Could a man who has not won a Sprint Cup Series race since 2008 still win the championship this year?
Only if his name is Carl Edwards.
Despite his inability to win races, Edwards holds the highest average finish (5.5) among his Chase for the Sprint Cup competitors over the last nine races. During that time, he has finished eight times in the top 10 and five times in the top five.
The 12 drivers who record the most points during the 26 regular-season races earn the chance to compete for the Sprint Cup. The postseason takes place over the course of 10 weeks, and out of those 12 drivers, the highest point earner wins the title. The driver who wins each race earns 185 points, and the rest of the finishers receive points in subsequent fashion.
Since everyone receives points, consistent driving like Edwards’ can earn as many points over time as someone who wins a race but then finishes other races poorly. So even though Edwards has not been winning races, he enters the Chase with a legitimate chance of taking the crown.
“Carl could be the surprise guy,” crew chief Ray Evernham told the Sporting News. “He’s had a rough season, but the Fords have picked up speed. You could see Carl in this mix. You could definitely see him win a race or two in the Chase.”
ESPN.com’s Terry Blount ranks Edwards as the third-most likely driver to win the series. Still Edwards will have to overcome the stiff competition.
“Everybody runs so well that it seems we get closer and closer every year, the field gets so tight,” Edwards told FoxSports.com. “It becomes more and more important not to have a bad race or two bad races.”
Specifically, Edwards will have to beat four-time incumbent champion Jimmie Johnson, who enters the postseason in second place with a 50-point lead over ninth-placed Edwards. Still, Johnson has been shaky this season, finishing six races below 31st.
Other big names in this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup include past winners Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. The first race begins Sunday, Sept. 19, at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
Roush Fenway Racing is coming to Boston advance of the NASCAR Sylvania 300 at Loudon, N.H., on Sunday, Sept. 19. NESN will have extensive coverage of all the festivities and will air a special edition of NESN Daily called Roush Fenway Racing: Welcome to Boston on Friday, Sept. 17 at 11 p.m.
