Started the Chase with a Whimper

The weekend started out with a bit of rain that washed out qualifying.  As a result, the starting grid was set by owners' points, giving Carl Edwards the 5th spot.  But that was the last time that bad weather had an impact on the race activities.

The first practice sessions saw fast speeds from the #19 Stanley Camry.  Carl finished the three sessions in 2nd, 4th, and 4th.  But that speed was not evident during the race.  He fell back two spots on the first lap alone.  After pitting during a caution on lap 48, he restarted 9th and fell back another two spots within four laps.

He reported a vibration, worried that one of the tires might be loose, but the crew said all lug nuts were tight.  Typical of Chicagoland, there were long caution-free sections of the race.  During a green-flag pit stop for four tires and fuel on lap 105, they discovered that the right front tire was badly used up.  They planned on better tire management going forward.

During a caution for a car that spun out on lap 119, they pitted for a wedge adjustment, four tires, and fuel.  They restarted 12th, but continued to fall back.  By lap 142, Carl was in 17th place.  Over the next 85 laps, he ran between 15th and 16th.  As the race continued to wind down, a few cars made green-flag pit stops, allowing Carl to gain a few spots.  With only five laps to go, he had climbed up to 11th.

And then came a glimmer of hope with a caution with five laps to go.  With the vast majority of the lead lap cars pitting, the 19 team opted to stay out.  With two laps to go, they restarted 3rd.  It was short-lived excitement, though, as the older tires could not keep up with the rest of the herd.  In only two laps, he fell back 12 spots, finishing the race in 15th place.  As a result, he currently sits 9th on the Chase grid and in the drivers' standings, 18 points behind the leader and only 5 points away from the cut-off line.