If It’s An Odd-Numbered Season, Edwards Must Be In The Lead
It’s an odd thing.
Since his first full season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2005, Carl Edwards has led the driver standings during the odd-numbered years.
In the even-numbered seasons, he’s been solid, but has never been first.
Following his second-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Feb. 28, Edwards jumped Kyle Busch for the driver standings lead, the first time he’d been in the top spot since officially claiming the series championship in November 2007 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Edwards never relinquished the points lead after the third race of the 2007 season. In 2005, he was first for 10 consecutive weeks and ultimately finished third in the standings.
During his two even years of full-time competition, Edwards failed to lead the standings but did finish second in the championship.
He was second to Clint Bowyer in 2008 and runner-up to Kevin Harvick in 2006.
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First Repeat Wins For Busch Bros. Came In Nationwide Series
Kurt Busch’s win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race last Sunday followed his younger brother Kyle’s victory at Las Vegas the week before.
That showing by the Busch Brothers was the third time in their NASCAR national series careers they’d accomplished the back-to-back feat. The first time was in 2006 — in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Kyle started by winning at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. Following an open week for the series, Kurt was in line at Texas Motor Speedway for his first career NASCAR Nationwide start.
Kurt won at Texas, becoming the fifth driver in series history to register a victory in his first series start. The win also made the Busches the first brothers to win consecutive series races since Terry and Bobby Labonte at Atlanta and Nashville in 1996.
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Gaughan Fishin’: Brendan Gaughan has taken his open week to the extreme.
The Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings leader who’s fourth in the driver standings — the highest-ranking series-only regular — has developed many interests outside of his race car; one of those passions is scuba diving.
Gaughan has taken a trip to the remote Socorro Islands off the West Coast of Mexico where he hopes to dive alongside creatures of the deep including Giant Pacific Manta Rays, humpback whales and several varieties of sharks like Hammerhead, Whale, Whitetip and Galapagos.
“I’ve gotten more and more into diving over the last several years and I really love it,” he said. “I’m not sure that Rusty (Wallace, team owner) is too sure about me shark diving, but if I can handle a Nationwide Series car, hopefully I can handle this.”
