Carl Edwards helped delay Kyle Busch's championship celebration to next week after he cruised to the victory in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series Able Body Labor 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.
In just his second race with new crew chief Mike Kelley, Edwards scored his 25th career win after leading 109 of the 200 laps.
"I know Kyle almost clinched the championship, but that's what we came here to do and that's win this race," Edwards said. "Before the year is over, it's good to get a win."
Busch finished ninth after spinning early and making contact with the Turn 2 wall. He now leads the standings by 190 points over Edwards and will clinch the series title by starting next week's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Kevin Harvick followed up last night's win in the Truck Series race with a second-place finish in today's race.
Reed Sorenson posted his fourth top-10 finish in five races at PIR with his third-place finish behind the wheel of the No. 32 Toyota for Braun Racing.
Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five.
Keselowski was involved in more controversy on the track when he made contact with pole-sitter Denny Hamlin on lap 158.
"Denny got into me and pushed me up the track and I was going to return the favor," Keselowski said. "When he did it to me I saved it and when I did it to him he didn't save it. We just got into a pushing match."
Hamlin, who led 91 laps, says payback might in Keselowski's future.
"I'm just happy I signed up for next week's Nationwide race," Hamlin said. "In turn there's a lot of guys that owe him, there's a lot of guys that have a lot of chips that they're going to cash in and I'm just going to be the first at the pay window."
The NASCAR Nationwide Series will conclude the 2009 season with next Saturday's Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
