NASCAR

Rating the Race: UAW-Dodge 400

NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series kicked off their first race of March with a bang this Sunday in Sin City when they visited Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the UAW Dodge 400. Heading into the weekend, Kyle Busch and his no. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team was the talk of the town as he came into the race as the series’ points leader and turned in the fastest lap during qualifying to win the Coors Lite Pole Award at his hometown track where he held a current streak of three consecutive top-ten finishes. But, alas, as is the case with so many races, by the time the checkered flag waived there was a new name at the tip of NASCAR fans’ tongues as Carl Edwards pulled away from the field in the closing laps to secure the win for his no. 99 Roush Racing team for the second week in a row.

Kyle Busch looked like the car to beat early in the race as he led the first 21 laps, but was soon overthrown by eventual race winner Carl Edwards. Carl surrendered the lead on lap 48 during a round of green flag stops that gave the cars of Scott Riggs, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Robby Gordon the opportunity to lead laps as they had all pitted during the race’s only caution to that point back on lap 9. Once the pit stops cycled through, however, it was Edwards right back to the front. During those stops, Kurt Busch and Elliott Sadler were both penalized for being too fast on pit road and were pushed a lap down.

The next caution came on lap 69 for debris, and with only 17 cars on the lead lap, Jeff Burton stayed out to lead the race, but Kyle Busch regained the helm about 11 laps later. At this point, Joe Gibbs Racing’s dynamic duo was looking pretty solid yet again with Busch leading and Stewart charging through the field, but on lap 109 Stewart blew a right front tire that sent him sailing into the wall, cutting his race short for the second day in a row.

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