Carl Edwards sent a not-so-subtle message to Kyle Busch on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.
"We're gearing up for the Chase," Edwards said after pulling away from runner-up Busch for his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup victory of the season. "I'm feeling stronger than ever. We're here to win championships. That's what we're shooting for."
With only three races remaining until the start of the 10-race Chase for the Championship, Edwards closed the gap on series leader Busch with his second victory in the last three races. Edwards also completed a rare weekend sweep on the two-mile Michigan oval at Brooklyn, Mich., adding the victory in the 3M Performance 400 to a victory Saturday in the Nationwide Series event.
When the 12-man Chase begins next month at New Hampshire, all of the eligible drivers will be seeded, with 10 bonus points added to their base total of 5,000 for each victory. Edwards lost one 10-point bonus because of a penalty early in the season, but would still be just 40 points behind Busch if the Chase began next week.
"The greatest part is we didn't give up more bonus points to Kyle," Edwards said. "He's just so strong. Every time I win and he finishes second that's really a 20-point spread for us."
Busch was just ahead of Edwards when they pitted under caution on Lap 180 of the 200-lap event, but Edwards won the race out of the pits.
David Ragan and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had stayed on track and were running 1-2, but Edwards passed them on the restart on Lap 183 to retake the lead, then held off Busch on two more restarts, including the final one with two laps left.
Edwards became the second driver to win both races on the same weekend at Michigan. Mark Martin did it in 1993.
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Sanctions are likely for two Joe Gibbs Racing cars that have dominated the Nationwide Series this season after NASCAR caught team members deliberately trying to mask the horsepower in their powerful engines. NASCAR inspectors found magnets under the gas pedals of the No. 18 and No. 20 Toyotas when the cars were sent to the chassis dyno after Saturday's race at Michigan International Speedway.
Tony Stewart finished third in the No. 20 in his final Nationwide race for JGR, and Joey Logano was seventh in the No. 18.
Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs said he and his father, owner Joe Gibbs, had no prior knowledge of their crew members' intent and apologized to NASCAR and Toyota. NASCAR said it would decide the sanctions this week.
