Carl Edwards had the nightmare of his life during Speedweeks leading up to the Daytona 500. He wrecked four race cars before finally finishing off the fifth car in the Daytona 500.

An extremely dejected Carl Edwards said in the garage that they would go to Phoenix and win the race. No one really considered Edwards a favorite to win this weekend. He wasn’t terrifically quick during practice like the No. 55 of Mark Martin and the No.18 of Kyle Busch, but he had a decent place in the top-10. Edwards dominated the final portion of this race, leading the final 78 laps and leading a total of 122 of the 312 laps.

Mark Martin and Kyle Busch came in as the heavy favorites, but both ran into trouble. On Lap 48, Kyle Busch attempted to pass Kevin Harvick on the high side, but got loose and spun out, tagging the outside wall. Busch then received a penalty for pitting too soon and the No.18 ended up in the 23rd position. Martin led 75 laps early, but had to pit on Lap 68 for a loose wheel. A caution would come out soon after to put the No.55 back on the lead lap, but he never came back to the front and couldn’t get as high as 21st.

The biggest story other than the exciting finish was Goodyear tires. The first instance of a problem that came up was when Kevin Harvick cut a tire and hit the wall during the Nationwide event yesterday. Ryan Newman was the crash dummy today as he had two separate incidents for melted beads. Newman blew two-right front tires, both sustaining damage, but the second accident left Newman fuming. Newman exited the car and ran across the track in front of traffic and tried to jump over the pit wall in one jump, but nearly fell and had to regain his posture. Newman went to the infield care center and left through the rear entrance to avoid the media. Later, it was reported that Newman would do an interview, but that never came to light.

And it was a rough weekend for Danica Patrick. She struggled with the balance of her race car for a majority of the weekend, but she was running on the lead lap in 26th before blowing her right-front tire exiting turn four on Lap 184. She hit the wall head-on and then bounced back into the No.34 of David Ragan who shredded Patrick’s car.

It was the first win of the year for Edwards. The last time he won at Phoenix, he would go on to nearly win the championship. Could Edwards be considered a threat now? Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin traded paint for second with Johnson coming out on top, with Hamlin falling short in third spot.

Defending series champion Brad Keselowski would finish in fourth and rounding out the Top 10 would be Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Jeff Burton.

Jimmie Johnson started off the 2006 season with the Daytona 500 victory and a second place finish at Auto Club Speedway the following weekend. He has done exactly that this year. When asked if he considered himself a favorite, he said, “Well I didn’t about know that stat, but I would like to keep that up and five straight championships again will be nice, but we will take it one week at a time.”

When I asked Carl Edwards, “We have seen you have great years and then droughts here and there, is Jimmy Fennig the solution?” Carl then asked Jimmy, “How many more years are you going to do this, Jimmy? I didn’t think he wanted to work with me this year.” Jimmy sat and laughed. “I hope the floodgates open and we can go out and do some good.”

Carl later approached me and apologized if I thought he was picking on me, but I didn’t take it that way at all. And after that conversation, I have a whole new respect for Carl Edwards and he has earned himself a fan. Las Vegas is next week and I cannot wait!

Carl Edwards would break a 70-race losing streak at Phoenix International Raceway by winning the Subway Fresh Fit 500 in the No. 99 Subway Ford Fusion.

Lap 1 Mark Martin pulls to the early lead ahead of Kahne. Stenhouse Jr. gets into the wall, continues without too much damage

Lap 4 Martin Kahne Johnson Gordon Stewart Harvick Kenseth Newman Menard and Keselowski

Lap 6 Bowyer passes Keselowski for 10^th

Lap 16 Menard passes Newman for eighth

Lap 18 Keselowski passes Bowyer for 10^th

Lap 20 Martin Kahne Johnson Gordon Stewart Harvick Kenseth Menard Newman Keselowski

Caution lap 21 Scott Riggs blows a tire and hits the wall. Drivers outside of the top 10 pit.

Restart lap 28 Mark Martin jumps out to the lead with Kahne and Johnson racing side-by-side for second.

Lap 29 Johnson passes Kahne for second.

Lap 30 Martin Johnson Kahne Gordon Harvick Stewart Kenseth Menard Keselowski Newman

Lap 31 Harvick passes Gordon for fourth

Lap 32 Kenseth passes Stewart; Kurt Busch passes Newman for 10^th

Lap 36 Kurt Busch says all the gauges are red. May have an engine problem, or an electrical problem

Lap 40 Martin Johnson Kahne Harvick Gordon Kenseth Stewart Menard Keselowski Ku Busch

Lap 42 Keselowski and Ku Busch pass Menard for eighth

Caution lap 48 Kyle Busch spins in turn two after getting out of the groove while racing Edwards for 15^th. Busch had made his way up to 15^th following starting in the back. Leaders pit while nine cars stayed out. Kahne led Mark Martin off pit road. Bowyer hit Kvapil coming off pit road. Busch goes at least one lap down while getting repairs. Martin Truex Jr. stalled on pit road after a rear axle problem.  lap 54 … Biffle Montoya Almirola Stenhouse Yeley Gilliland Martin Kahne Gordon Harvick Kenseth Burton.

Restart lap 56 Biffle and Montoya side-by-side for the lead

Lap 57 Montoya wiggles, allowing Biffle to head out to the lead

Lap 58 Biffle Montoya Stenhouse Almirola Gilliland Kahne Harvick Kenseth Martin Gordon

Lap 59 Kahne passes Gilliland for fifth

Lap 60 Biffle Montoya Stenhouse Almirola Kahne Gilliland Harvick Kenseth Martin Gordon

Lap 62 Harvick passes Gilliland

Lap 64 Mark Martin pits for right side tires due to a loose wheel. Montoya passes Biffle for the lead. Caution as Dave Blaney hits the wall virtue of David Stremme. Mark Martin gets the lucky dog. Some cars pit.

Lap 69 Montoya leads Biffle Stenhouse Almirola Kahne

Restart lap 70 as Biffle grabs the lead ahead of Montoya and Almirola

Lap 71 Biffle Almirola Montoya Harvick Stenhouse Kahne Kenseth Gilliland Edwards Gordon…..Harvick looking for a way around Montoya for third

Lap 73 Harvick clears Montoya for third; Kahne and Kenseth pass Stenhouse

Lap 75 Biffle Almirola Harvick Montoya Kahne Kenseth Stenhouse Edwards Gordon Gilliland

Lap 78 Burton and Keselowski pass Gilliland; Edwards passes Stenhouse

Lap 79 Kahne passes Montoya

Lap 80 Biffle Almirola Harvick Kahne Montoya Kenseth Edwards Gordon Stenhouse Burton

Caution lap 98 Ryan Newman slaps the wall after tire went flat due to melted bead as a result of excessive brake heat. Joe Nemechek gets the free pass. Leaders head down pit road. Edwards leads Keselowski Stewart Johnson Smith Bowyer Earnhardt off pit road. Mark Martin stays out to take the lead

Restart lap 104 Mark Martin grabs the lead ahead of Keselowski

Lap 105 Martin leads Keselowski Edwards Stewart Johnson Ku Busch Bowyer Earnhardt Harvick Almirola

Lap 111 Bowyer passes Busch

Lap 115 Stewart passes Edwards

Lap 127 Martin Keselowski Stewart Edwards Johnson Bowyer Ku Busch Earnhardt Jr Harvick Almirola….Keselowski passes Martin for the lead

Lap 139 Keselowski leads Martin Stewart Edwards Johnson Ku Busch Bowyer Earnhardt Harvick Almirola

Caution lap 141 Newman gets into the wall in turn one. Another melted bead. Leaders pit. Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Harvick Hamlin Almirola Kenseth off pit road.

Restart lap 147 Edwards pull ahead with Johnson and Earnhardt side-by-side for second. Johnson clears Earnhard through the dog leg.

Lap 149 Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Harvick Hamlin Almirola Kahne Kenseth Biffle Ku Busch. Kenseth passes Kahne through turns three and four.

Lap 156 Ku Busch passes Biffle for ninth

Lap 158 Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Jr Harvick Hamin Kenseth Almirola Kahne Ku Busch Biffle

Lap 161 Kahne passes Almirola

Lap 165 Logano passes Biffle

Lap 166 Kenseth passes Hamlin

Lap 176 Edwards Johnson Earnhardt Harvick Kenseth Hamlin Kahne Ku Busch Almirola Keselowski

Lap 177 Ku Busch passes Kahne for seventh

Lap 180 Keselowski passes Almirola so its now Edwards leading Johnson Earnhardt Harvick Kenseth Hamlin Ku Busch Kahne Keselowski Almirola…..Kahne went up the track quickly, overshooting the corner. He falls back to 11^th

Lap 182 Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Jr Harvick Kenseth Hamlin Ku Busch Keselowski Almirola Logano

Caution lap 184 Danica Harvick destroys her car after blowing a right front. She hits the wall, and then makes contact with David Regan. Danica: “I’m OK, but it was a huge, huge hit.” Tony Gibson: “Just as long as you’re OK.” Leaders pit. Earnhardt Jr. first off pit road ahead of Edwards Johnson Kenseth Hamlin Keselowski Ku Busch Harvick Bowyer and McMurray.

Restart lap 194 Earnhardt Jr. clear out in front as Johnson grabs second from Edwards

Lap 199 Kenseth passes Edwards for fourth

Lap 203 Earnhardt leads Johnson Kenseth Edwards Keselowski Bowyer Harvick Ku Busch Gordon

97 to go Earnhardt leads Johnson Kenseth Edwards Keselowski Hamlin Bowyer Harvick Gordon Ku Busch

79 to go Earnhardt leads Johnson Kenseth Edwards Keselowski Hamlin Bowyer Harvick Gordon Stewart

Caution 76 to go David Gilliland has a right front go down. Kyle Busch gets the lucky dog. Leaders pit. Edwards leads Earnhardt Jr. Johnson Hamlin Bowyer Keselowski off of pit road.

Restart 70 to go Earnhardt spins the tires, Edwards scoots away. Johnson grabs second from Earnhardt

68 to go Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Hamlin Bowyer Keselowski Harvick Kenseth Stewart Gordon

67 to go Stewart passes Kenseth for eighth

66 to go Logano passes Gordon for 10^th

65 to go Kyle Busch gets up into the wall, keeps going, no caution.

60 to go Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Hamlin Bowyer Keselowski Harvick Stewart Kenseth Logano

54 to go Keselowski passes Bowyer. Kenseth passes Stewart.

50 to go Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Hamlin Keselowski Bowyer Harvick Kenseth Stewart Logano

49 to go Kenseth passes Harvick for seventh

48 to go Stewart passes Harvick for eighth

47 to go Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Hamlin Keselowski Bowyer Kenseth Stewart Harvick Logano

42 to go Edwards leads Johnson Earnhardt Keselowski Hamlin Bowyer Kenseth Stewart Harvick Gordon

39 to go Keselowski passes Earnhardt for third

30 to go Edwards leads Johnson Keselowski Earnhardt Hamlin Bowyer Kenseth Stewart Gordon Burton

5 to go Logano is off the pace – out of gas.

Caution 3 to go Ken Schrader blew a right front. Leaders stay out. Landon Cassil stalls on the backstretch, out of gas.

Restart. Edwards goes, Keselowski on the bumper with the shove. Edwards to the lead, Keselowski side-by-side with Johnson. Hamlin down the short cut, gets up to side-by-side with Johnson for second. Johnson barely beats Edwards to the line.

Edwards. Johnson. Hamlin. Keselowski. Earnhardt. Bowyer, Kenseth. Stewart. Gordon. Burton.