Carl Edwards waited, and when his chance finally came, he took it. Edwards used the old Bristol tactic to pass Kyle Busch – the dominant driver for most of the race– and held on to win the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
Edwards used the "Bristol bump-and-run," in turn one to pass Busch on lap 469 and never relinquished the lead.
Busch bumped Edwards after the race in an obvious sign of displeasure at Edwards' physical pass. Edwards' returned the favor, spinning Busch in the track's front stretch. The site of Busch's spinning car garnered a loud cheer from the fans.
"They keep talking about rivalries, we might have one now," Busch told television reporters moments after the race.Edwards started on the poll and held the top spot until lap 55 when he tangled with the lapped car of Juan Pablo Montoya. Kyle Busch, running in third place, passed Edwards and opened up a sizable lead that he held until Edwards caught him for the winning pass.
Same as last year's Sharpie 500, Lee Roy Mercer helped to celebrate the win in Victory Lane with Edwards, Jack Roush, and the 99 Team at Bristol Motor Speedway.
"That's two Sharpie 500 wins at Bristol two years in a row for Carl and I was here with him and Mr. Jack Roush to celebrate it both times. Third time's gonna be a charm," Mercer told television reporters in Victory Lane.Edwards' Sharpie 500 win in 2007 at Bristol Motor Speedway was Win number 99 for ROUSH in Cup. It was also Ford's first victory with the Car of Tomorrow.
Lee Roy Mercer In Victory Lane - Sharpie 500 - Bristol Motor Speedway 08
