great to see Carl Edwards applying pressure on the 18. Kyle runs well under pressure. It's great for Nascar to have a good rivalry. Kyle Busch has to step it up like he's been doing when his butt is in the frying pan. He has to pour it om in California where he runs well every year. We will see the kid bounce back.

KYLE BUSCH ROCKS NASCAR!!!

8-25-2008 @ 9:18PM

THERE HE GOES AGAIN: who is he is going top piss off this week?
LET SEE: RFR had 5cars in the top 12 this week.
Wasn't just last week that 4-5 GROUCHES CARS finished in the top 10?.( whoever remembers correctly ,please correct my number).
SOMETHING FISHEY has been going on lately at GROUCHES /
FINNFISH RACING,aND IS CHEATING AT IT'S BEST.
MIKE,you were right about the brown hat man playing with fuel cells. ONLY, j grouch has hired an outsider chemistry engineer
to enhance his cars performance.
JACK is too primitive to even comprehand fuel cells;(as i said before). Ye OK JGR has cheated last week , 2nd time in 20 yr
of racing involvment ( in 2004, it was a light violation punished with a fine and that' all,crew chief mistake).
ANYWAY GROUCH/FINNFISH has now joined JGR BIGTIME in cheating.They will even beat CHAD KNAUS.

8-25-2008 @ 9:50PM

tommy said...

The best thing that has happened to nascar in years. Some attitude but they still are nothing but a bunch of talk. I would be shocked if this continues.

8-25-2008 @ 10:26PM

Just for the record. All three JGR cars finished in the top 8.
mbl