Edwards Lead 51 Laps and Was In Contention Until Pit Road Woes

June 28, 2009
12:17 AM

Loudon, NH. (June 27, 2009) – Carl Edwards and the No. 60 Scotts Ortho team looked like the team to beat while dominating the first part of the race on the 1.058-mile oval at New Hampshire International Speedway. Edwards looked pretty impressive and passed Joey Logano early to lead 51 laps. Then the 60 team experienced some pit stop troubles sending Edwards back eight spots. They still had a very stout car, but Edwards was never able to get back up front to contend for the lead. He was able to fight his way back into the top-10 and finished sixth for his fifth consecutive top-10 finish at New Hampshire. It was also his 12th top-10 out of 16 races for the 2009 season.

Edwards started the race in 2nd and took over the lead from Logano on lap 4 for the first time to lead 4 laps until Logano recaptured the lead on lap 7. Edwards reported that his car needed to turn a little better in the center, but was pretty good overall.

The first caution flag flew on lap 50 and Edwards pitted for fuel, four tires and air and track bar adjustments. The Scotts Ortho crew blistered off a 14.01 stop and maintained their second place spot. Racing resumed on lap 59.

Edwards was able to regain the lead from Logano on lap 60 and held a commanding lead for the next 47 laps. Edwards and the Scotts Ortho team’s luck changed when they struggled for an 18.8 second stop losing eight spots reentering from the eighth position when racing resumed on lap 110.

Edwards gained one spot on lap 150 by passing Mike Bliss, but the third and final caution flag flew on lap 156 and the Scotts Ortho crew struggled again with a trackbar, air, fuel, and four tire pit stop in 15.35 second losing three more spots, pushing him back to 11th. He fought hard to regain as many positions as he could and keep the points race as close as possible.

On the final lap the No. 99 car and No. 32 cars wrecked in front of Edwards and he was able to capitalize by passing them and finishing 6th for the team’s 10th top-10 of the 2009 season, his fifth consecutive top-10 at New Hampshire and 12th top-10 of 2009.

“Our Scotts Ortho Fusion was great today. We had all the Ortho folks here and I wanted to finish good,” stated Edwards. “We ran so well in Milwaukee last week, we led a bunch of laps today, so I really felt like we had a good racecar, until we had trouble on the pit stops. My guys are normally good on pit road, so hopefully this was just a rarity. Hopefully, we can go on and keep running like we are. The results weren’t good, but we ran really well. That’s what we will work off.”

Next week Edwards travels back to Daytona International Speedway. The No. 60 team had a very good run there at the beginning of the season. Edwards maintained second place in the overall points race, just 162 markers out of first behind Kyle Busch. Edwards and the No. 60 team will be running the Save-A-Lot colors there.

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating nine motorsports teams. Five in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; three in the Nationwide Series with Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Ragan, Erik Darnell, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Colin Braun; and one in the Camping World Truck Series with Braun. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. For sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

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