Carl Edwards didn’t get angry, he got even. He won the third round of a continuing rivalry after spinning Brad Keselowski on the last lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Race at Gateway Raceway.
Reed Sorenson finished second and pole sitter Trevor Bayne finished third.
The bitter competition started at the Talladega Sprint Cup race last spring when Keselowski sent Edwards Ford into the air on the last lap taking his first Sprint Cup victory.
This year, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Edwards admittedly turned hard into his younger nemesis sending his car high into the air. Edwards, who was running 150 lap behind at the time of the incident, was immediately parked by NASCAR and put on probation for three races.
On Saturday night Keselowski tapped Edwards in the first turn of the last lap at Gateway on Saturday night and Edwards charged back and turned his younger nemesis who hit the inside wall and was then broadsided by another car. No drivers were injured.
"That’s my job – to win that race and to make sure that I don’t get walked on or get something taken away from me that’s mine. That’s how I race. And he knows that’s how I race, and I know that’s how he races, too, and we both respect that and hopefully, I’m sure tempers are up right now, but hopefully after looking at it, we could each step in the other’s shoes and see it from another perspective. From my side, we’re just going to keep racing,” Edwards said.
“I didn’t mean any harm to him at all. Eventually he will learn that he can’t run into my car over and over and put me in bad situations,” Edwards explained.
Keselowski said his move in turn one set Edwards off "I figured out a way to beat him. He wasn’t happy with me, so he wrecked me. Wrecking down the straightaway is never cool whether it’s at 200 mph or 120. I’m sorry that’s the way it had to end.”
It’s a custom in NASCAR for drivers involved in these incidents to talk things over.
Keselowski said “I’m sure he’ll say how sorry he is, or how cool he thinks he is or how great of a guy he is.”
Reed Sorenson finished second and pole sitter Trevor Bayne finished third.
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| Coming to the checkered flag, Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski tangle as the battle for the victory during the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. (Photo: nascar.com) |
The bitter competition started at the Talladega Sprint Cup race last spring when Keselowski sent Edwards Ford into the air on the last lap taking his first Sprint Cup victory.
This year, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Edwards admittedly turned hard into his younger nemesis sending his car high into the air. Edwards, who was running 150 lap behind at the time of the incident, was immediately parked by NASCAR and put on probation for three races.
On Saturday night Keselowski tapped Edwards in the first turn of the last lap at Gateway on Saturday night and Edwards charged back and turned his younger nemesis who hit the inside wall and was then broadsided by another car. No drivers were injured.
"That’s my job – to win that race and to make sure that I don’t get walked on or get something taken away from me that’s mine. That’s how I race. And he knows that’s how I race, and I know that’s how he races, too, and we both respect that and hopefully, I’m sure tempers are up right now, but hopefully after looking at it, we could each step in the other’s shoes and see it from another perspective. From my side, we’re just going to keep racing,” Edwards said.
“I didn’t mean any harm to him at all. Eventually he will learn that he can’t run into my car over and over and put me in bad situations,” Edwards explained.
Keselowski said his move in turn one set Edwards off "I figured out a way to beat him. He wasn’t happy with me, so he wrecked me. Wrecking down the straightaway is never cool whether it’s at 200 mph or 120. I’m sorry that’s the way it had to end.”
It’s a custom in NASCAR for drivers involved in these incidents to talk things over.
Keselowski said “I’m sure he’ll say how sorry he is, or how cool he thinks he is or how great of a guy he is.”