Let There Be Light: Edwards Claims Auto 500 Victory After Rain Delay

It only took 21 laps and 2 accidents for officials to realize there was a big problem in the Auto 500 last Sunday as Mother Nature apparently did not feel like cooperating with the 42 drivers in California trying to finish the Sprint Cup race. Many drivers felt that the race should have been postponed at that point, but officials spent 67 minutes working on the track, desperately trying to make the track safe for everyone involved.

But it didn’t work. Shortly after the restart, the cars were put under caution again as Casey Mears clipped Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and was then hit by Sam Hornish, Jr., who ended up flipping Mears’ car. The accident ended up with a small fire that had to be put out. The good news is, no drivers were hurt. The bad news is, many drivers were very frustrated.

It wasn’t just the slick track that hampered their efforts. With the rain coming in sporadic downpours and light mists, the drivers had no rhythm which is truly crucial to a successful run. The storm also brought in a large amount of debris which gathered in the cars’ grills and unscheduled pit stops had to be made to clear them out. Nevertheless, the race was postponed after 87 laps until the following day with Jimmie Johnson in the lead, followed by Travis Kvapil, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne.

Heading into Monday it was all sunshine and blue skies. After the surprising results of the Daytona 500 and Ryan Newman being crowned with the victory, speculation was rising and falling as quickly as the lead cars could change.

Jeff Gordon, who had dominated the race early, seemed to pulling for the victory as did his teammate, Jimmie Johnson. But it was Carl Edwards, who had taken over the lead at lap 237, who won during a yellow flag following Dale Jarrett’s spinout.

Edwards came in 6th place last year at Fontana, claiming his highest finish at the track in his career. Previously, he had been 14th and 26th. This win has put him in 5 th place in the Sprint Cup standings in both points and driving rating, with Kyle Busch leading both fields as well.

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Behind Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon crossed the line in a 2-3 finish for Hendrick Motorspots and Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth finished 4th and 5th, respectively. The top 10 was rounded out by Martin Truex, Jr., Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, and last week’s winner, Ryan Newman.

By Angela Moore
Pro Racing Fans Staff Writer

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