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Edwards Scores Two Wins For Team Valvoline at NASCAR Finale, Falls Short of Season Titles, Benson Captures Truck Season Championship
NASCAR Sprint Cup & Nationwide Series
Team Valvoline driver Carl Edwards did everything he could to clinch titles in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide divisions during NASCAR's season-finale weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Edwards won Saturday's Nationwide race and came back to win Sunday's Cup event. But the Roush Fenway Racing driver came up short in the final point standings, finishing second to Jimmie Johnson for the Cup season title and to Clint Bowyer for the Nationwide title. Edwards trailed Johnson by 69 points and Bowyer by 21.
The victories gave Edwards a season high of nine wins in Cup and seven in the Nationwide Series.
"I'm sure glad we won today's race because it will make it a little bit easier to deal with in the off-season and coming so close to that championship," said Edwards following Sunday's Cup event. "We ran really well this season and it's something I wanted to make sure my guys understood is that they did their jobs. My guys performed well enough to win a championship this season, and considering how well Jimmie (Johnson) performed, I don't think that's a small feat. I'm glad that we won the race so that we can go into the off-season knowing we won more (Cup) races than anyone else in this series."
Also scoring top-10 finishes for Team Valvoline in Sunday's Ford 400 Cup race were Jamie McMurray (third), Kasey Kahne (sixth) and Travis Kvapil (seventh). A J Allmendinger, who drove the No. 10 Valvoline Dodge for Gillett Evernham Motorsports, finished 11th.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Team Valvoline driver Johnny Benson claimed the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title after finishing seventh in Friday night's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He edged Ron Hornaday Jr. for the title by a mere seven points.
A late-race strategy to forgo a pit stop made the difference for Benson and his No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Toyota Tundra team. Hornaday, who did pit for four tires with eight laps remaining, finished eighth. Had Hornaday finished one position better than Benson, he would have won the season title.
"Trip (Bruce, crew chief) told me early on that if we weren't the fastest, we'll definitely do what we have to do to be the smartest," said Benson. "Ron (Hornaday) had a great truck tonight but we just ended up beating him on a little bit of strategy."
"Words can't describe this," added Benson. "I was kind of crying down the backstretch. It was fairly emotional."
This was the second NASCAR season championship for Benson, who won the 1995 Busch Series (now Nationwide Series) title.
Erik Darnell, Roush Fenway/Valvoline driver, ended the truck season fourth in points. Colin Braun, another Roush Fenway/Team Valvoline driver captured the truck series Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors.
Valvoline Racing Driver Results
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Nov. 16, 2008
Homestead Miami Speedway
Homestead, Fla.
(starting position in parenthesis)
AJ Allmendinger, No. 10 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge
Finished: 11th (43rd)
Point Standing: 36th
Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 18th (23rd)
Point Standing: 3rd
Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 1st (4th)
Point Standing: 2nd
David Gilliland, No. 38 Yates Racing Ford
Finished: 27th (34th)
Point Standing: 27th
Robby Gordon, No. 7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge
Finished: 26th (14th)
Point Standing: 33rd
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge
Finished: 6th (18th)
Point Standing: 14th
Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 25th (3rd)
Point Standing: 11th
Travis Kvapil, No. 28 Yates Racing Ford
Finished: 7th (19th)
Point Standing: 23rd
Jamie McMurray, No. 26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 3rd (7th)
Point Standing: 16th
David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 24th (6th)
Point Standing: 13th
Elliott Sadler No. 19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge
Finished: 28th (24th)
Point Standing: 24th
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Event
Nov. 14, 2008
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead, Fla.
(starting position in parenthesis)
Johnny Benson, No. 23 Toyota Tundra
Finished: 7th (8th)
Final Point Standing: 1st
Colin Braun, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 14th (2nd)
Final Point Standing: 13th
Erik Darnell, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 11th (6th)
Final Point Standing: 4th
Travis Kvapil, No. 09 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 6th (12th)
Final Owner Point Standing for No. 09: 17th (No. 09 had multiple drivers in 2008)
