Kyle Busch wins another Nationwide race
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Kyle Busch beat Carl Edwards out of the pits on their final stop and then held off the defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion in overtime for his second straight victory Friday night at Phoenix International Raceway.
A series of late-race caution flags on the mile oval hampered Edwards, who appeared to have a faster car at the end and remained winless in 2008 in the series formerly known as Busch.
Busch, a Las Vegas native who got his first Nationwide victory of the season last week in Texas, dominated, leading 133 of the 202 laps. But Edwards wrested the lead from him on lap 159 and steadily pulled away, building a lead of more than three seconds before debris brought out the sixth of nine cautions on lap 178.
The leaders pitted a lap later, and Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota barely beat Edwards' Roush Fenway Racing Ford onto the track and held the lead, although Edwards nosed ahead on lap 197 before the final caution came out on lap 199.
That necessitated one more restart, and Busch held off Edwards by about two car lengths for his 13th Nationwide win.
"He had a great, great car, and it was just a great night for us," said Busch, who jumped from fifth to third in the season points standings. "Luckily, we kept getting those cautions, and we kept getting a little two-lap jump on him."
