Busch Holds Off Edwards for Nationwide Win in Phoenix

Denny Hamlin was third, followed by Kevin Harvick and David Ragan.

Photo courtesy: phoenixintlraceway.com

AVONDALE, Ariz. - The top line of Phoenix International Raceway's 1-mile oval took Kyle Busch to the top of the field on Friday evening in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as the star driver won the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 in a green-white-checkered finish over Carl Edwards.

Busch’s win was his second consecutive victory in the series after a win last weekend at Texas, and his second consecutive in Nationwide Series action at PIR. The 22-year-old also won November’s race in Phoenix. With a Craftsman Truck Series victory that weekend, Busch has won each of the last three non-Sprint Cup events from NASCAR's major divisions at PIR.

With his second win, Busch ties Greg Biffle for the all-time lead in Nationwide Series wins at PIR.

Busch started on the pole but lost the lead to Edwards early, as he later noted the back-and-forth nature of the event. Denny Hamlin contended at times, but at the end, it was Busch and Edwards fighting to the line, with Busch using the high line to fend off NASCAR’s hottest recent driver in the race’s final two laps.

"It was a great battle with Carl. I’ve got to thank him for running me clean," Busch said. “I didn’t get as good of a restart as I would have liked to have gotten. I had to go around the top, but I’m happy to have held Carl off.”

Hamlin was third, followed by Kevin Harvick and David Ragan. Mike Bliss finished sixth, Stephen Leicht was seventh, and Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann, and David Stremme filled out the top 10.

Source: phoenixintlraceway.com

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