Carl Edwards staked another claim at being the current 'cookie cutter' King on the NASCAR Sprint Cup scene as he took his third win of the still-young 2008 season in Sunday's Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway.
Edwards, who won earlier this year at the two-mile California Speedway and the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, led 122 of 339 laps in his #99 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford, surviving a green-white-chequered flag finish to beat defending series champion Jimmie Johnson to the line by half a dozen car lengths.
On a gloriously sunny day in Fort Worth second place starter Edwards was content to let polestitter Dale Earnhardt Jr, third place starter Kyle Busch, fifth place starter Johnson and his own Roush-Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth pace the field for the first two thirds of the afternoon before moving ahead for good 215 of the scheduled 334 laps.
Once in front Edwards was simply untouchable, taking advantage of an extended green flag run to open a lead of nearly ten seconds before the caution flags reined him back on lap 295, sending everyone to the pits for what could have been their final stops.
Emerging from the pits ahead Edwards soon opened a handy two-second lead over nearest pursuer Johnson as the race moved passed its 300-lap mark. Although last November's Dickies 500 winner Johnson halved the gap as the leaders encountered traffic Edwards still looked out of danger until Martin Truex Jr's engine gave up the ghost on lap 329 to bring out the sixth and final caution period of an unusually clean afternoon.
Not only did the yellows allow Edwards' remaining challengers an unexpected opportunity to regroup it also allowed half of the ten remaining lead lap contenders a chance to grab another set of fresh Goodyear's for the final two lap sprint to the finish.
Edwards would take the restart ahead of Johnson, Busch, Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin and Kenseth with Clint Bowyer, the first driver to take fresh rubber, in sixth and Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and defending Samsung 500 winner Jeff Burton completing the list of unlapped runners.
On worn tyres Edwards' main concern was spinning the rears when the green flag waved but his restart was impeccable, pulling clear of Johnson by the time the field reached turn one. The main excitement was for the minor places as Edwards reeled off the final three miles to further prove his intermediate track prowess and ensure that Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports team continues their winless start to 2008.
Johnson was by no means upset with second place after running in and around the top five all day in an event characterised by few cautions and several lengthy green flag runs that resulted in all bar the top 18 finishers finishing at least two laps off the pace.
