Crash-marred Dover race won by Edwards
His car parked on the track because of a late-race red flag, Carl Edwards had time to catch replays on the big screen of the crash that wiped out other Chase for the Nextel Cup drivers.
Edwards could only think about how lucky he was that he would get away from Dover (Del.) International Speedway unscathed.
"This place has great potential for disaster," he said.
Edwards avoided trouble on the track Sunday to win at Dover International Speedway, but he found it in the garage. The No. 99 Ford failed the postrace inspection because the right rear fender was too low, and NASCAR this week will likely hit Edwards with a fine and dock him crucial points.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Potson said there was no evidence of intentional tampering.
"This is a height violation. It is not one where we believe the structure of the body has been manipulated," he said.
Edwards had dodged the smoke, the skids and the wrecks win his first Chase race in two seasons and vault five spots to third in the Chase for the tightened championship standings.
Now it's all in doubt.
The probable penalty will only further jumble a points race that has the top six drivers separated by a mere 18 points. Jeff Gordon seized the points lead, with Tony Stewart second. Jimmie Johnson, who led the standings entering the day, fell to fourth.
"It was a crazy day at Dover and somehow we came out of it with the points lead," Gordon said.
It sure was crazy. All he has to do is ask Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth or Denny Hamlin. Smoked or smashed cars derailed their pursuit for a Nextel Cup title and the race was a disaster for most of the championship field.
Edwards' surge late at Dover helped him avoid a massive wreck with 14 laps left that affected Chase contenders Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Johnson and a few other drivers in the 400-mile race on the concrete track.
Kurt Busch's car hit the wall on the straightaway and ricocheted back on the track and into Reed Sorenson. The big crash left Truex's crumpled car on the track while the race was red-flagged for nearly 12 minutes.
Force injured in NHRA wreck: Drag-racing star John Force was alert and conscious Sunday after sustaining serious injuries in a wreck with Funny Car rival Kenny Bernstein during the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis.
Team spokesman Elon Werner said the 58-year-old Force broke his left ankle and his left wrist and suffered a severe abrasion to his right knee.
"John's chassis broke in half and the engine and front two wheels were over in Kenny's lane, and that's what Kenny hit," Werner said.
Force, a 14-time champion, was airlifted to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, where Werner said doctors planned surgery Sunday night to clean up the abrasions and possibly set the broken bones.
"He was alert and obviously in a lot of pain, but the whole time he was asking questions. His primary concern was for Kenny Bernstein," Werner said.
Werner said a CT scan came back negative for internal injuries. He also said Force sustained some minor fractures and severe abrasions to the tips of his fingers.