Both Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. left Phoenix International Raceway with top five finishes on Sunday. But only one was better than the other and only one of was happy about it.
Edwards won for the first time in 70 races, almost two years, while Earnhardt Jr. settled for a hard fought fifth place finish. The two could have battled for the win had it not been for a final pit stop on lap 239 that gave Edwards the lead for the final time as Earnhardt Jr. lost his chance at his first win in 2013.
Earnhardt Jr. came down pit road the leader, having led 47 laps to that point. Edwards entered fourth. The two both had great stops and were headed off pit road side-by-side, with Earnhardt Jr. just a nose ahead. But when Casey Mears, who was ahead of the two, pulled into his pit box it was a break for Edwards to skirt by while Earnhardt Jr. had to slam on the brakes.
“I think we used strategy to get up front, on pit road, to get ourselves track position. We had a pretty good car,” said Earnhardt Jr., who had started the race from the 21st position.
“On that pit stop the No. 99 [Edwards] got the lead. I was on the inside of him on pit road and I think I could have beat him off, but the No. 13 was trying to get in his stall and I had to lift for that. And I knew right then that was my opportunity to win the race was right there. It’s difficult to pass with the big spoiler.”
On the subsequent restart Earnhardt Jr. spun his tires and faded. Edwards held the lead and went on to score the win, holding off Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Brad Keselowski charged into the top five late as well. Earnhardt Jr. tried not to be frustrated; knowing that back-to-back top five finishes to start the season has the team headed in the right direction.
It was the first time in 16 races at Phoenix that he had finished in the five. And the last time he started the season with two top five finishes he went on to win six races. Something that he’s well aware of felt he could have been on his way to doing Sunday.
“We haven’t been good here. So that was a good run for us,” he said while thanking crew chief Steve Letarte for all the changes he made on the National Guard Chevrolet.
“I was a little disappointed because I think we could have won. And you hate to give away them points. And I’d love to get to Victory Lane. This is a good sign for us though, that we’ve improved this much at Phoenix. Hopefully it’s a sign for the rest of the season and that we’re going to be all right.”
The disappointment felt by Earnhardt Jr. was matched in intensity with which Edwards celebrated. He missed the Chase for the Championship last season and failed to win a race. Sunday he and new crew chief Jimmy Fennig put themselves in contention all day, leading the most laps and scoring their first win.
But Edwards too, knew that the final pit stop played a part in the finish. His time on pit road had been slower than Earnhardt Jr.’s and was behind the 88 as they approached the exit. While his pit crew did earn him spots on pit road all day, he wasn’t going to win the race off pit road on that stop.
“That was hugely important. There were a couple things that happened there,” said Edwards about the incident. “First of all, I think we came onto pit road fourth, we came out first. I was in front of Dale – he must have had the timing lines figured out really well because I was at the max speed I could go and he shot up there.
“And I though, ‘man, I can’t go any faster, I’m going to get a penalty.’ Then Casey was up there and I thought, ‘I’m not exactly sure how this is going to work out’ and then he turned left and Dale could have run me up into the wall and spun Casey out.”
Everyone made it off pit road without incident. Edwards saved enough fuel and survived a Green-White-Checkered finish to score his 20th career win.
“I could tell he [Earnhardt Jr.] thought about it. I think he did because there was that little pause and I thought, he’s going to do it,” said Edwards. “And then he stood on the brakes and kept from tearing all the cars up.
“That had to be very difficult for him because I think we all knew right then that could be the race. I’d like to think I was just going to pass him anyway, but I was a little nervous.”
