Edwards Scores Big for Team Wiley X, Captures Pocono Victory
LONG POND, Pa. (Aug. 3, 2008) — Team Wiley X driver Carl Edwards won Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. It was Edwards’ fourth win of the season and the 11th of his career. The Wiley X pilot crossed the finish line 3.858 seconds ahead of Tony Stewart.
David Ragan (5th) and Mark Martin (8th) also scored top-10 finishes for Wiley X.
When rain started to fall at Pocono Raceway on Lap 127, teams began to rethink their pit strategy. Some teams gambled that rain would shorten the race while others gambled the race would go the distance even though NASCAR was forced to red-flag the event for 41 minutes due to the weather.
Edwards’ team made the right call as the race did go the distance — 200 laps, 500 miles.
“We thought we’d made the wrong call and Bob (Osborne, crew chief) and I were really arguing,” said Edwards after scoring his 11th career Cup victory. “I’m trying to make a little fight of it. I just can’t thank my guys enough and everybody for hanging tough.”
With five races remaining before the championship Chase begins, Team Wiley X has three drivers in the top 12, which is the Chase cutoff. Edwards is third, Greg Biffle eighth and Denny Hamlin 10th. Close to the Chase cutoff are Matt Kenseth (13th) and Ragan (14th).
Wiley X Team Results
Sprint Cup Race
Aug. 3, 2008
Pennsylvania 500
Pocono Raceway
(starting position in parenthesis)
Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 13th (9th)
Point Standing: 8th
Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 1st (15th)
Point Standing: 3rd
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 23rd (14th)
Point Standing: 10th
Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 11th (5th)
Point Standing: 13th
Mark Martin, No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet
Finished: 8th (2nd)
Point Standing: (No. 8 team is 15th in owner points)
Kyle Petty, No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge
(Chad McCumbee drove the No. 45 in Pocono)
Finished: 17th (35th)
Point Standing: (No. 45 team is 40th in owner points)
David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 5th (16th)
Point Standing: 14th
David Reutimann, No. 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota
Finished: 30th (28th)
Point Standing: 27th
Tags: wiley x