(NASCAR)—Columbia’s Carl Edwards fought back from being a lap down to the leader for most of the race at Martinsville to cross the line sixth after 500 laps on the shortest track on the NASCAR circuit at .526 miles. The track is known as “The Paperclip,” because of its long straightaways and tight turns at both ends.
Edwards’ car handled poorly in the early going, causing him to fall a lap behind the leaders. He worked his way into the teens, still a lap down at the mid-point and got the lap back during a caution period. He fought for a spot in the top ten until a four-tire change with eleven laps to go gave his car the grip needed to get his fifth top-seven finish in six races this year. Edwards is fourth in the overall points standings.
Joplin’s Jamie McMurray ran better than his 23rd finishing position would indicate. He was just outside the top ten when he had to make a late pit stop after blowing a tire. McMurray, however, remains in the top 16 in the standings, an important position to maintain to qualify for a run for the NASCAR championship in the last ten races this year.
Edwards, McMurray, and the other top drivers in NASCAR will race next Saturday night at the Texas Motor Speedway.
(Photo credit: NASCAR)
(IndyCar)– Defending IndyCar champion Scott Dixon has picked up his first win of the season, the 39th of his career, which ties him with Al Unser for fourth on the all-time IndyCar winners list. Dixon took the checkered flag Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway in the first IndyCar race there since 2005.
The victory gives Dixon at least one victory for the twelfth straight year, a new IndyCar record, breaking his tie with Bobby Unser, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Helio Castroneves. Castroneves’ streak ended when he went winless last year.
Simon Pagenaud finished second for the second race in a row and leads Dixon in the points chase by four points.
(Formula 1)—Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has made it two for two this year with his win at the Bahrain Grand Prix, a ten-second win over Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. Rosberg’s teammate, defending F! champion Lewis Hamilton, recovered from an early race shunt with a competitor to grab the final podium spot.
Romain Grosjean, driving for the only American-owned team in Formula 1, came home fifth, a one-spot improvement from the Haas Racing debut two weeks ago in Australia. Grosjean, incidentally, says he wouldn’t mind driving one of the NASCAR cars co-owned by Gene Haas and Tony Stewart sometime, but only on a road course. He tells Motorsport he has no interest in racing on an oval. “I’d be scared, and it’s too much of a specialty,” he says.
–Bob Priddy, Contributing Editor