Edwards ends 52-race drought with win in Michigan

[Outdoors Junkie]

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Carl Edwards snapped a 52-race Nextel Cup winless streak Sunday by holding off Martin Truex Jr. to win at Michigan International Speedway.


Michigan Results
 
Carl Edwards took the checkered at Michigan, earning his first win since Nov. 11, 2005.

1. Carl Edwards, Ford
2. Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet
3. Tony Stewart, Chevrolet
4. Casey Mears, Chevrolet
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
6. Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
7. Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
8. Jamie McMurray, Ford
9. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
10. Michael Waltrip, Toyota
Full Results

"Is it really over?" he excitedly asked his crew as he closed in on the finish line.

It was, as Edwards handily beat Truex to the line to grab his first win since Nov. 11, 2005, at Texas. He celebrated the win with his trademark backflip off the window ledge of his car.

He then gleefully took a pair of scissors to team member Tom Giacchi's shaggy beard, clipping off a chunk of hair that had been growing since the two vowed in late 2005 that Giacchi would not shave until Edwards' next win.

The win gave car owner Jack Roush his second win of the season -- first since Matt Kenseth won Feb. 25 at California -- and temporarily snapped Hendrick Motorsports' season-long domination. Hendrick cars have won 10 of the 15 races this season.

Roush, who lives in nearby Livonia, makes winning at Michigan a priority for all his drivers. Roush also celebrated Saturday when Travis Kvapil won the Truck Series race.

Edwards' victory was only the second of the year for Ford, and it snapped a 13-race winning streak for Chevrolet. No other manufacturer has won a race this season.


AP Photo/Luke Brodbeck

Edwards earned Roush its second win of the season.

Truex, who scored his first victory two weeks ago at Dover, finished second after overcoming an early accident. Truex has not finished lower than third the past three races .


Two-time series champion Tony Stewart, still seeking his first win of the season, was third. Stewart had a strong car in Saturday's practice sessions, but an accident with David Gilliland caused heavy damage and he wasn't sure how good his car would be during the race.

He was supposed to start 41st, but deliberately hung back at the green flag to fall into 43rd place at the start.

"With what happened [in practice] and where we qualified, it was two strikes against us," Stewart said. "I made sure I went across the start-finish line in 43rd, so wherever we ended up I could say we went from dead last. From 43rd to third is a pretty good day."

Casey Mears, on a roll since scoring his first career win on May 27, was fourth and the highest finishing Hendrick driver.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fifth to give DEI two cars in the top five, followed by Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray. Jeff Gordon was ninth, the last driver on the lead lap.

Michael Waltrip, racing for just the third time this season, was a surprising 10th and even led one lap. He was with the leaders most of the race, and was lapped with one lap to go.