Story By: Martin Smithson
Photos By: Hal Jalikakik
Richmond, VA–
Just a little bump and grind, well that’s why R Kelly said, today it’s what Kyle Busch gave to Carl Edwards in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
A caution flag reset the field with 36 laps to go at the 0.75-mile track as Kyle Busch and teammate Edwards, who led a race-high 151 laps, led the field to green. As the leaders hit lapped traffic with 14 laps to go, Edwards and Jimmie Johnson were able to close Busch’s lead. Edwards had the faster car but waited until the final turn to bump Busch out of the lead and take the victory.
For Edwards it was a weekend sweep at the track where he has excelled in the past, but never ever to capture back to back races in one weekend.
“I just have to give it up to my teams for the weekend. They had both of the cars running extremely well. That bump, well you know how it goes here at Richmond, said Edwards.
The other story of the weekend was the return of Tony Stewart after injuring his back in a off-road accident. Unfortunately for Tony it wasn’t his best day on the track. Stewart had a tire go down in his first race back behind the wheel of his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
“We got the lap down there,” Stewart said after the race. “I got a lap down and almost drove back by and got my lap back. But Carl (Edwards) was strong. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hang on long, but I was going to hold on as long as I could and hope we got a caution.”
Full Race Results
1. Carl Edwards
2. Kyle Busch
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Joey Logano
9. Martin Truex Jr.
10. Kurt Busch
11. Brad Keselowski
12. Chase Elliott
13. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
14. Greg Biffle
15. Kyle Larson
16. Jamie McMurray
17. Trevor Bayne
18. Ryan Newman
19. Tony Stewart
20. Austin Dillon
21. Aric Almirola
22. Paul Menard
23. David Ragan
24. Danica Patrick
25. AJ Allmendinger
26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
27. Landon Cassill
28. Ryan Blaney
29. Casey Mears
30. Matt DiBenedetto
31. Michael McDowell
32. Regan Smith
33. Clint Bowyer
34. Chris Buescher
35. Brian Scott
36. Michael Annett
37. Ryan Ellis
38. Jeffrey Earnhardt
39. Josh Wise
40. Reed Sorenson