Edwards wins rain-shortened Texas race for Chase finale spot

“The rain didn’t come at the right time for us”, said Truex.

Rain began to pelt the Texas Motor Speedway track just minutes before the race’s original start time, and the start ended up being delayed almost six hours. “I’m a better driver because of those three guys”.

Jimmie Johnson, the only driver locked into to a championship shot in the finale, started 19th. They were just too busy trying to execute so they wouldn’t face a must-win situation in an elimination race next week in Phoenix.

“We just lost our track position on a green-flag cycle and got our balance off a little bit”, Logano said post-race. We actually performed very well, did a really good job. There’s a lot of pride in that.

I think it’s time that Texas Motor Speedway join them and put a new surface down.

Edwards got the victory he so desperately needed to advance when he won a rain-shortened race at Texas. Or Kevin Harvick, who goes to next week’s race at Phoenix knowing he has been virtually unbeatable there in recent seasons.

Kenseth, the highest-qualifying JGR auto, started seventh and just ahead of Edwards, who qualified ninth.

Team Penske’s Logano dominated the first half of the race, taking the lead from pole-sitter Austin Dillon on the first green flag lap and holding it for 165 of the first 167. I would have loved to race till the end of the race. We’re going to Homestead. It seemed like the momentum swung the other way about three or four laps to go before the caution came out when I started catching the 19 pretty rapidly.

Assuming it will take nothing short of a freak incident to keep Harvick out of victory lane, there’s essentially only one spot in the finale up for grabs Sunday.

The first lap was originally scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m., but drivers instead climbed into their cars shortly after 6. It could have taken two hours or more to dry to track.

With a sub-12 second pit stop, Edwards pulled ahead of then-leader Martin Truex Jr. off pit road. But when the scheduled 334-lap race, was called with 41 laps remaining the Furniture Row Racing driver had to settle for a third-place finish.

The veteran driver won a rain-shortened race, his fourth career win at Texas.

Edwards entered Texas with confidence.

“People bring that up every once in a while”, Edwards said. But the rain was a challenge because we could see the small cell coming.

“We have a shot at the championship, and that’s all we wanted this year, and I can’t wait to go to Homestead”. (It was) somewhat of a gamble. Perhaps with an eye on the criticism of JGR’s team tactics in the postseason, Edwards is all in on the No. 19 entry fielded by Rogers for him. Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin are fifth and sixth, Kenseth one point behind and Hamlin two. “I guess all in all, happy with third”.

“Next week will be a battle”, Gibbs said.

Now Busch and Harvick need to do the same if they’re to make the postseason look more like the regular season. “Just, you know, didn’t have enough laps”.

After emerging the victor while his auto sat covered on the pit road – and after skipping the post-victory back flip customarily done on the front straight – Edwards said he couldn’t be bothered with helping teammates at Phoenix now that he’s already qualified. He sensibly elected not to do that on a wet, chilly Sunday night. “I really believe we can do it at Homestead”.