Alongside Jimmie Johnson’s fifth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title celebration, Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac team triumphed for their second win of the season, dominating Sunday’s season finale Ford 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway to capture back-to-back victories and five post-race contingency awards.
Edwards, who battled at the front all day to steer the No. 99 Ford Fusion to his 18th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, earned the Goodyear Gatorback Belts Fastest Lap of the Race Award for turning the quickest lap of the event while leading (170.611 mph, Lap 252), as well as the Sunoco Diamond Performance Award as the highest finishing eligible driver.
Crew Chief Bob Osborne captured his second straight DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race Award, given weekly to the crew chief of the driver who has demonstrated the best qualifying and race effort during the weekend. No. 99 engine builder Tom Ghent earned his second MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Award of the year based on points earned for qualifying and finishing position, while the No. 99 pit crew captured the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award for spending the least amount of time on pit road and finishing on the lead lap.
These awards are part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the Contingency Program, which provide teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.
“I’m able to look at what we’ve done – these two race wins and fourth in points – this is beyond the comeback I expected,” said Edwards post-victory. “For our team to finish like this and to be on the upswing that we are, this is as good as it gets.”
Added crew chief Osborne, “There’s not really any one specific part, piece, technique, process that we have changed to turn the corner here; just a lot of little things that seem to have built momentum for us and got us back to victory lane.”
Official winners of this week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Prize Money & Decal Program special awards include:
- COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Kasey Kahne (176.904 mph)
- DIRECTV CREW CHIEF OF THE RACE AWARD: Bob Osborne (crew chief for Carl Edwards)
- GOODYEAR GATORBACK BELTS FASTEST LAP AWARD: Carl Edwards (170.611 mph, Lap 252)
- MAHLE CLEVITE ENGINE BUILDER OF THE RACE AWARD: Tom Ghent (engine builder for Carl Edwards, No. 99)
- MOBIL 1 “COMMAND PERFORMANCE DRIVER OF THE RACE” AWARD: Kasey Kahne
- MOOG CHASSIS PARTS PROBLEM SOLVER OF THE RACE AWARD: Darian Grubb (crew chief for Tony Stewart)
- O’REILLY AUTO PARTS POSITION IMPROVEMENT AWARD: Kevin Harvick (25 places)
- RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD: Kevin Conway
- SUNOCO DIAMOND PERFORMANCE AWARD: Carl Edwards
- TISSOT “PIT ROAD PRECISION” AWARD: Carl Edwards (278.260 secs)
- WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD: Martin Truex Jr (62 laps)
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