Edwards Leads Team Valvoline in Michigan with 4th-Place Finish
BROOKLYN, Mich. (Aug. 16, 2009) -- Carl Edwards paced Team Valvoline with a fourth-place finish in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.
Edwards' result was one of four top-20 finishes for Team Valvoline. Kasey Kahne was 11th, Matt Kenseth 14th and Greg Biffle came home 20th.
"That's the best we've run in a while," said Edwards, who preserved enough fuel to avoid a late-race pit stop. "We made some changes throughout the race that made the car really fast. I felt like we had a top-three or top-four car, and that's pretty cool. It's been a little while since I've really felt that comfortable with my car."
With three races remaining before the 10-race, 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship begins, Team Valvoline continues to have four drivers inside the Chase cutline. Edwards is fourth, Kahne eighth, Biffle 10th and Kenseth 11th.
The three pre-Chase remaining are Bristol (Aug. 22), Atlanta (Sept. 6) and Richmond (Sept. 12). There is an off weekend between the Bristol and Atlanta races.
The Michigan race winner was Brian Vickers. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards and Sam Hornish Jr.
In Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Michigan, Team Valvoline posted two top-10 finishes -- David Ragan was fourth and Biffle eighth.
Team Valvoline NASCAR Results
Michigan International Speedway
Sprint Cup Series
Aug. 16
Brooklyn, Mich.
(starting position in parenthesis)
AJ Allmendinger, No. 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger
Finished: 22nd (13th)
Point Standing: 25th
Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 20th (17th)
Point Standing: 10th
Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 4th (32nd)
Point Standing: 4th
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger
Finished: 11th (10th)
Point Standing: 8th
Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 14th (25th)
Point Standing: 11th
Bobby Labonte, No. 96 Yates Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 43rd (33rd)
Point Standing: 29th
Jamie McMurray, No. 26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 32nd (19th)
Point Standing: 22nd
David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 30th (37th)
Point Standing: 30th
Elliott Sadler, No. 19 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger
Finished: 25th (34th)
Point Standing: 27th
Reed Sorenson, No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger
Finished: 29th (40th)
Point Standing: 28th
Next NASCAR Sprint Cup Event
Aug. 22 (Saturday night)
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tenn.
Nationwide Series Race
Aug. 15
Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn, Mich.
Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 8th (10th)
Point Standing:*
Carl Edwards, No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 40th (7th)
Point Standing: 2nd
David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 4th (6th)
Point Standing:*
*Not competing full-time in Nationwide Series
Next Nationwide Series Race
Aug. 21 (Friday night)
Bristol Motor Speedway
Brooklyn, Tenn.
Next Camping World Truck Race
Aug. 19 (Wednesday night)
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tenn.
